A new playground is coming to Cedar Creek Park, off of Apollo and Aquarius north of Thornton Road. The new play equipment, which will be installed on the south side of the creek adjacent to the sidewalk, includes a Jupiter rope climber, log walk and a slide.
Installation will begin in September 2019 with the park open for use starting in October 2019.
Help install alley murals on the alley between Second and Third Avenue on the south side of Main Street, next to US Bank. Check out the volunteer slots below, sign up and show up. The murals will be completed as swiftly as possible based on the number of volunteers so make sure to show up early in the shift so you don’t miss out. For any questions, please call Communications Officer Riley Sweeney at (360) 685-2353.
At their Aug. 5th, 2019 council meeting, the City Council adopted a greenhouse gas reduction policy that put in place a number of best practices, goals and policies to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and better ensure the resilience of our community to climate change.
APPROVAL OF AGENDACouncilmember Taylor moved, and
Councilmember Jensen seconded, to approve the agenda with the following amendment: Move Item G (Old
Main Discussion) to Item D1. MOTION CARRIED 7-0.
APPROVED
PUBLIC COMMENT
INFO ONLY
CONSENT AGENDACouncilmember Taylor moved, and
Councilmember Bersch seconded, to approve the consent agenda. MOTION CARRIED 7-0.
APPROVED
PROCLAMATION: Community Health Week
Mayor
Mutchler read the proclamation acknowledging community health centers and
declaring August 4 – 10 to be Community Health Week.
INFO ONLY
INTRODUCTION: Parks Intern Micah
Robertson
INFO ONLY
DISCUSSION: Old Main
The City Council is being asked to
reach a conclusion on the potential re-use of the Old Main facility on the
existing Ferndale High School campus.
Old Main, together with the majority of other buildings on the high
school campus, is expected to be torn down following the construction of a
new high school approximately 800 feet north of the building. The School District is in the process of
developing a conceptual site plan for the new campus, and it is likely that
athletic fields and/or parking will be built in the space between Old Main
and the new school facilities. The
District is also working with transportation consultants to determine
potential modifications to onsite parking, bus storage and loading,
pedestrian access, and overall traffic patterns both on the campus and in the
surrounding area.
The City’s architectural consultants
have concluded that the Old Main structure is of sufficient size to
accommodate City functions (City Hall, Court, Council, storage, and
miscellaneous other uses) well into the foreseeable future. The consultants have determined that the
building can be renovated to achieve compliance with seismic and other
requirements. Including a 30%
contingency assumption, the total estimated cost of improvements is
approximately $13.3 million.
This cost is generally consistent
with other development scenarios for a smaller facility evaluated by a
different architectural consultant in 2017. The primary alternative scenario
that has been discussed is the construction of a new co-located facility (or
an expansion of existing) at the current City Hall location. As has also been discussed, City facilities
do not require proximity to a jurisdiction’s Main Street or the core of the
City to function, although the symbolism of such a facility in the core may
be important. One of the main
considerations for alternatives to Old Main, whether at the current site or
at Pioneer Park, would be the cost increases associated with building in the
floodplain. With that factored in, the
costs between all of these options are comparable.
Councilmember
Jensen moved, and Councilmember Hansen seconded, to pursue the
purchase/repurposing of Old Main. MOTION
FAILED 0-7.
MOTION TO
REPURPOSE OLD MAIN FAILED
PUBLIC HEARING: Accessory Dwelling Units Ordinance
In
June 2017, the City Council adopted an ordinance to allow Accessory Dwelling
Units. (ADUs) The ordinance required a review of the new code section by
February 2020, or after 10 permits were received, whichever occurred first.
The city has received its tenth application and is therefore bringing the new
ordinance to Council.
