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R5A is typically a county zoning thing, and if it was annexed into the city it could become many lots. At the same time though, none of them could be usable due to wetlands, streams, etc etc.
Sub-dividing can be very profitable, but to be successful you better gear up and prepare for trench warfare. People and corporations are on top of this months, sometimes years BEFORE the annexing is due to take place as they get insider info from government officials, or in some cases it's the government officials themselves that buy the land, then "magically" a year later its annexed and good for 200 apartment units!
More often then not, people will buy acreage and try to subdivide it only to end up hitting zoning or critical area roadblocks and come out lucky to simply get through it all just to get a single house permitted. Most, if not all, of the "deals" up here are kind of like that old "Kelly's Heroes" movie, someone has already been there and made off with the gold.
Oh, ok, so even if it's within city limits, it can't be subdivided? Yes, it was in So. B'ham. That was IDK, a couple of months ago, maybe.
The area I am thinking of is outside the city limits. R5A cannot be subdivided unless it is in the Urban Growth Area and/or city limits then the owner has to go through hoops with city planning. There was a large parcel near us that the owner wanted to divide down from R5A to RR1 or whatever designation 1 home per acre is that was denied by county planning. And, I know the homeowners in the R5A area have trophy homes on acreage that like their exclusive gated enclaves so would probably not welcome more density.
The area I am thinking of is outside the city limits. R5A cannot be subdivided unless it is in the Urban Growth Area and/or city limits then the owner has to go through hoops with city planning. There was a large parcel near us that the owner wanted to divide down from R5A to RR1 or whatever designation 1 home per acre is that was denied by county planning. And, I know the homeowners in the R5A area have trophy homes on acreage that like their exclusive gated enclaves so would probably not welcome more density.
Oops, forgot that if R5A zoned, the zoning must be changed by planning and landowner needs to request change. Usually, urban densities are zone urban or residential with more units per acre.
If you go in the library, 2 bathroom signs say "Shower passes are available for request at the YMCA". Homelessness here seems much more prevalent than the poor town I just came from. I hope this improves.
A couple of thoughts here (and I appreciate that Bellingham is far from perfect):
1. Traffic gets snarled at a few chokepoints, but a 10 or 20 minute delay hardly compares to the hours-long delays folks face in the Everett-Seattle-Tacoma-Olympia corridor on a regular basis. We have it easy up here, honestly. If you really want zero congestion, you're going to need to move to the east side of the Cascades, period. Or at least the easterly reaches of Whatcom County.
2. You grumble about Canadian shoppers at Costco, but apparently you weren't aware that Costco built its newish, expanded, north-of-town warehouse with expanded gas pumps to accommodate those same Canadian customers. So if you don't like Canadians, I suggest you shop at Sam's Club instead... or go to the Costco in Burlington.
3. You grumble about students. Hmmm. WWU and other post-secondary institutions are a huge driver of innovation and jobs in this region. All of the economic activity they help to generate (through investment, jobs, tourism) helps the tax base of your region. Again, if you don't like students, I would suggest that you avoid all of the businesses and restaurants that cater to them.
4. Your beef with local drivers. I suspect the main problem drivers are folks like you -- flipping off Canadians, the elderly, students, out-of-state drivers, and other "outsiders" I'm sure with a middle-finger salute. Why don't you take a deep breath, acknowledge that Bellingham's roads are admittedly confusing and frustrating to locals and outsiders alike, and get involved to improve traffic safety and roadway improvements for all?
Quote:
Originally Posted by rkcarguy
-Traffic. While we don't have that much traffic in comparison to large cities, we don't have the infrastructure for what we do have. Once I'm off work it takes at least 20 minutes just to clear town If I'm headed out of town(that's 4 or less miles folks).
-Drivers. We have a horrible mix of the elderly, Canadians, students, and truck traffic which all have their nuances and just don't mix. We've been declared a high risk area by car insurance companies due to the amount of accidents and un-insured drivers....the un-insured motorist portions of insurance premiums have risen 40%.
-Despite a weak Canadian dollar, they are still down getting gas and shopping. Go to Costco at nearly ANY time they are open, it's combat shopping. Due to this extra demand, we pay higher prices for gas, groceries, pretty much anything at the retail and grocery store level. Often stores are just out of some items because the Canadians clean them out. Thank those above for Amazon at least.
