Bellingham City Council votes to explore possible annexation of area northeast of city limits
Bellingham is taking the first steps toward annexing a neighborhood along Britton Road on the northeast edge of the city, in an area called Northern Heights that’s part of the designated urban growth area.
On a 6-1 vote Monday night, with Councilwoman Lisa Anderson dissenting, the council started the 180-day clock for collecting information in a “deep dive” on the impact of annexing 146 acres east of Britton Road, between Roma Road and Mount Baker Highway, long-range planning manager Chris Behee told the council in an earlier committee meeting.
Anderson said she voted against the measure because she is concerned about police and fire response in the area, which is now served by the Whatcom County Sheriff’s Office and North Whatcom Fire and Rescue.
“I’ve been on record that I wouldn’t support any annexation until our Police Department is funded to capacity, that we can provide the services our community expects which is a community policing level. And until we are the levels that we have our special operations back and running, I think expending the city boundaries, where there’s going to be an expectation of equality of services is not a correct direction to go right now,” Anderson said in the committee meeting earlier Monday.
Bellingham idled its special units in January 2022, staffing only its patrol and investigations divisions amid a shortage of police officers.
Behee told the council that people who own nearly 60% of the property value in the affected area signed a petition endorsing annexation. Bellingham already provides water and sewer service to those homes, he said.
Included in the annexation area is Fire Station 12, which is part of Fire District 4 but is staffed and operated under contract with North Whatcom Fire and Rescue.
Anderson said she feared that the station could become a financial liability. Station 12 also has a fire training center used by Whatcom County fire departments, including Bellingham. Bellingham operates its recruit academy there.
Behee said that the cost and impact of providing police and fire service to the area would be included in the study.
The area includes 248 homes and about 700 people, Behee said.
