Greenways 2006: Enriching Our Quality of Life

Susan Taylor is co-owner of Wildside Growers and is a member of the Greenways 2006 steering committee.

Bellingham’s parks, trails and open spaces are hallmarks of our community and lifestyle. They represent some of our greatest natural treasures. But parks and open spaces don’t just happen, especially in a city where development is booming. Their presence is due in large part to targeted community efforts spearheaded by the citizen-driven Greenways program. These Greenways success stories include:

•expansion of Fairhaven Park, Lake Padden and Little Squalicum Park

•purchase of Samish Hill Open Space and Padden Gorge

•purchase of historic Woodstock Farm, Chuckanut Bay properties, Happy Valley Park and 85 acres on the Interurban Trail near Chuckanut Ridge

•purchase of Lookout Mountain Park

•purchase and development of Whatcom Creek Trail

•purchase of Northridge Park and Squalicum Creek Park

•renovation/extension of popular Taylor Street Dock.

A new Greenways 2006 levy is ready to be presented to the community. The project list is derived from priorities designated by the Greenways Advisory Board and needs identified during the 2002 Parks, Open Space and Recreation Master Plan outreach. As with the Beyond Greenways Levy of 1997, this new proposal maintains the present rate of .57 mils, maturing in 10 years. The maturation period is limited to insure that community has a frequent voice in Greenways needs.

Once passed, Greenways 2006 will generate between $37 and $42 million (depending on population growth). Key features of the proposal include: 1) funds for three large area property acquisitions in northwest, northeast and south Bellingham, 2) funds for improvement and expansion of existing park and trail properties and 3) the Greenways Preservation Endowment fund.

To address the urgent needs of parks, trail corridors and open space during this period of unprecedented population growth in Bellingham, 53 percent of the Greenways 2006 Levy expenditures are targeted for large parcel acquisitions. Two-thirds of the acquisition funds will be spent in the northeastern and northwestern sections of Bellingham; one third will go to the southern part of the city. Funds are divided in this manner to equalize previous Greenways levy distributions.

Review of the distribution of 1990 and 1997 Greenways levy funds showed that south Bellingham (south of Lakeway Drive) received 54.5 percent of the funds, the central core got 11.3 percent and north of Alabama Street received 34.2 percent. This resulted in a geographically unbalanced distribution of parks, trails and open spaces. The proposed Greenways 2006 Levy will even out this inequity of funding dispersal. The population of Bellingham south of Lakeway is slightly less than the population count north of Alabama. The central core includes the city’s major atheletic complex, Bayview Cemetery, Maritime Heritage, Whatcom Falls and Bloedel-Donovan Parks.

Unlike previous Greenways levies, the 2006 Greenways proposal doesn’t name specific land parcels for purchase. To do so places the city at a negotiating disadvantage. Instead, it describes general target areas and allows the city to determine which parcels show the best value at the time of purchase. This maximizes the value of each Greenways dollar spent.

The levy proposal also supports land purchases for trail corridors and park extensions as follows:

•final section of the Samish Crest hiking trail

•old railway corridor for the Bay to Baker Trail

•much-needed expansion of Cornwall Park.

Even though acquiring more land is important, it is also essential to improve upon land parcels already owned. Some of these parcels have languished for years without attention. The north side of town has yet to see its 40-acre tract of park and regional ball fields transformed from a bleak gravel pit into a beautiful recreation area. Also, Northridge Park—the first land acquisition of the 1990 Greenways Levy—hasn’t received recreational amenities even after 15 years of ownership.

As a result, 33 percent of the Greenways 2006 Levy expenditures will be allocated for existing park and trail development. In addition to addressing the above mentioned projects in north Bellingham, these funds will also apply to the following:

•waterfront park in the Georgia-Pacific redevelopment area to insure that parks are integrated into the redesign

•extension of Interurban Trail to Woodstock Farm to transform Inspiration Point into a walk-to park with easy access

•development of Samish Crest hiking trail.

Bellingham has been fortunate to have visionaries who, years ago, acquired and developed the large community parks we all enjoy today. Fourteen percent of the 2006 levy expenditures will be dedicated to legacy park upgrades:

•improving drainage of athletic fields in Lake Padden Park and Fairhaven Park to extend their use during spring and fall

•improving sections of Lake Padden’s trails

•restablishing the Fairhaven Rose Garden and Fairhaven Park entryway

•developing a sand-and-gravel beach at Boulevard Park

•restoring Boulevard Park’s original, beloved over-water trestle bridge.

Bellingham cannot continue to enlarge the park system without thought as to how these properties will be maintained. To this end, Greenways 2006 will add $5.5 million to the Greenways Preservation Fund (originally established in the Beyond Greenways Levy of 1997). At the culmination of Greenways 2006, there will be a total of $7.5 million in the endowment. Interest from a strong endowment fund ensures that additional taxes will not be necessary to care for new Greenways purchases. This is a smart, long-term solution to the problem of funding the care of our parks, trails and open spaces. Interest funds cannot be used to supplant (take the place of) park maintenance and operations monies from the city’s general fund.

The Greenways 2006 levy package is the result of months of research and review. There are no special interests in any purchases or projects. It represents thoughtful, reasonable implementation of community desires without excessive taxpayer investment. Guiding every decision is the original intent of the Greenways program—to enrich all areas of Bellingham with a treasure trove of beautiful, well-maintained parks, trail corridors and open spaces.

Please join us in refining this vision for the future of our incredible park system that defines Bellingham. Contact Jack Weiss at 393-2289. §