Bellingham is planning a 54-unit apartment with zero parking. What to know

A 54-unit studio apartment building is proposed for Bellingham’s Samish Way Urban Village with no on-site vehicle parking. The project reflects new state law and a local ordinance designed to ease the housing crisis by lifting parking mandates.

FULL STORY: A 54-unit Bellingham apartment building is planned with no parking. Here’s why

Here are key takeaways:

• The five-level building, including one basement and four upper levels, is planned on Byron Avenue at 35th Street. Under previous city code, a project this size would have required 54 parking spaces — one per unit.
• Washington Senate Bill 5184 will eliminate local authority to require minimum off-street parking for residences under 1,200 square feet starting in January 2027. Lawmakers found parking mandates drive up housing costs and encourage car reliance.
• Bellingham Director of Planning & Community Development Blake Lyon said the city’s parking reforms prioritize “people, housing, and our environment,” while acknowledging it can be “challenging” when drivers can’t find parking near their destination.
• The Bellingham City Council passed an interim ordinance in January 2025 eliminating minimum parking requirements, then voted in June to extend it through at least January 2027. Some councilmembers raised concerns about whether all neighborhoods have adequate bikeable or walkable infrastructure.
• The project still must provide long- and short-term bicycle parking and meet ADA and safety requirements. Research published in 2024 suggests parking reform can boost housing construction by 40% to 70%.

The summary points above were compiled with the help of AI tools and edited by journalists. The full story in the link at top was reported, written and edited entirely by journalists.