Improvements and a new name are coming to this neighborhood park in Bellingham
A long-time neighborhood park in north Bellingham will soon see some updates and a new name.
Maplewood-Mcleod Park, named for the streets bordering the open space, is three connected parcels of land that the city of Bellingham has owned for more than a decade.
A new draft master plan outlines several potential additions and improvements to the park.
Based on community engagement responses from park users, the plan includes better accessibility, trail improvements and a nature-play playground, according to the city Parks and Recreation Director Nicole Oliver.
“A lot of people who use the space want to see something pretty unique,” Oliver said. “Some of the elements that we typically put in a park, like half-court basketball, are not going to be in the final design because it’s not what they were looking for.”
The city may add a specific space for teenagers, though. This could be a separate hang-out spot, slackline area or bouldering wall, according to Oliver.
The plan includes street frontage improvements and handicapped parking on Cherrywood Avenue.
In addition to main trail improvements, the city plans to add a new trail through the forest and install a picnic shelter. The city also plans to leave room for a possible fenced community food forest in the future, according to Oliver.
It would include things such as fruit trees, nut trees and berry bushes.
“If they aren’t well maintained, they can become a real source of blight, mess and rodents,” Oliver said. “So we would have to have a commitment from a group of interested people to help maintain them. But there is a spot for that.”
A new name
As part of the recent park design outreach, 35 names for the park were suggested by the public and voted on.
Here are the top three legitimate park names with the most votes, according to the city.
▪ Wood Hood Park (47 votes, 18% of total votes).
▪ The Woods (18 votes, 7% of total votes).
▪ Potts Park (18 votes, 7% of total votes).
The Park Board will begin its final review of the master plan at a meeting on Wednesday, Oct. 12.
The City Council will then make the final approval for the name change and park improvements.
The project is expected to cost $195,000 for design and $1.5 million for construction. Construction is scheduled to begin by the middle of 2023.
Real estate excise taxes and park impact fees on new homes are funding the park.
This story was originally published October 11, 2022 at 11:08 AM.
