City of Bellingham purchases northside tract of land for neighborhood trail connections
A 3.4-acre piece of land in the King Mountain neighborhood of Bellingham will provide key trail connections when it is developed next year, city officials told The Bellingham Herald.
Members of the Bellingham City Council voted unanimously Sept. 30 to approve the purchase the site at 1492 Telegraph Road for $1.6 million, said Peter Gill, planning and development coordinator for the Bellingham Parks and Recreation Department.
Closing date for the deal wasn’t given. Greenways levy funds are being used.
“This property provides a critical link in the Greenways corridor identified in the Greenways Strategic Plan and the Parks, Recreation, and Open Space Plan for trail connectivity in the northern portion of the city,” Gill said in an email.
“Baker Creek runs through the north and east side of the property with a restored riparian area along the creek and an open lawn with good southwest exposure,” he said.
The site is zoned multi-family residential and contains two manufactured homes and a garage with a studio apartment.
At the (east end) of Telegraph Road, the property will connect to the Jills Court and Sunset Pond trail projects, to create a trail connection between the Barkley and King Mountain neighborhoods, Gill said.
“This north-south trail will provide off-street connection from several residential developments to shopping and entertainment centers, parks, and arterial trail networks such as the Squalicum Creek Trail and Railroad Trail,” he said.
Construction of the trail is budgeted to start in 2025, and it is designed and permitted.
This story was originally published October 7, 2024 at 11:02 AM.
