Environmental Impact Statement
The goal of the EIS is to provide objective factual information about the site and its environment, to complete clear and complete analysis of the relevant aspects of the project, and to determine the regulations under which the development might proceed. The expense of the EIS will be borne by Greenbriar, and the City of Bellingham is the designated Lead Agency. Kim Weil is the Project Manager for the EIS (kweil@cob.org).
- Draft Environmental Impact Statement released September 28, 2009
- Public Comments on the DEIS posted November 19, 2009
- Video: DEIS Public Hearing held October 20, 2009
Scoping Summary
- Final Scoping Summary, March 11, 2008 (PDF)
- Amendment #2 to the March 11, 2008 Scoping Summary (PDF) and Corrected Alternative 3D (PDF) Note: The version of 3D shown in the “Site Plan Alternative” incorrectly shows the “JJ Connector”.
- Amendment to the March 11, 2008 Scoping Summary (PDF)
- Site Plans for Alternatives in Scoping Summary (PDF) Note: Site plan 1B is the same as site plan 1A, but includes widening of the Fairhaven Bridge.
Site Plans and Revisions
Note: The alternatives being studied under the EIS have not changed. However, new information and corrections have resulted in revisions to site plans. All are posted below, and the most recent are considered the most complete.
- Third Revised Site Plans – posted August 19, 2009
- Second Revised Site Plans – posted June 12, 2009
- First Revised Site Plans posted May 20, 2009.
- Unit Count for Each Alternative – posted March 9, 2009 (PDF)
- Cross Section of 24th Street Connector – posted January 29, 2009 (PDF)
EIS Documents
Project Biologist Submittals
- Vegetation Height Map (2006 Lindar Data) September, 2009 (856K PDF)
- Flora & Fauna Assessment for the Fairhaven Highlands, March 2007; Northwest Ecological Services, LLC (9.25MB PDF)
- Letter from Army Corps of Engineers re determination of isolation for certain wetlands dated 5-01-07 (PDF)
- Northwest Ecological Services – October 2008
- Plants and Animals (PDF)
- Wetland Delineation (15.6M PDF)
- Flora and Fauna Assessment – March 2007 (16M PDF)
- Wetland Categorization Memorandum from Northwest Ecological Services, LLC, December 11, 2008 (PDF)
- Wetland Rating Field Data Forms
- Wetland AA (PDF)
- Wetland AX (PDF)
- Wetland AY (PDF)
- Wetland BB (PDF)
- Wetland CC (PDF)
- Wetland DD (PDF)
- Wetland EE and GG (PDF)
- Wetland FF (PDF)
- Wetland HH (PDF)
- Wetlands JJ1 (PDF)
- Wetlands JJ2 (PDF)
- Wetlands KK (PDF)
- Wetlands LL(PDF)
- Wetland JJ2 revised (PDF) added on 6/01/09
- Wetland CC revised (PDF) added on 6/01/09
- Plant & Animal EIS Technical Report on Fairhaven Highlands, revised 3/31/09 (PDF)
- Wetland FF Memo – May 13, 2009 (PDF)
- Fairhaven Highlands DOE Wetland Categories – May 13, 2009 (PDF)
- Wetland Category Changes to Wetlands BB, FF and KK Memo – August 17, 2009 (PDF)
- Wetland Delineation Report Addendum Memo – August 17, 2009 (PDF)
- Revised table of wetlands impacts (PDF) – posted June 12, 2009
- 2nd Revised table of wetland and buffer impacts (PDF) – table provided by Jepson & Asso. with minor corrections by ESA Adolfson) dated August 18, 2009.
- Revised wetland and buffer map (PDF) Revisions made after identifying mature forested wetlands. ftp site
- Consulting Arborist Report – May, 2009
- Wetland map with buffer dimensions (PDF) – posted June 12, 2009
- Grading plan from ESA to applicant showing inconsistencies between grading plan and buffer impacts site plan (PDF) – posted June 12, 2009
- Mature Tree Survey in Wetlands FF, KK, and BB
Transportation Submittals
- REVISED Traffic and Transportation Technical Report, March 2009 (PDF) – posted 9/28/09 Note: revisions included a corrected PM peak-hour delay at 30th St/Old Fairhaven Parkway of 17.9 rather than 17.1.
