Bellingham pays $1.26 million for a half-acre on Lake Whatcom to protect city’s watershed
Bellingham recently bought two small but important pieces of property near the Lake Whatcom waterfront to protect the land from development and preserve the source of drinking water for 100,000 people.
Together, the two sites barely make a half-acre of land and cost a total $1.26 million.
But their location close to the lake made them critical to the city’s goal of watershed protection, a Public Works Department spokeswoman told The Bellingham Herald.
“The (0.23-acre) property has public utilities ready for hookup, is relatively flat, and has a view of the lake, making it a desirable property to develop on,” Stefanie Cilinceon said in an email. “The property’s close proximity to the lake means there is an even greater potential for protecting water quality. By restoring the property with native plants, the site can naturally capture and filter pollutants from the adjacent road that might have otherwise flowed into Lake Whatcom relatively unimpeded. These native plants also provide shoreline protection and add vegetation in a densely developed area.”
A deal to buy the site from the Graney Trust for $1.026 million closes on or around Dec. 6, she said.
A second site, a 0.27-acre parcel owned by the Max and Hueih-Hueih Hurlbut Trust, has a price of $230,000 and the deal closed Nov. 22.
That parcel is “very close to the shores of Lake Whatcom. The site has access to public utilities, is moderately sloped with a view of the lake, and backs up to the Stimpson Family Nature Preserve,” Cilinceon said. “The property is forested and is directly adjacent to other protected properties in the Lake Whatcom watershed.”
Each site removes a single development unit from around the lake.
City Council members unanimously approved both transactions on Nov. 18.
Bellingham began buying land in the Lake Whatcom watershed in 2001, using money from fees charged to water customers.
Through September, the city has purchased more than 2,800 acres in the watershed and protected an additional 164 acres of land through conservation easements or restrictive covenants, according to the city’s website.
