Navigating Barkley Urban Village Design Review

Planning a new sign, an awning, or a small façade refresh in Barkley and not sure if design review applies? You are not alone. The Barkley Urban Village is a high-visibility area where Bellingham encourages walkable, mixed-use design, so even modest exterior work can trigger review. In this guide, you will learn when design review is required, the exact steps to approval, what to submit, typical timelines, and practical tips to keep your project on track. Let’s dive in.

Barkley Urban Village basics

Barkley is one of Bellingham’s urban villages. Urban villages focus growth into compact, mixed-use areas with pedestrian-friendly streets, housing options, and transit-supportive design. The Barkley Subarea Plan provides the vision and design principles that guide review.

City staff apply the subarea plan through zoning and design review procedures in the municipal code. When you submit a project, staff evaluate how your design aligns with adopted guidelines and code standards for the subarea.

Do you need design review?

Design review thresholds vary by project type and scale. In Barkley, expect review for the following common scenarios:

• New mixed-use, multi-unit residential, or commercial buildings. These typically require design review.
• Additions that change massing, street frontage, or overall character. Larger or taller additions are more likely to trigger review.
• Façade alterations visible from the street. New storefronts, major material changes, or primary entry reconfigurations often need review.
• Signage and small façade work. Many simple, code-compliant signs are permitted administratively, but illuminated signs, awnings, and work on historic or primary façades can require design review.
• Site changes that affect the street view. New landscaping, parking layout changes, or stormwater features are often reviewed along with design or through site development permits.

If you are unsure whether your scope qualifies as minor work or requires full review, contact the City permit intake team to confirm thresholds, exemptions, and submittal requirements.

Your approval roadmap

Use this step-by-step path to plan your sequence from concept to construction. Names of permits can vary, so confirm details with the City.

1) Schedule a pre-application meeting

• Meet with Planning and Design Review staff. Include Development Engineering if you expect grading, utilities, or drainage changes.
• Confirm zoning, applicable design guidance, likely permit triggers, and required submittals.

2) Prepare a clear design package

• Show what is changing and what remains. Focus on items visible from public streets.
• Include site plan, elevations, materials and color palette, signage details, lighting, landscaping, and context photos.

3) Submit for design review or a ministerial permit

• Staff screen for completeness and determine whether your project gets administrative review or needs a Design Review Board meeting.
• For ministerial work, you may move forward with a sign or building permit if design review is not required.

4) Public notice, if required

• Some projects require notice to neighbors and a comment period. Staff will outline the process and timelines.

5) Design review decision

• Administrative approval for minor work: typically faster, often with conditions.
• Design Review Board hearing for larger projects: public meeting, recommended changes, and a final decision by staff or board resolution depending on process.

6) Address conditions and resubmit

• Update drawings or materials to show how you met conditions of approval.

7) Secure any related land use permits

• Examples include site development permits, shoreline permits, conditional use permits, or variances if needed.

8) Apply for your building permit

• Once design approval is in place, submit full construction drawings for building, structural, mechanical, electrical, plumbing, and energy code compliance.

9) Inspections and final signoff

• Coordinate inspections, resolve field items, and obtain final approvals and a Certificate of Occupancy or final sign permit signoff.

What to include in your submittal

Tailor your package to the size of the project. Clear, visual documentation helps staff and neighbors understand what you propose.

Essential documents

• Completed application form and fees
• Scaled site plan showing property lines, streets, curb cuts, existing and proposed elements, setbacks, parking, and trees
• Context photos of the building and adjacent streetscape
• Elevations, existing and proposed, with dimensions
• Materials and color samples or a concise material schedule
• Sign details, including dimensions, materials, lighting type, exact wording/graphics, and mounting method
• Lighting plan, with fixture types and photometrics if adding lighting
• Landscaping plan, including species, sizes, beds, trees, and irrigation notes
• Stormwater or drainage summary if changes affect impervious area or grading
• ADA notes if entrances or walkways are affected
• Historic review materials if the building is designated or in a historic district

Supporting studies, as applicable

• Arborist report for significant trees
• Traffic or parking analysis for larger infill
• SEPA checklist if thresholds are met
• Structural or engineering drawings if façade changes affect structure

