Bellingham council approves $3.3 million for northside park

20 acres along Van Wyck Road will link to trail system

JARED PABEN - THE BELLINGHAM HERALD

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BELLINGHAM - City leaders approved spending $3.3 million in property tax revenues to buy 20 acres in north Bellingham, land that eventually will become a community park.

The three properties, on the south of side of Van Wyck Road east of Meridian Street, will be linked to other planned parks through a system of trails, and a log cabin on site will be available for rental for community events.

The City Council on Monday, Nov. 9, voted 7-0 to purchase the following three properties:

• Five acres at 325 Van Wyck Road from Allen and Carol Handy for $900,000. The sale will close by Nov. 19.

• Five acres at 301 Van Wyck from Karen Younkins for $900,000. The sale will close by Jan. 23.

• Ten acres at 347 Van Wyck from Greg and Cynthia Anderson for $1.525 million. The sale will close by Nov. 19.

The city will use money from the voter-approved Greenways III property tax levy to buy the land.

The properties are all within a 237-acre area the City Council approved annexing in August (the annexation became effective in September). Also in that area is property owned by developers and brothers Ralph and Mike Black, who plan to build a mixed-use urban village on King Mountain. The city annexed the property but required as a condition of annexation that they work with city staff to develop a master plan for an urban village.

This new parkland is just west of the Blacks' property.

"Hopefully it's meeting the goals that the people of Bellingham have said they want to have: parks in close proximity where people live, and trail connectivity," said Leslie Bryson, design development manager at the city's parks department.

The parks department will gather residents' feedback on what kind of park facilities they'd like, she said. A log cabin on site probably will be available for public rental for events like reunions, she said, likening it to the Fairhaven Park Pavilion. The department doesn't usually like to buy property with structures on it, she said, but this cabin is "such a unique and stunning structure."

Ralph Black said he thought the city made a smart move buying the property now, because once development occurs the prices will go up. It'll also work well for the project and the city, because the park will be across from the entrance to the village. That means village residents can use the park, and people in the park can walk across the street for food and drink, he said.

Money has not been set aside yet for developing the park, Bryson said, and the park is probably still years off.