Bellingham buys land around Lake Whatcom, including prime beachfront site
Bellingham is adding about 12 acres of land in the Lake Whatcom watershed, including some prime lakefront property, for about $1.75 million.
Purchase agreements for two undeveloped sites of almost 6 acres each were announced at the Bellingham City Council meeting on Monday, where unanimous votes authorized Mayor Kim Lund to finalize the deals:
- A 5.92-acre site on the east side of Toad Lake Road owned by Robert Cessaro and Christi Russell of Bellingham, for $310,000. “This is a moderately sloped property with dense vegetation and trees,” Public Works Department spokeswoman Stefanie Cilinceon told The Herald.
- A 5.96-acre site from the Dubois 1988 Trust from out of state, for $1.45 million. “This is a forested shoreline property that connects to adjacent city property to expand an existing preserve,” Cilinceon said in an email. The tract’s location and geography affected the value of the property, she said.
Both purchases were made as part of the city’s program to protect the lake, which is the drinking water source for more than 100,000 people and paid for through a fee that residents pay on their water utility bills.
Each removed one “development unit.” Closing date is Sept. 5.
“With these two purchases, the program has now protected a total of 3,842 acres in the Lake Whatcom watershed. The program has acquired 1,025 acres in 2025 alone,” Cilinceon said.
