## Meeting Overview On a cold December evening just a week before Christmas, the Civic Athletic Complex Consortium gathered virtually to hear the results of what had become a remarkably successful community engagement process. Led by Brice Maryman from MxM Landscape Architecture, the meeting brought together stakeholders from across Bellingham's recreation and sports community to review feedback from over 1,000 residents who had weighed in on the future of the city's premier athletic complex. What emerged from the evening was both validation of months of careful planning and a clear community mandate: Bellingham residents strongly favored a vision that would relocate a new elementary school to the northeast corner of the complex near Fraser and Puget streets, while transforming the current Carl Cozier Elementary and Arnie Hannah Aquatic Center site into a major new community recreation center. The enthusiasm was palpable—even through the virtual format—as participants learned that their community engagement had not only generated unprecedented response numbers but was already spurring media coverage about the urgent need for expanded indoor recreation facilities. The consortium members, representing organizations from Visit Bellingham to various sports groups, had served as ambassadors for the process throughout the fall, and this would be their final meeting as a formal group before the project moved into its next phase of detailed design and approval processes. ## Community Engagement Success and Clear Preferences Maryman opened with what could only be described as gratitude and amazement at the community response. The November 6th open house had filled a large, empty room to capacity, with engaged residents asking thoughtful questions and providing detailed feedback. But the real surprise came from the online surveys: 113 people responded to a survey targeted at open house attendees, while an additional 946 residents completed a broader community survey—representing over 1,000 total participants in the planning process. "In our world, that is a huge success," Maryman emphasized, his enthusiasm evident even through the computer screen. "That just shows the number of people who are really excited about this and want to give their opinion and are excited about the conversations that we're having here." The community had been asked to evaluate four different master plan options for the civic complex, and their preferences were decisive. The "park perimeter" option—which pushed higher-impact developments to both the Fraser Street corridor and the Lakeway Drive frontage—emerged as the clear favorite. This option resonated for several practical reasons: the flat topography at the north end seemed ideal for a school, it would separate high-traffic uses to balance congestion, and it moved the elementary school away from what many saw as an inappropriate location along busy Lakeway Drive. The option that clustered all new development along Lakeway performed poorly, confirming what consortium members had heard from their communities: that configuration would create too much congestion and failed to take advantage of the site's varied geography and opportunities. ## The Emerging Vision: Zone by Zone ### Jerry Fields and School Location The community's preference for the northeast location came with acknowledged challenges that Maryman didn't shy away from discussing. "If we're locating that intense school site up in the northeast corner there, there is likely to be an impact on the existing Jerry Field users both during construction and in the long term in terms of field space," he explained. "We're very cognizant of that." The proposed location would place the new school on the east side of the Jerry Fields complex, likely impacting the parking lot and possibly Jerry Field 1, and potentially bleeding into Jerry Field 2. However, the design would include a shared-use play space that would serve school children during the day and be open to all community members on weekends and after hours—creating a new amenity even as some existing field space might be affected. The Jerry Fields area would maintain its core baseball facilities with two lit, turfed diamonds featuring both 60-foot and 90-foot base paths and minimum 200-foot outfields. But community feedback had revealed interest in multi-sport capabilities, with specific mentions of rugby and soccer as sports that could potentially share the improved facilities during different seasons. ### Forest Areas and Connectivity The beloved forested areas between Jerry Fields 4 and the main complex would see minimal intervention, respecting both the challenging topography and the exceptional trees that community members clearly treasured. However, one enhancement that had captured imaginations was a new multi-use trail system connecting the north and south ends of the site, creating better circulation for pedestrians and cyclists throughout the complex. ### Sportsplex Expansion and Drop-off Needs Current sportsplex users had made their needs clear during the engagement process: they wanted additional ice sheets and soccer pitches, and they desperately needed better load and unload space for families arriving with heavy equipment or simply trying to drop off children safely. The emerging plan would allow for sportsplex expansion onto adjacent land while creating convenient drop-off zones that wouldn't sacrifice too much existing parking. ### Civic Stadium and Joe Martin Field Improvements These existing facilities would be maintained and upgraded rather than replaced, acknowledging their importance to current users while recognizing the need for ongoing maintenance. Specific improvements