Community Development

What Should Downtown Ferndale Look Like?

What do you want to see in your downtown? The City is looking to jump start our downtown by encouraging residential and commercial developments that allow folks to live within walking distance of Main Street, and we are soliciting your feedback through social media. You can look at the outline of the Catalyst program that being proposed by clicking here.

As we dig into how to encourage this development, what we need to know from the public is . . .

  • What should these residential buildings look like? 
  • What sorts of businesses would you like to see? 
  • What are good models for Ferndale’s downtown?

Remember that the City does not conduct private development, but we can encourage some projects to move forward through tax incentives.

Share your thoughts on our facebook page by clicking here or if you prefer, email our Community Development Director Jori Burnett by clicking here.

July 9, 2018

City of Ferndale’s Permit Process Goes Paper Free

City of Ferndale’s Permit Process Goes Paper Free

Going Paper Free from City of Ferndale on Vimeo.

Starting this month, the City of Ferndale’s permitting process is going entirely electronic, cutting through the red tape and creating a swifter, more transparent process for building in Ferndale. Materials and applications could be submitted from anywhere in the world through our online permit center. Staff can then review the documents and transmit feedback electronically to applicants.

“This is a big leap forward in terms of efficiency, cost-savings and increasing productivity,” said Community Development Director Jori Burnett. “With the new system, multiple staff members can be working on the same application at the same time, allowing for faster turnarounds and better cooperation.” He also notes the transition to digital will reduce the amount of space needed to store plans and allow for easier access to digital records.

Going paper free also has an impact for inspectors in the field. “This will allow our inspectors on site to immediately send feedback and receive notes from the project engineers,” said Public Works Director Kevin Renz.

To learn more about the City’s efforts to go paper free, please watch the video embedded above. You can access our Online Permit Center by clicking here.

March 9, 2018