NEWS

A City of Blaine case study on how planning departments use regulatory capture to deflect scrutiny through procedural hurdles, selectively limit data and scopes to rush approvals and obfuscate facts via complex code interpretations. This practice sidelines public input, skirts environmental protections, endangers marine habitat, shellfish food and has raised serious alarms for the health of Blaine, Birch Bay and surrounding communities that depend on clean water resources. 

Learn how the City of Blaine's planning department, officially known as the Community Development Services Department, uses its "Top 10 Rules Playbook" to influence land-use decisions. This article, from Whatcom Watch, details how a group of volunteers believes regulatory capture, excessive fees, and a lack of transparency have sidelined public input and environmental compliance in the city.