Prior
to 2017, the City did not allow ADUs within the City limits. The ADU
ordinance was ultimately approved because of increased demand within the
City. ADUs are anticipated by the City’s Comprehensive Plan and are a
requirement of the Growth Management Act for larger jurisdictions. Larger
cities are required to adopt an ADU ordinance when their population reaches
20,000. In order to take a proactive approach, the City adopted the ADU ordinance
to allow for any necessary changes to be made prior to a state requirement to
adopt. The ordinance was also created to address potential unpermitted ADUs
that may have been both uncompliant and unsafe.
The
proposed ordinance includes a modification to the reporting requirements for
owner occupancy, and allows up to 40 more ADU’s, bringing the total number
allowed up to 50 before the next scheduled review.
Councilmember Xczar moved, and
Councilmember Hansen seconded, to approve the agenda bill. MOTION CARRIED
7-0.
APPROVED
RESOLUTION: Greenhouse Gas Policy
In
order to be considered for various grants, loans, or funding, Washington
State requires that jurisdictions demonstrate the manner in which they have
enacted policies or procedures to reduce or mitigate greenhouse gas
emissions, and/or to identify other practices that may benefit the
environment. In the last decade Ferndale has taken significant steps on these
issues, but has never listed these approaches in one document. If adopted,
the Greenhouse Gas Policy resolution would do just that. The document reflects
the City’s existing standards and identifies potential new policies that
could be considered in the future. By adopting the resolution, the City will
remain competitive for funding, and will reduce time and effort in developing
funding applications.
Councilmember Taylor moved, and
Councilmember Bishop seconded, to approve the agenda bill. MOTION CARRIED 7-0.
APPROVED
MAYOR REPORTS/COMMENTS
Information
only.
COUNCIL REPORTS/COMMENTS
Information
only.
DEPARTMENT REPORTS
Information
only.
INFO ONLY
ADJOURNMENT
The
meeting was adjourned at 7:05 p.m.
During a recent inspection of the Nooksack River levee that protects our town, Public Works staff identified locations that had been eroded by the river. In partnership with the federal and state permitting agencies and with traffic control support from Ferndale Public Works, the United States Army Corps of Engineers repaired and strengthened the eroded section of the levee structure.
The work, conducted in late June and early July, added almost 1,000 cubic yards of rock, stone and topsoil to the levee, restoring the barrier’s ability to repel the highest flood waters. This section of the levee protects the water and wastewater treatment facility that provides Ferndale’s drinking water, as well as the historic Pioneer Park, our downtown core and the Whatcom County Public Utilities District.
“The levee performs the vital function of protecting our community and it is our responsibility to maintain the levee structure,” said Public Works Supervisor Bo Westford.
Hal Anchorman is back to share the winners of the Great Ferndale Alien Abduction. A big thank you to everyone who participated and all of our community partners (Ferndale Community Coalition, Ferndale Food Bank, Whatcom County Library System and the Ferndale Police Department). If did not turn in your scorecard by the deadline, don’t worry, you can still stop by City Hall through the end of the month, turn it in and pick up a prize.
Notice is hereby given that one or more members of the
Ferndale City Council may attend the following meeting.
Tour of Old Main
Wednesday, July 24, 2019 at 7:30 a.m.
Ferndale High School
5830 Golden Eagle Dr., Ferndale, WA
The purpose of the meeting is to examine a potential City
Hall location. This is an Open Public
Meeting as outlined by the Open Public Meetings Act, and members of the public
are invited to attend and observe.
5:00 p.m. STUDY SESSION: 2020 Budget
Councilmembers
presented their requests for the 2020 budget.
DISCUSSION ONLY
APPROVAL OF AGENDACouncilmember Bersch moved, and
Councilmember Taylor seconded, to approve the agenda as presented. MOTION CARRIED 7-0.
APPROVED
PUBLIC COMMENT
INFO ONLY
CONSENT AGENDACouncilmember Taylor moved, and
Councilmember Hansen seconded, to approve the consent agenda. MOTION CARRIED 7-0.
