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Ferndale OKs Events Center Plan: Staff Called Plan Incompatible With Surroundings

Posted on: Tuesday, 7 March 2006, 12:01 CST

By Aubrey Cohen, The Bellingham Herald, Bellingham, Wash.

Mar. 7--An 85,000-square-foot events center was compatible enough with surrounding industry to suit Ferndale City Council members, despite contrary recommendations from the city planner and hearing examiner.

The council approved Emerald Bay Events and Faber Brothers Construction's proposed center, at Rural and Sunset avenues, in a 6-0 vote, with Councilman Ken Downey away on military duty. The plan still must go through a detailed site-plan review.

The center would include 40,000 square feet of exhibit space - slightly more than a new center in Lynnwood and somewhat less than one in Everett. Taxpayers funded both of those centers.

City Planner Tom Black and Hearing Examiner Richard Sepler had recommended against the center, saying they liked the idea, but it would be incompatible with surrounding industry in the manufacturing zone. In letters and at a January hearing, officials from some local businesses agreed.

"The proposed events center most likely would conflict with our desire to live peacefully within our zoning," Louws Truss President Jack Louws wrote. He noted his business operated on nights and weekends and planned to expand weekend work.

The plan also drew support, including from the Bellingham Whatcom Economic Development Council, Bellingham Whatcom County Tourism, the nearby Silver Creek Business Park and the Lummi Indian Business Council, which plans a commercial development across the street.

Faber Brothers project manager Mike Leland said the center would provide more and better jobs than large warehouses his company had considered for the site. He said the developers believed noise from adjacent industry would not affect the center.

Emerald Bay Events owner Kim Alfreds said industrial noise and odors could create problems from time to time, but the developers would create buffers and quiet areas and did not intend to object to industrial operations.

Councilwoman Marianne Elgart said it was rare for a private developer to propose something so beneficial to a community. She said the plan fit manufacturing zoning provisions allowing business headquarters and offices and retail and wholesale operations related to permitted uses.

Councilman Mel Hansen said it was not clear whether the plan fit the zoning or not, but the overall good outweighed any uncertainty.

Council members called for a provision protecting nearby industry from complaints. Black said that could be a condition of the project and later review would require more details on how the center would deal with noise and other issues.

Reach Aubrey Cohen at aubrey.cohen@bellinghamherald.com or 715-2289.

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Copyright (c) 2006, The Bellingham Herald, Bellingham, Wash.

Distributed by Knight Ridder/Tribune Business News.

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Source: The Bellingham Herald, Wash.

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