Bellingham to close some key streets this summer to help businesses. Here’s the list
With better weather and social distancing on the minds of residents, Bellingham city officials have announced plans to temporarily close some street sections to help businesses survive.
In a news release sent out Friday afternoon, July 10, the city announced the street closures for summer 2020, which would allow some restaurants and stores to have expanded outdoor areas. Here are the details on street closures:
▪ A block of Holly Street will be closed to vehicle traffic beginning Wednesday, July 15. The closure is between Commercial and Bay streets. Detours will be set up for vehicle traffic to go around that area.
Businesses on that block that could benefit from the street closure include Camber, Bayou on Bay, Black Sheep and Third Planet. Additional off-street parking is available in the Commercial Street Parking Garage, which will remain be accessible on Commercial Street.
▪ 10th Street in Fairhaven, starting Thursday, July 16: The west driving lane and parking area between Mill Street and Harris Avenue will close. Businesses that could benefit from the street closure include Iron Rooster Bakery, Magdalena’s Bistro & Creperie and the Edaleen Dairy ice cream shop.
▪ Railroad Avenue: Conversion of several angled parking stalls to expand dining area between Holly and Champion streets is anticipated to begin during the week of July 20.
A host of restaurants and shops are in that two-block stretch, including Mallard Ice Cream, Little Cheerful, Bagelry, Casa Que Pasa and Cafe Adagio.
Bellingham officials are working with business owners and representatives on ways to support restaurants and retailers as they adapt to COVID-19 health restrictions, Bellingham Mayor Seth Fleetwood said. Allowing full and partial street closures during the summer will allow businesses to try things including expanded outdoor seating or sidewalk sales.
“Economic recovery is a top priority. We want to take steps that are welcome, supportive, and even experimental, to help our businesses thrive. They are demonstrating amazing ingenuity as they adapt to health restrictions, and we want to do everything we can to help while they observe health protocols,” Fleetwood said in a news release. “The inconvenience of a detour is a small price to pay to help save downtown and Fairhaven businesses.”
Restaurants and cafes are having a particularly hard time under the current Phase 2 guidelines, which restricts seating to 50% capacity. The city acknowledged in the news release that this makes “business as usual” almost impossible for many operators.
The street closures and adaptations approved to date are permitted into early fall and may be extended, depending on the success of the program and the status of COVID-19 response measures. Modifications may occur during this time to adapt to changing needs and lessons learned, according to the news release.
This story was originally published July 11, 2020 at 5:00 AM.
