Bellingham staff present revised 20‑year Parks, Recreation and Open Space Plan with $225M price tag; commission to advise before May 11 council review

Bellingham parks staff on Monday presented a substantially rewritten Parks, Recreation and Open Space (PROS) Plan to the planning commission and asked for the commission's feedback before the draft goes to City Council for consideration on May 11.

Peter Gill, planning department coordinator for Bellingham Parks and Recreation, told the commission the plan is intended to guide the department’s work for the next 20 years and "helps us maintain eligibility for state and federal grants." The draft lays out service standards, an inventory of facilities and a capital improvement plan tied to growth estimates in the city’s broader Bellingham Plan.

The draft proposes four new neighborhood parks, one community park (Salish Landing on the waterfront), about 120 acres of additional open space and roughly 30 miles of new trails. It emphasizes improving and connecting existing features — year‑round restrooms, better trail wayfinding, lighting where appropriate and accessibility upgrades — rather than primarily adding acreage.

Staff summarized recent additions to the system, noting large acquisitions in recent years (including Galbraith Mountain and Gulbreath Mountain) and a recent period of accelerated growth. The department reported more than 2,000 people took a January 2025 community survey and staff held four in‑person public meetings and several focus groups to reach underrepresented communities.

On funding and scale, Gill said the parks program’s largest funding sources are the general fund (about 40 percent) and the greenways levy (about 40 percent), with the remainder coming from impact fees, grants and enterprise funds. He said average annual park spending is about $18,000,000, current staffing is 109 benefited employees, and the plan’s scoped projects total about $225,000,000 — roughly $122,000,000 in growth‑related costs, $80,000,000 for a proposed recreation center and $24,000,000 for repairs and maintenance. "If we build everything in the plan, we're looking at additional staffing of up to 19 people," he said.

The presentation listed specific project priorities including Salish Landing Park and waterfront cleanup, a waterfront skate park, master planning for Lee Memorial Park between city hall and the library, upgrades to Happy Valley and Tualacombe Creek fields, improvements at Little Squalicum and Bloedel Donovan, Lake Patton shoreline work, and trail projects such as the Cordata Connector, Air Creek trailhead, Jill’s Court and the Samish Crest acquisition.

Commissioners and members of the public asked questions about how best to provide feedback to the commission and staff, and raised several recurring themes. One commenter urged more indoor aquatics and a higher‑quality skate park; another asked how restroom design can reduce misuse related to people experiencing homelessness. Gill pointed to examples such as a Portland‑style public restroom already sited at Waypoint Park and said restroom access was a frequent public request. He also said staff are exploring partnerships, improved outreach and design choices to address competing public needs.

Daniel (committee member) asked whether greenways levy funds were being used for acquisitions in the Lake Whatcom watershed. Nicole Oliver, director of the parks department, and other staff clarified that watershed acquisitions referenced in the meeting are funded by a separate stormwater fee managed by Public Works and not by the greenways levy; they added that the greenways levy language and a council resolution set guidance for how levy funds may be spent (acquisition, development, maintenance and climate resiliency). Staff also said a large indoor recreation facility would require a separate funding mechanism beyond existing levies.

Language access and signage were raised as another issue; staff said they conducted targeted outreach with groups including the "Vamosadors" project and the Sikh community, have translated program information into Spanish and Punjabi where feasible, and are working to improve wayfinding and use of symbols on rules signage. On trail lighting and safety, staff said lighting is included in new trail projects where appropriate, LED and solar solutions are being considered and a CPTED (crime prevention through environmental design) assessment will guide where lights or other interventions are warranted.

The commission did not take any formal votes on the PROS Plan at the meeting. Staff indicated the draft will be taken to City Council on May 11 for consideration; the planning commission will return other items later this month, including an initial residential zoning discussion on May 21 and a June agenda item on parking tied to an interim citywide parking ordinance.

The meeting record shows robust public engagement and a staff recommendation that focuses on improving existing parks and connectivity while pursuing a phased funding strategy for larger projects, including a potential recreation center that staff said will require additional funding sources beyond current levies.