mentioned included lighting and ADA improvements at Joe Martin Field, plus scoreboard upgrades and turf replacement at Civic Field as the current surface approached the end of its useful life. Maryman noted community interest in making Civic Stadium itself more of a hub for the broader site—finding ways for the inherently inward-looking facility to better engage with surrounding activities and serve as a gathering point. ### Parking Lot Innovations One of the more intriguing long-term visions involved "lidding" a portion of the main parking lot—essentially building a deck over it to create new open space on top while maintaining parking capacity below. "We recognize that it's a significant capital investment," Maryman acknowledged, "but it was also something that a number of people said, this is an improvement that will give a 'there' there, right? It'll give a centering moment to the entire site." This concept would connect the sportsplex area with Joe Martin Field and Civic Stadium while linking to the major new community recreation center planned for the Lakeway frontage. ### Downer Fields as Interim and Long-term Opportunity In the short term, Downer Fields represented an opportunity to provide interim recreational facilities during construction impacts at Jerry Fields. Long-term, the area would be integrated into the expanded community center and aquatics complex, adding to the overall recreational capacity of the site. ## The Future Community Recreation Center: A Comprehensive Vision The most exciting element of the community feedback centered on the future of the Carl Cozier and Arnie Hannah site at Orleans and Lakeway. Current plans call for Carl Cozier to serve as a "swing school" for approximately five years while the school district builds other facilities, with Arnie Hannah continuing in its current use during that period. But the long-term vision was expansive. Community members had articulated needs that far exceeded current capacity, leading to discussion of a comprehensive recreation center that would serve as a true community hub. ### Aquatic Facilities The aquatic component drew the most detailed feedback. Residents wanted both cold and warm water pools, a lazy river, children's play features and slides, and ideally a 50-meter pool with diving well capability. Someone had even suggested a saltwater pool option. Hot tub facilities for recovery were mentioned, along with spectator areas for competitive events—spaces where community members could watch swimming and diving competitions and help grow these sports locally. ### Recreation and Fitness Components Beyond aquatics, the wish list was comprehensive: free weights and workout equipment, training spaces, sports medicine facilities with ice machines for athlete recovery, a cafe to make the center a true gathering place, yoga spaces, indoor play areas for children, an additional ice rink for hockey, gymnasium space for basketball and volleyball, indoor racket sports facilities like squash and racquetball courts, an indoor track, performing arts space, and potential co-location with a senior center. Maryman was careful to emphasize that this represented community aspirations rather than commitments. "This is at this stage simply reflecting back to the community," he stressed. "I don't want anyone at this consortium to come away from this and say, wow, we're gonna have all these different things in the community center. That's the next phase of the study is really figuring out what fits based on the capacity of the resources based on the site." The most whimsical suggestion—which drew chuckles from the virtual audience—was a chocolate pool. "It would be the only one in America, and I think Bellingham can step up to the plate on this chocolate pool," Maryman joked. ## Site Integration and Sustainability Community feedback had revealed sophisticated thinking about how the various elements should work together. Residents wanted better lighting, wayfinding, and overall coherence to help visitors navigate what could easily become a confusing maze of facilities. They advocated for sustainability features including green stormwater infrastructure—rain gardens and swales that would manage runoff while adding natural beauty. Transportation access was a priority, with support for better non-motorized connections both within the site and to surrounding neighborhoods. The planned protected bike lane on Lakeway Drive and potential connections to transit, including possible shuttle service from Lincoln Creek Park and Ride, could reduce vehicle trips while making the complex accessible to more residents. Other community suggestions included space for community gardens, covered recreation facilities for sports like pickleball and basketball, bicycle parking, a permanent pump track, and facilities for niche sports like futsal and roller derby. ## Questions and Concerns from Consortium Members ### Housing Integration Ray Dellecker raised what he acknowledged might be "a bit of a curveball"—the possibility of incorporating housing into the civic complex to help address Mayor Lund's recent directive about Bellingham's urgent housing needs. He envisioned high-density housing similar to the Trail View Apartments that had recently housed nearly 100 families on less than an acre. Neil McCarthy from RMC Architects, which specializes in affordable housing, welcomed the suggestion and noted potential opportunities for "thinking vertically"—possibly incorporating housing above the community center along Lakeway or even above the proposed parking lot lid. "We're not quite sure how to integrate it into the process right now, but it's certainly on our radar at this point," McCarthy