APPROVED
PROCLAMATION: 2019 Paddle to Lummi Tribal Canoe Journey
Mayor
Mutchler read the proclamation honoring and acknowledging the 2019 Paddle to
Lummi Canoe Journey.
INFO ONLY
CAPITAL PROJECTS UPDATE
Public
Works Project Manager Katy Radder presented updates on the following capital
projects:
First Avenue Pedestrian Improvement Project –
reconfigures the existing pedestrian crossings at First Avenue and Main
StreetFerndale Terrace – design currently underwayScout Place to Nordic Way Water Line – Permit
has been submitted to Burlington Northern, and work is expected to begin soonPump Station #19 De-Commissioning – a new
gravity main will connect the water systems between Thornton Road and Malloy
VillageThornton Overcrossing – right of way
acquisition is nearly completeUtilities Relocation – utilities need to be
relocated to accommodate the Thornton Overcrossing Project
INFO ONLY
PUBLIC HEARING: Floodway Repeal Ordinance
In
January 2019, the City Council approved an amendment to the Comprehensive
Plan removing the Floodway Comprehensive Plan Designation and the Floodway
Zone. The City Council determined that
is no longer appropriate to maintain a floodway land use designation or zone
that is inconsistent with the floodway established by the Federal Emergency
Management Agency (FEMA). This zoning text amendment removes Chapter 18.20
(Floodway Zone) from the Ferndale Municipal Code.
Councilmember Olson moved, and
Councilmember Jensen seconded, to approve the agenda bill. MOTION CARRIED
7-0.
APPROVED
DISCUSSION: First & Main Street Intersection
Improvement project/Bid Award
This
project will reconfigure the existing pedestrian crossings at the
intersection of First Avenue and Main Street.
Work will include removal and replacement of cement concrete sidewalk,
curb and ADA ramps; removal of existing signal arms, cabinets and related
facilities; concrete flatwork; HMA paving; permanent signage installation and
pavement striping.
Councilmember Jensen moved, and
Councilmember Taylor seconded, to approve the agenda bill. MOTION CARRIED
5-2, Councilmembers Hansen and Bersch opposed.
APPROVED
DISCUSSION: Affordable Housing Survey
Housing
affordability continues to be a significant issue for Whatcom County
communities and for the City of Ferndale.
Demand has dramatically exceeded supply at nearly every price point,
and a significant housing crisis exists in the Pacific Northwest. The lack of housing units for the workforce
has further contributed to a slow-down in the growth of local businesses that
depend on skilled labor and has curtailed the expansion of businesses from
outside the area, for the same reason.
A
survey regarding affordable housing was conducted with input from local
realtors, developers, and contractors. Suggestions included:
Allow duplexes, triplexes, etc. in multiple
zones Reduce permit fees where feasible and provide
incentive programs for “affordable” housingStreamline the permit review process and
provide better information regarding permit requirementsDevelopment Regulations – reduce frontage
requirements and allow streets to be narrowerZoning Regulations – allow more flexibility in
building placement on the lotDensity Bonuses – provide incentives for
increased units. Incentives must provide a public benefitState Regulations – better coordination
between state agencies and city. Wetland fill and mitigation permits add
time/confusion to the processCritical Areas – allow applicants to mitigate
for small wetland areas
INFO ONLY
MAYOR REPORTS/COMMENTS
Information
only.
COUNCIL REPORTS/COMMENTS
Information
only.
DEPARTMENT REPORTS
Information
only.
INFO ONLY
ADJOURNMENT
The
meeting was adjourned at 8:19 p.m.
Notice is hereby given that the Ferndale City Council will hold a special meeting for the purpose of discussing the 2020 budget on July 15, 2019 at the City of Ferndale Council Chambers, located at 5694 Second Avenue. The meeting will begin at 5:00 p.m. This is an Open Public Meeting as outlined by the Open Public Meetings Act, and members of the public are invited to attend and observe.