Sometimes a building project fits all the zoning and environmental requirements but the city or county planners just do not like it.  As people with college degrees in planning, it is not what they think should be built at that particular location.  They just don't like it.  And so they find some flimsey rule to deny the project.  And the proponent can drop their plans or risk a lot of money by taking the city or county to court.  

Elisabeth Britt's Latte Republic website has been following just such a situation unfolding up between Blaine and Birch Bay.  The county denied a permit for building the Lincoln Park Retirement Center - even though it fit perfectly all the zoning requirements.  Problem was the county government planners had apparently not envisioned such a use for that land and did not want a retirement home out on Lincoln Road.  So they found some trivial technicallity to deny it.  The developer filed a suit.  The court has ruled against the county and instructed the permit be granted. 

Elisabeth has the story and links to the websites and to her earlier story.  What I want to add is we should tell our county council representative to vote to prevent the county from appealing the decision. Governments hate to lose and they use our tax dollars to fight lawsuits by individuals.  They will blow our money out the window on lawsuits that are absurd.  

Nothing in the Bellingham Herald on this - and probably won't be.  You need citizen journalism these days. The Latte Republic is one of our better citizen journalism sites.  A permanent link is in the right side column.