acknowledged. ### School Design and Footprint Planning Commissioner Katharine Bothel asked whether the new elementary school would be designed as a multi-story building to minimize its footprint on the complex. City staff confirmed that yes, the school district was indeed planning a two-story design to reduce the building's ground-level impact. ### Transportation and Climate Considerations Whatcom County Planning Commissioner Suneeta Eisenberg raised important questions about alignment with regional climate action plans and coordination with Whatcom Transportation Authority for potential shuttle service. City Parks and Recreation Director Nicole Oliver confirmed that the city's transportation planner was already involved in the project and that any improvements would need to align with the city's climate action plan—noting that the sportsplex had just been converted to electric heating as an example of ongoing sustainability efforts. ### Timeline and Construction Impacts Perhaps the most pressing concern came from Stephanie Morrell, who noted that her organization was already planning events for 2025 and 2026 that would require access to Jerry Fields. The uncertainty around construction timelines created real challenges for groups working on multi-year planning cycles. Curtis Lawyer from the school district acknowledged the concern but explained that timing remained fluid pending critical area determinations and permitting processes. "We'll start to figure out what does that phasing look like? How can we temporarily find fields that can be usable for the groups that are using those fields now? Can we make that happen in the civic complex somewhere? Is that somewhere off site?" Oliver confirmed that the goal was still to begin school construction in 2027, but noted that much depended on jurisdictional determinations for the critical areas in the lower Jerry Fields area, which would determine permitting requirements and potential mitigation needs. ## Next Steps and Implementation As the consortium's final meeting, the evening marked a transition from community vision-setting to detailed implementation planning. Maryman outlined several parallel tracks moving forward: The design team would now focus on translating community aspirations into specific plans and drawings—giving form to the program requirements identified through the engagement process. Simultaneously, Neil McCarthy's team would advance detailed studies of the Community Recreation Center and Arnie Hannah expansion possibilities. Community engagement would continue, but in a different format. The preferred master plan would be released for broader community review, with opportunities for residents to provide feedback on whether the design team had captured their vision accurately. "You got 80% of it right, but here's what you missed," was how Maryman characterized the kind of feedback they'd be seeking. The approval process would involve multiple steps: vetting with the Parks and Recreation Advisory Board, review by City Council, defining actual property boundaries, negotiating formal agreements with the school district, surplus property procedures, and potential rezoning. Oliver estimated this process would likely conclude around the second quarter of 2025, possibly later. Ongoing capital improvements would continue in the meantime. The sportsplex HVAC system and roof repairs were nearing completion, grandstand concrete repairs at Civic Stadium were finished, and extensive improvements were planned for Arnie Hannah during summer 2025. The immediate priority remained obtaining the critical areas jurisdictional determination, which would clarify the permitting pathway and any required environmental mitigation for development in the Jerry Fields area. ## Closing Reflections As the meeting concluded, the sense of momentum was unmistakable. Oliver noted the unusually successful stakeholder approach they had developed, calling it "a really remarkable approach that has worked extremely well." The commitment to implementation over planning documents was clear—this wasn't intended to become "shelf art" but rather a roadmap for actual improvements. Amanda Ager captured the broader community excitement, noting conversations she'd overheard around town: "People that don't even know I've participated in any of these conversations of 'oh, did you hear about what's happening at civic?' And there's a lot of excitement over what the potential outcomes could be." For a community that had long struggled with inadequate indoor recreation facilities, the comprehensive vision that had emerged represented both validation of those needs and a path toward addressing them. The challenge now would be maintaining momentum through the complex approval and funding processes ahead, while managing the construction impacts on current users who had made the civic complex central to their recreational lives. The consortium members had served their role as community ambassadors well, helping generate the kind of broad-based support that would be essential for securing the resources needed to implement this ambitious vision. As they prepared to return to their various organizations with news of the preferred master plan, they carried with them both excitement for the future and realistic understanding of the work still ahead. In a city facing housing crises, climate challenges, and the need for more equitable access to recreation, the civic complex master plan represented an opportunity to address multiple community needs simultaneously. Whether that potential would be realized would depend on the community's continued engagement and support through the detailed planning and approval processes now beginning.