The Growth Management Act limits amendments to the comprehensive plan, which includes neighborhood plans, to once a year. The City Council establishes the docket of proposed comprehensive plan amendments after conducting a committee meeting and considering the recommendations of staff and materials submitted by applicants.
Requests to amend the comprehensive plan must be submitted to the Planning Department by April 1st of each year. Requests are required to meet the minimum docketing criteria in the Bellingham Municipal Code (BMC) 20.20.030. Once on the annual review docket, the amendments (and rezones, if applicable) go through a Type VI process.
Comprehensive/Neighborhood Plan Amendment and Rezone Request Application Forms
- Process Document (PDF) (read this first)
- Docketing Application (PDF)
- Comprehensive Plan / Neighborhood Plan Amendment Application (PDF)
- Rezone Application (PDF)
2022-2023 Docket
On June 6, 2022, the following applications were docketed by the City Council for review in the 2022-2023 Comprehensive Plan amendment cycle.
- REZ 2022-0001: The Public Works Department requests an amendment to the Bellingham Comprehensive Plan to incorporate an updated Pedestrian Master Plan by reference.
- REZ2022-0002: The Public Works Department requests an amendment to the Bellingham Comprehensive Plan to incorporate an updated Bicycle Master Plan by reference.
- REZ2022-0003: The Bellingham School District requests a rezone of their properties located at 4160 Cougar Road and parcel 380308107121 in Area 6 of the King Mountain Neighborhood from Residential Single to Public.
- REZ 2022-0004: Talbot Real Estate, LLC requests a rezone to adopt a new Urban Village plan and Urban Village designation in Areas 13-20 and 25 in the Barkley Neighborhood.
- REZ2022-0006: Dominion Sustainable Development requests a rezone of properties located at 755 Lincoln St. and 3816 Consolidation Ave. in Area 1 of the Samish Neighborhood from Commercial Auto to Commercial Planned. Note: Council approved staff’s expanded proposal to include all remaining Commercial Auto zoned properties.
On-Going Docketed Proposals
- REZ2020-0002 (Fairhaven Area 1): Amendment to potentially rezone City owned property and adjacent right-of-ways from Industrial 2 to Commercial Core.
- REZ2020-0006 (Mobile/Manufactured Home Park Designation): Amendment to potentially add comprehensive plan designation and zoning.
