City of Bellingham Parks and Recreation Committee

**Meeting ID:** BEL-CON-PRC-2025-11-17 # City Council Parks and Recreation Committee: South State Street Cleanup Grant Authorization ## Meeting Overview The Bellingham City Council's Parks and Recreation Committee convened for a brief but important meeting on November 17, 2025, at 3:55 PM to consider a single agenda item. Committee Chair Edwin "Skip" Williams presided over the meeting, joined by Council Members Hannah Stone and Jace Cotton. The sole item before the committee was authorization to enter into a grant agreement with the Washington State Department of Ecology for partial funding of environmental remediation work at the South State Street Manufactured Gas Plant site, located at the north end of Boulevard Park. This was a routine procedural meeting to advance a significant environmental cleanup project that has been years in the making. The meeting demonstrated the often administrative nature of local government work, where major environmental and public health initiatives sometimes move forward through brief, technical discussions rather than dramatic debate. ## The South State Street Manufactured Gas Plant Cleanup Grant The heart of the meeting focused on Agenda Bill 24754, which would authorize the city to enter into a remedial action grant agreement with the Washington State Department of Ecology. As Chair Williams explained at the outset, "The city owns portions of a model toxic control act, MTCA, a cleanup site known as the South State Street Manufactured Gas Plant, which is a site located at the north end of Boulevard Park, making it a potentially liable party pursuant to the MTCA." The contamination stems from operations of a manufactured gas plant that operated from the 1890s to the 1950s, producing gas from coal to supply fuel for homes and businesses in Bellingham. The environmental legacy of this industrial past has affected soil, groundwater, and marine sediments within the site boundaries, encompassing approximately six acres of upland property and an estimated six acres of adjacent marine area within Bellingham Bay. Acting Director of Parks and Recreation Laine Potter provided the staff presentation, accompanied by project engineer Gina Austin. Potter offered a concise update on the project's status: "We're currently at 60% design on the project moving along so this grant will allow us to continue the work that we've been doing with the goal of construction in 2027 or 2028." The current phase of work involves detailed review and planning. As Potter explained, "We're currently reviewing all the 60% plans and submittals looking at tree planting locations and species selection for both the upland and marine areas looking at building reconstruction and relocation and then doing internal reviews with our operations folks." The financial structure of this cleanup effort reflects the complex liability arrangements typical of contaminated site remediation. The preliminary estimated construction cost stands at approximately $11.57 million. Under the cost-sharing agreement, Puget Sound Energy (PSE), as a successor owner of the gas plant, bears 75% of the costs while the City of Bellingham is responsible for 25%. However, the state Department of Ecology provides grants that reimburse up to 50% of the city's eligible costs, effectively reducing the city's net contribution to about 12.5% of the total project cost. This particular grant agreement covers $1 million in total eligible costs, with Ecology providing $500,000 and the city matching with $500,000 from its environmental remediation fund. Potter noted that "this grant will just carry us through the design process pending any major changes or amendments to the current scope will complete preparation and submission of 100% construction plans and specs." ## Council Discussion and Procedural Action The committee's discussion was brief but revealed the care with which council members approach complex financial arrangements. Council Member Stone sought clarification on the cost-sharing formula, asking, "So it seemed like for the project that cost split, it was 75% PSE and then 25% city of Bellingham and of our 25% then ecology would to reimburse up to 50%, but of our 25%." Potter confirmed this understanding was correct. This exchange, while technical, illustrates how local elected officials work to fully understand the financial implications of major projects before voting. The layered funding structure—with PSE covering three-quarters of costs, the city responsible for one-quarter, and the state reimbursing half of the city's share—represents the kind of complex public-private partnership arrangements that often emerge in environmental cleanup cases where multiple parties bear responsibility for contamination. With questions answered, Council Member Cotton moved the committee toward action: "I'll move to approve entry into the remedial action grant agreement with Washington State Department of Quality." Chair Williams, following proper procedure, called for any additional discussion before proceeding to a vote. Seeing no further discussion, Williams called for the vote: "All in favor of approving the motions, say aye." The response was unanimous: "Aye." With no opposition, the motion carried, and Williams noted, "Motion carries and I will report that at tonight's meeting." ## Closing & What's Ahead The meeting concluded as efficiently as it began, with Chair Williams stating simply, "And based on that, that is the end of our meeting." The entire proceeding lasted just over four minutes, demonstrating how local government can efficiently handle significant business when the groundwork has been properly laid through staff preparation and prior coordination. The committee's approval sends the grant agreement to the full City Council for final authorization, likely at that evening's regular meeting. The project represents a significant step forward in addressing decades-old environmental contamination at one of Bellingham's most prominent public spaces. With design work at 60% completion and construction planned for 2027 or 2028, the Boulevard Park cleanup exemplifies the long-term nature of environmental remediation work and the persistence required to address the legacy of past industrial activity. This brief meeting also showcased the often routine nature of environmental stewardship in local government—major cleanup efforts advancing through careful procedural steps rather than dramatic debate, with elected officials ensuring they understand complex funding arrangements before committing public resources to essential environmental protection work.