-All the activities this area boasts, are just over-stuffed with people. Parks, boat launches, mountain biking and hiking areas, campsites, Bellingham's one indoor pool, heck even the last time I went to take my kids to trampoline zone we had to buy tickets for 90 minutes later and come back.
I would look for the (lack of) the following things in a town I was going to move to:
No college town.
Not a border town.
Less people.
If working, a good job income to cost of living *ratio*. It's all about the ratio.
Lastnight I was parked with my lights on, this car was coming at me close, so I did a quick honk, the guy stopped and said stuff like he wanted to fight me. I just looked at him, then he finally drove on.
The thing is, all people see is the positive online....come wine taste here, oh look at all the pretty scenery, come ski the mountain or go kayak in the lakes or bays.
People see all this online along with a job opportunity and go OMG a dream opportunity in paradise!
Reality is:
-Overpriced homes, such that recently it was estimated that 88% of the working class can't afford a home here. As a result, two thirds of our residents rent and rents have skyrocketed in the last 18 months. Some landlords are cashing in on the higher values and booting their renters out, who then become unable to find another rental they can afford. If you do mange to find and afford a home, then you have to contend with the high property taxes brought on by inflated assessments/prices do to the lack of homes. Be assured, when the next downturn comes, they won't go back down either. My grandparents built a new home in the 90's for $180K furnished, and it was just accessed at over $500k, leaving my widowed grandmother with a property tax bill of over $500/month. Furthermore, Bellingham added a impervious surface area tax to the water and sewer bill, that taxes you on your roof area, driveway, etc....now her water/sewer bill runs $200-$250/month.
-Traffic. While we don't have that much traffic in comparison to large cities, we don't have the infrastructure for what we do have. Once I'm off work it takes at least 20 minutes just to clear town If I'm headed out of town(that's 4 or less miles folks).
-Drivers. We have a horrible mix of the elderly, Canadians, students, and truck traffic which all have their nuances and just don't mix. We've been declared a high risk area by car insurance companies due to the amount of accidents and un-insured drivers....the un-insured motorist portions of insurance premiums have risen 40%.
-Despite a weak Canadian dollar, they are still down getting gas and shopping. Go to Costco at nearly ANY time they are open, it's combat shopping. Due to this extra demand, we pay higher prices for gas, groceries, pretty much anything at the retail and grocery store level. Often stores are just out of some items because the Canadians clean them out. Thank those above for Amazon at least.
-All the activities this area boasts, are just over-stuffed with people. Parks, boat launches, mountain biking and hiking areas, campsites, Bellingham's one indoor pool, heck even the last time I went to take my kids to trampoline zone we had to buy tickets for 90 minutes later and come back.
-We have a recent trend of an increase in the amount of homeless/mentally ill, which has also brought with it increased crime, drugs, and violence. As I stated in another post, a retired city water worker was recently stabbed to death on the Whatcom creek trail while walking in the bright sunshine at 11am on a Saturday by a man with a long criminal history of drugs and violence.
-Medical care and assisted living. We have one hospital in the entire county. Medical billings are some of the highest in the country due to the amount of people they have to provide services to that do not have medical insurance. Despite all the additional people moving here, one of my doctors offices closed and the doctor moved out of state, citing high insurance costs, lack of nurses and staff, high cost of living, and of course, having to provide care for people with no insurance that do not pay. Many of the remaining places aren't taking new patients. My last appointment I made on June 1st couldn't get me in to even see a nursing assistant until July 25th. The wait lists for assisted living and nursing homes for the elderly were in excess of 18 months long, at any of the quality places. My boss just went through this with his Dad and wound up placing him in a home in the Seattle area, as it was all he could find.
I was born here, my family is here, and for now I'm stuck here. I won't be staying here and I won't be retiring here that is for sure.
I would look for the (lack of) the following things in a town I was going to move to:
No college town.
Not a border town.
Less people.
If working, a good job income to cost of living *ratio*. It's all about the ratio.
Kind of sounds like what all of Washington is going through right now, or at least Seattle area. Seems like the whole state is transitioning pretty fast, propelled by Amazon I guess. I'm thinking it can only get better from here, though maybe a long road to go.
