May, 13, 2008
Port, city unfair on Bellwether heights
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THE BELLINGHAM HERALD
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I am one of the landowners affected by the agreement between the city of Bellingham and Port of Bellingham to abandon the contract for 35- foot height limits on a portion of the waterfront reached in 1998.
This contract was agreed to in order to quell dissent by property owners who had their views blocked by the original Bellwether development.
With a stroke of the pen, the city consented to increase the height limit for the port’s Bellwether Gate project to 50 feet. My neighbor requested a 5 foot height variance from the city and was denied.
It is basically unfair that the port and the city can agree to limit heights to 35 feet on future development to quiet the voices of dissent and then claim changed circumstances and disregard the agreement. What circumstances have changed?
The original Bellwether project still obstructs views. This new project will about double the obstruction.
The port increases the height and the value of its project, diminishes the value of the properties held by its neighbors and it allocates $180,000 of our tax dollars to contest our appeal.
This breach of trust is inexcusable. An agreement should be honored.
Philip E. Rosellini
Bellingham
