News

·         Main Street Village – located south of the Hendrickson and Main Street intersection, this project consists of 44 townhome-style units. There are 11 lots total, with each lot having 4 units. There is a trail dedication along the east side of the development that runs from Main Street to the townhomes. Construction is currently underway.

·         LaBounty Apartments – located on the east side of LaBounty, this project consists of 71 apartment units. Permits were submitted back in 2014. There are three buildings total, two of which have been completed and are fully occupied. A small recreation area will be added when the third building is complete. The developer removed blackberries, which are an invasive species, and replaced them with native tree species as part of their critical areas mitigation plan.

The proposed changes to the existing City of Ferndale sign code address a US Supreme Court decision related to signs within the public right-of-way, removing “content based” regulations, limiting the size of signs, and adopting other restrictions in order to eliminate signs in close proximity to roundabouts and in maintained lawn areas of the right of way. The regulations would not go into effect until January 1, 2019 to allow sufficient time for public outreach.

 By general consensus, this item was sent back to the Planning & Land Use Committee for further discussion.

Religious organizations have played a primary role in providing care and resources to the homeless community, often in the form of temporary outdoor homeless encampments. RCW 35A.21.360 prevents local jurisdictions from banning such encampments entirely and limits the conditions that can be placed on the encampments to those related to public health and safety. The RCW also allows a jurisdiction to identify a process for such land uses. The proposed amendments to the Ferndale Municipal Code makes outdoor homeless encampments hosted by religious organizations a separate conditional use, and clarifies the specific requirements for the encampments.

 By general consensus, this item was sent back to the Planning & Land Use Committee for further discussion.

The Finance & Administration Committee has spent several meetings reviewing and updating the current Council rules. This process is still ongoing at the Committee level. Staff recommended breaking the document into sections for discussions and approval over several meetings, rather than waiting to bring it in its entirety at one meeting.

Councilmember Kennedy moved, and Councilmember K. Hansen seconded, to recommend approval of Council Rules #1 – 11 with the following changes:

Item #3 – Change the third sentence to read “The Mayor or any three  four Councilmembers may call a special meeting giving 24-hour notice.”

Item #5 – Change the third paragraph to read “In the event of a protracted absence (defined as more than 30 days duration) by the Mayor, the Mayor Pro Tempore shall assume full  mayoral executive and administrative authority and responsibility until such time….”

Councilmember G. Hansen moved, and Councilmember Taylor seconded, to amend the motion to remove the third sentence in Item #5 entirely.

On the amendment: MOTION CARRIED 7-0.

On the main, amended motion: MOTION CARRIED 7-0.