Washington just doesn't seem like it was ever meant to have such a population and growth.
Ruth4truth, $400K may sound like a "great deal" to a Californian or Seattle-ite", but it's almost twice what the average working family could get a home loan for in Whatcom county.
Maybe I am old fashioned in the way I think, that an area's cost of housing/living should reflect the price range of affordability and actual availability for those that work there?
It's kinda getting up there across the entire country though. Not as much as western Washington but not as cheap as many might think, at least anywhere within 45 minutes of a decent metro area.
A couple of thoughts here (and I appreciate that Bellingham is far from perfect):
1. Traffic gets snarled at a few chokepoints, but a 10 or 20 minute delay hardly compares to the hours-long delays folks face in the Everett-Seattle-Tacoma-Olympia corridor on a regular basis. We have it easy up here, honestly. If you really want zero congestion, you're going to need to move to the east side of the Cascades, period. Or at least the easterly reaches of Whatcom County. Seattle is what it is, I drive in it plenty. Even in Seattle, a much higher % of the drivers are more alert and actually appear to have a purpose. The issue is, here in Bellingham, there is traffic that doesn't have to be traffic. I-5 in Bellingham for example at 5:05pm, crawls. When you watch why, its because people come crawling up the onramps at 30mph and cut over, despite the state extending all the onramps so these slow pokes can accelerate. The resulting slow downs and stops catch a couple of heavily loaded semi-trucks in the hilly portions of I-5 through town, and it's all over. Exiting Seattle is about the same time it takes to exit Bellingham.
2. You grumble about Canadian shoppers at Costco, but apparently you weren't aware that Costco built its newish, expanded, north-of-town warehouse with expanded gas pumps to accommodate those same Canadian customers. So if you don't like Canadians, I suggest you shop at Sam's Club instead... or go to the Costco in Burlington. Disagree. This Costco is about the same size as the one it replaced on Meridian St, it should have been built to TWICE the size.
3. You grumble about students. Hmmm. WWU and other post-secondary institutions are a huge driver of innovation and jobs in this region. All of the economic activity they help to generate (through investment, jobs, tourism) helps the tax base of your region. Again, if you don't like students, I would suggest that you avoid all of the businesses and restaurants that cater to them. It's not the students I'm grumbling about, it's the fact that WWU has well over 20,000 students and next to zero housing for them. It was recently posted that WWU has more students than Bellingham has rental "beds", which has put an enormous pressure on our already out of control housing situation.
4. Your beef with local drivers. I suspect the main problem drivers are folks like you -- flipping off Canadians, the elderly, students, out-of-state drivers, and other "outsiders" I'm sure with a middle-finger salute. Why don't you take a deep breath, acknowledge that Bellingham's roads are admittedly confusing and frustrating to locals and outsiders alike, and get involved to improve traffic safety and roadway improvements for all?
I actually drive with quite a bit of respect, obey the laws, and get up to speed and merge properly into traffic. My phone is put away when I'm driving, I maintain a decent following distance, and the few times I've been driving something big/heavy/slow I pull over and let traffic go. My blinkers work and I actually use them. My neck actually pivots to check my blind spot. My left foot works and presses the accelerator to get up to the speed of traffic when merging so I don't cause an accident. It's very rare for me to display the "you're #1" bird, Canadians that pull U-turns in the middle of 50mph traffic on Meridian St. just north of Walmart, and the idiots that don't accelerate on the onramps and leave me and others behind me stuffed into the side of a Semi-truck may receive the bird and deserve it. It's just nuts to watch some of these people come up the onramp at half the speed into rush hour traffic, and expect that 110,000# semi-truck that's boxed in by cars to slow way down and let them in. I gripe because probably 2-3x a week I have an attempt on my life or well-being by an idiot driver.
Kind of sounds like what all of Washington is going through right now, or at least Seattle area. Seems like the whole state is transitioning pretty fast, propelled by Amazon I guess. I'm thinking it can only get better from here, though maybe a long road to go.
Washington just doesn't seem like it was ever meant to have such a population and growth.
Seeing how environmentally friendly WA is leads me to believe the water supply and other resources are fairly scarce compared to the east coast, is my assumption true for WA?
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