For signage or façade-only projects

• A tight, photo-based package showing before and after conditions
• Clear sign or awning mounting details and any required structural notes

How your design is evaluated

Design review focuses on how your proposal meets adopted guidelines and code requirements. Expect attention to:

• Massing and scale. Relation to the street and nearby buildings.
• Façade composition. Window and door rhythm, transparency at the ground floor, and materials.
• Pedestrian environment. Entries, sidewalks, weather protection, lighting, and active storefronts.
• Materials and color. Durability, maintenance, compatibility with context, and avoiding blank walls.
• Landscaping and buffering. Street trees, planters, stormwater landscaping, and screening of service areas.
• Parking and access. Driveway location, visibility of parking, and curb cut impacts.
• Signage. Size, placement, illumination, and fit with the façade and streetscape.
• Sustainability and stormwater. Use of low-impact development where appropriate.

Timeline and expectations

Processing times depend on completeness, revisions, and whether a public hearing is required. Typical ranges:

• Administrative design review or minor sign/façade permits: a few weeks to about 2 months.
• Design Review Board process for larger projects: about 2 to 4 months from first submittal to decision, longer if heavily revised.
• Building permit review after design approval: weeks to months depending on complexity.

Build time for revisions into your schedule. A thorough, well-illustrated submittal can shorten the cycle.

Tips to avoid delays

A few simple moves can save weeks.

• Start with a pre-application meeting. Confirm thresholds and submittals before you draw too far.
• Keep your scope tight. Frame small façade and sign changes as limited improvements rather than whole-building remodels.
• Hire local design help. An architect or designer familiar with Bellingham’s guidelines can reduce revision cycles.
• Talk to neighbors early. Friendly outreach can minimize concerns during public comment.
• Use strong visuals. Clear before and after elevations, materials, and mockups help reviewers and the public understand intent.
• Coordinate engineering early. If you touch grading, utilities, or stormwater, involve Development Engineering at the start.
• Document any incentives. If you plan to use parking reductions or other allowances, get approvals lined up before final building plans.
• Expect multi-department review. Planning, Building, Engineering, Transportation, Fire, and sometimes Historic Preservation may all weigh in.

Appeals, conditions, and compliance

Design approvals often include conditions. Plan time to revise drawings and document how you meet them. If you disagree with a decision, most design or land use actions can be appealed through a formal path set in the municipal code and timelines apply. Construction that deviates from approved plans can trigger corrections, stop-work orders, or penalties, so keep field work aligned with your approvals.

Where to confirm requirements

Project specifics, thresholds, fees, and schedules change. For current rules, contact the City’s Planning Division and Permit Center. Review the municipal code and the Barkley subarea guidance before finalizing your scope. Staff can confirm whether your project is ministerial or needs board review and provide current checklists.

If you are planning a Barkley improvement and want a sounding board, reach out. I work with owners, small developers, and investors across Whatcom County, and I can connect you with local designers, contractors, and inspectors to move from idea to approval with fewer surprises. If you are also weighing the resale impact of an exterior upgrade, I can help you evaluate cost versus value in today’s market.

Ready to talk through your project or explore timing your upgrade with a sale? Contact Unknown Company to get local guidance and next steps that fit your goals.

FAQs

What is design review in Barkley?

• Design review evaluates how your project’s exterior design aligns with adopted guidelines and zoning for the Barkley Urban Village, focusing on street presence, materials, signage, and the pedestrian experience.

When does a Barkley storefront sign need review?

• Small, code-compliant signs are often handled administratively, but illuminated signs, awnings, or changes to a primary or historic façade may trigger design review.

How long does Barkley design approval take?

• Minor administrative approvals often take a few weeks to 2 months. Projects requiring a Design Review Board meeting commonly take 2 to 4 months, plus time for revisions.

Do I need an architect for small façade work?

• Not always, but a local design professional can streamline submittals, align your proposal with guidelines, and reduce revision cycles.

Will SEPA apply to my Barkley project?

• SEPA can apply when projects meet certain size, grading, or impervious surface thresholds. Confirm applicability and exemptions with City staff during pre-application.

What happens after design approval in Bellingham?

• You submit for a building permit with full construction drawings. After inspections and final approvals, you receive a Certificate of Occupancy or final sign permit signoff.