Samish Way’s urban village transformation is underway with these projects
The transition to an urban village is coming along at a steady clip on Samish Way, with three major projects expected to add hundreds of residential units in the coming year.
In November 2009 the Bellingham City Council approved a plan to create an urban village designation for that stretch of Samish Way that is west of Interstate 5 into the Sehome and York neighborhoods. The plan was updated in 2019 and that’s led to a flurry of activity.
One goal of the urban village concept was to add residential space, and recent projects appear to be delivering in that regard. The three big projects currently under construction will bring in nearly 400 more residential units to that stretch of Samish Way between the Sehome Haggen store and the bend at Ellis Street.
Other changes that have taken place recently with the urban village concept in mind include infrastructure work. Widened bike lanes and flashing crosswalks were added to the area in 2020 as a way to make it more pedestrian-friendly.
Robin Thomas, president of the Sehome Neighborhood Association, is encouraged by the steps toward becoming an urban village area, but added that more work needs to be done. Thomas hopes that the blighted/underused properties that remain will also successfully transition and that green spaces will be brought in to make it an area everyone can enjoy.
Thomas said there’s also been an increase in traffic, which has slowed as more infrastructure is added to make the area more walker and biker friendly.
The vegetation, including in the median strip areas also haven’t come along as hoped yet and they are looking forward to other “human scale” features that focus more on pedestrians.
“Bringing in pedestrian scale lighting, street furniture and green infrastructure and other elements that are highly prominent in the plan would help make this feel like the urban village people were envisioning,” Thomas said in an email.
Here’s a look at the three projects currently under construction:
▪ Samish Commons: The project at the former Aloha Motel property is in the second phase of development, which is expected to be completed by the spring of 2023. Phase 1 led to 69 units, which are filled. Phase 2 has two buildings that will total 103 residential units. Phase 2 is at the “going vertical” stage, with foundation pillars recently being put in place.
▪ Kerf Apartments: Going in near Boomer’s Drive-In on property formerly home to two hotels, this building will have 196 apartments and 3,400 square feet of retail space. While activity has been quiet recently, according to the developer’s website, construction is scheduled to be completed by spring 2023.
These apartments will have a variety of features, including a wider sidewalk area for outdoor seating, a bike repair shop and a rooftop terrace for residents.
▪ Samish Station 3: The 75-unit apartment building near Taco Time is expected to be completed by August, in time for the upcoming school year at nearby Western Washington University.
Demand for units in the first two buildings built nearby has been high, said James Kozanitis, property manager of Local Property Management. Kozanitis noted the first two buildings were fully leased and occupied on opening day.
