The recent acknowledgement by the City of Ferndale that plans were being made for the arrival of a 120,000 square-foot retail business in Ferndale got lots of response. For every concern there was an answer and for every answer there was disbelief. Perhaps only time will tell.
Walmart! Why?
While no one has been willing to confirm or deny who the tenant will be, many believe it will be Walmart and were against the project if that were the case. The city was being asked why they would allow that company to set up in Ferndale over other possibilities.
Local businesses will close
Those against a retailer like Walmart cited examples where local businesses would close if unable to compete. And with the business closures would also go local jobs.
Improve quality of life
Those in favor of Walmart (or whatever retailer) say there is an opportunity to fund the city’s need for infrastructure improvements with a large sales tax source. Some citing lower prices for day-to-day items would make living in Ferndale more affordable. Not needing to drive to Bellingham to shop as much was also seen as a positive.
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Click for more informationJobs
As an employer, major retailers provide mostly entry-level full and part-time positions without benefits as opposed to “living wage” jobs. According to the US Department of Labor, the hourly mean wage for general merchandise store employees was $10.65 in 2014.
Can the City stop this?
Some said they would protest to the city to prevent Walmart from opening up. But is the city empowered to act on such demands? City staff provided this response,
As a government entity, we should not be in the position of deciding which specific businesses we like. We don’t try and pick and choose. We set standards that businesses have to meet – environmental, paying for any traffic impacts, etc. but we, as a City, cannot and should not be picking and choosing whether to allow a Trader Joes or a Walmart. That’s not our role as a City. We want the people of Ferndale to make those decisions with their dollars – shop at the places you want to stay, don’t shop at the places you don’t like. But in terms of the rules and laws of our city, we can’t play favorites.
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Click for more informationWhat about the additional traffic?
Others express concerns over the expected increase in traffic volume associated with a big retailer. With the added traffic bypassing the current Slater Road construction projects (both are expected to be completed this month), drivers westbound on Main Street in Ferndale have been experiencing back ups that can extend onto I-5 during heavy periods such as rush hour. Adding the expected additional shopper traffic into this current scenario has some worried.
Smith Road & I-5 Interchange
Many suggested the need for a traffic solution may provide adequate rationale for the State to fund and interchange at I-5 and Smith Road. Unfortunately, it is likely to be a couple years before the legislature revisits funding additional projects after doing a major modification to the state’s transportation budget this year. That is unless federal or other sources of grant funding can be located and applied for.
Main Street Roundabout
City staff have been pointing out that a roundabout at Main Street and LaBounty Drive is in the design phase and expected to be constructed. The intent is to smooth the flow of traffic from I-5 down Main Street without the need to stop for left-turns and cross-traffic at LaBounty Drive.
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Click for more informationFerndale won’t be a “small town” anymore. How did this happen?
The city has seen residential growth over the past few decades unlike that of most every other city in Washington. But there hasn’t been the accompanying business growth, as residents are willing to drive to Bellingham to do their shopping. As a result, Ferndale has become a “bedroom community,” where most people live but not work. This means building and maintaining the necessary road, water and sewer systems without the typical business-related tax revenues is difficult.
For many years, the impact of the constant growth happening in and around Ferndale has made it obvious that larger and larger businesses would move in to serve the growing population. Being on I-5, near the Canadian border and near Bellingham makes Ferndale an attractive retail business location.
Several years ago there was an attempt to build a major retail center at the southeast quadrant of the I-5 and Main Street interchange. While the developer(s) eventually walked away from it, the city began in earnest to be better prepared for similar developments that would inevitably be proposed in the future. In addition, the state’s Growth Management Act was making similar requirements of cities to anticipate and plan for large-scale developments.
In the city’s announcement about this recently proposed retail development, several existing requirements the developer will be held to abide by were highlighted.
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Click for more informationThe development must comply with a number of requirements that are unique to Ferndale and are a product of the City’s efforts to proactively plan for significant retail. The City’s Planned Action Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) and Main Street Master Plan (approved in 2012), addressed the environmental impacts of private development in this area and identified mitigation measures (primarily transportation and stormwater) necessary to meet the City’s high Level of Service standards. These policies also remove uncertainties related to cost and mitigation measures from the review process.
This project will also be the first major implementation of the EAGLE Program for retail development. Adopted in 2008, this innovative program allows retail developers to meet certain environmental, social, and economic objectives in a variety of ways that benefit Ferndale.
If the current applications are approved and a building permit is submitted, the proposal will also be required to meet the City’s Retail Design Standards. The City expects to continue the administrative review of this proposal over the next several months to ensure compliance with the relevant codes.
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