- Traffic and Transportation Technical Report, March 2009 (7.98M PDF) – posted 3/24/09
- Transportation Impact Analysis Fairhaven Highlands, August 2007; The Transpo Group (4.42MB PDF)
Project Engineer (Jepson) Submittals
- 12th Street Bridge (PDF) 10/15/08
- 12th Street Widening (PDF) 10/15/08
- Alternatives: Site Plans (9.71M PDF) 10/15/08
- Water Resources (PDF) 10/15/08
- Stormwater Site Plan, August 2007; Ron Jepson and Associates
Geotechnical Submittals
- Earth Elements Technical Report – GeoEngineers – February 12, 2009 (PDF)
- Proposed Development Map Part I (PDF) 2/12/09
- Proposed Development Map Part II (PDF) 2/12/09
- Geological Soil Conditions and Subsurface Explorations (PDF) 2/11/09
- Geotechnical Engineering Report, July 2007; GeoEngineers, Inc. (7.6K PDF)
- Alternative 1A Cut / Fill Exhibit – May 20, 2009 (PDF)
Technical Memos and correspondence
- ESA Memo to Jepson & Associations re water resources dated 8/19/09 (PDF)
- ESA “punch list” to Jepson & Associates after PDEIS was printed (PDF) added 6/12/09
- City Parks Memo, 1/29/09 (PDF) updated 5/01/09
- ESA Adolfson technical memo to NES, 1/13/09 (PDF)
- ESA Adolfson technical memo to Jepson & Asso. 12/31/08 (PDF)
- ESA Adolfson technical memo to Geoengineers 12/23/08 (PDF)
- City Fire Department Memo and site plans, 12/19/09 (PDF)
- City Fire Department Memo, 11/10/08 (PDF)
- City Fire Department Memo, 11/08/08 (PDF)
- City PW/Transportation Memo, 8/14/08 (PDF)
Other EIS Correspondence
- Letter from Jeff Thomas to Dave Rinning dated 3/30/11 (PDF)
- Letter from Langabeer & Tull to Jeff Thomas dated 3/21/11 (PDF)
- Letter from Jeff Thomas to Langabeer & Tull dated 3/1/11 (PDF)
- Letter from Jeff Thomas to Langabeer & Tull dated 11/30/2010 (PDF)
- Letter from Jeff Thomas to Langabeer & Tull dated 10/29/10 (PDF)
- Letter from Langabeer & Tull to Jeff Thomas dated 10/29/10 (PDF)
- Letter from Bricklin to Jeff Thomas dated 10/28/10 (PDF)
- Letter from Langabeer & Tull to Jeff Thomas dated 10/28/10 (PDF)
- Letter from Langabeer & Tull to Jeff Thomas dated 10/22/10 (PDF)
- Letter from Jeff Thomas to Langabeer & Tull dated 10/18/10 (PDF)
- Letter from Langabeer & Tull to Jeff Thomas dated 10/12/10 (PDF)
- Letter from Jeff Thomas to Langabeer & Tull dated 9/29/10 (PDF)
- Letter from Jeff Thomas to Langabeer & Tull dated 7/29/10 (PDF)
- Letter from Langabeer & Tull to Jeff Thomas dated 7/23/10 (PDF)
- Letter from Jeff Thomas to Langabeer & Tull dated 6/30/10 (PDF)
- Letter from Tim Stewart to Langabeer & Tull dated 3/11/10 (PDF)
- Letter from Langabeer & Tull to Tim Stewart dated 3/8/10 (PDF)
- Letter to Langabeer & Tull from Tim Stewart re Final EIS dated 12/30/09 (PDF) NOTE: This letter contains an error – there are 325 comment letters received, not 600.
- Letter from Bricklin to Stewart dated 12/28/09 (PDF)
- Letter from Langabeer & Tull to Tim Stewart dated 12/11/09 (PDF)
- Letter from Langabeer & Tull to Tim Stewart dated 9/11/09 (PDF)
- Letter from Langabeer & Tull P.S. to Tim Stewart dated 7/6/09 (PDF)
- Letter from Tim Stewart to Langabeer & Tull P.S. dated 5/27/09 (PDF)
- Letter from City Attorney to Langabeer & Tull P.S. dated 7/21/08 re EIS alternatives (PDF)
- Letter from Langabeer & Tull, P.S. to Tim Stewart dated 7/1/08 re Feasible Alternatives (PDF)
- Letter from Langabeer & Tull, P.S. to Tim Stewart dated 6/3/08 re Preferred Alternatives (PDF)
- Letter from Langabeer & Tull P.S. to Tim Stewart dated 4/25/08 re Final Scoping Summary (PDF)
- Letter from Ronald T. Jepson & Associates to Tim Stewart dated 4/24/08 re transportation alternatives (PDF)
- Letter from Ronald T. Jepson & Associates to Tim Stewart dated 4/24/08 re transportation connections (PDF)
- Letter from Tim Stewart to Langabeer & Tull, P.S. dated 4/2/08 (PDF)
- Letter from Langabeer &Tull, P.S. to Tim Stewart dated 3/28/08 (PDF)
- Letter to Langabeer & Tull P.S. from Tim Stewart dated 11/07/07 (PDF)
- Letter to Tim Stewart from Langabeer & Tull P.S. dated 11/5/07 (PDF)
- Letter from Applicant 9/25/07 920K PDF
Scoping for the EIS
The Scoping Summary describes the alternatives and the environmental elements to be studied for preparation of the Draft Environmental Impact Statement (DEIS). State law requires the analysis of at least three alternatives: the “no action” alternative, the original proposal, and a proposal with fewer environmental impacts. In addition, the scope identifies the environmental elements to be analyzed. In this summary, the environmental elements to be analyzed include those issues raised through public comment and from City input.
A public hearing on scope of the EIS took place on Wednesday, January 16th, 6:30 p.m., Bellingham Municipal Court.
- Determination of Significance and Request for Comments on Scope of Environmental Impact Assessment – issued December 7, 2007 (PDF)
- Video of Public Hearing on the Scope of the EIS – January 16, 2008
- January 16, 2008 Environmental Impact Statement Hearing transcript
- PowerPoint Presentation from Weber-Thompson of site plan (5,379K PDF)
- Site Plan Comparison (original site plan and Enhanced Buffer Alternative) 773K PDF
- Public Comment on Scope of EIS