Bellingham City Council Parks and Recreation Committee

The Parks and Recreation Committee unanimously approved the Civic Athletic Complex Master Plan, a comprehensive 20-year vision that reimagines the 50-acre site as a premier regional destination. The plan represents the culmination of a multi-year planning process that began in 2022 with extensive public engagement, including over 1,000 participants in surveys, open houses, and consortium meetings. The master plan transforms the current "complex" into a connected "campus" featuring an accessible civic spine, expanded indoor recreation facilities, potential partnership with Bellingham Public Schools for elementary school relocation, and a future community recreation center with expanded aquatics. The presentation by MXM consultant Bryce outlined a three-phase implementation strategy starting with northern field improvements and school district coordination, followed by construction of the civic promenade spine, and culminating in major capital investments for facility expansion. The plan addresses longstanding accessibility challenges at the terraced site by creating an all-ages, all-abilities pathway connecting the entire campus from north to south. A significant aspect of the plan involves ongoing discussions with Bellingham Public Schools about relocating Carl Cozier Elementary to a five-acre site at the north end of the complex, though recent school district reconsiderations due to declining birth rates have introduced uncertainty to this partnership timeline. The plan was designed to proceed with or without the school component. Parks Director Nicole Oliver emphasized that momentum from the planning process will not be wasted, with the community recreation center planning phase already underway, supported by $200,000 in state funding for business plan development. The committee expressed strong support for preserving the existing forest area while finding ways to safely activate it, reflecting community priorities heard throughout the planning process.

**AB 24868 — Civic Athletic Complex Master Plan Approval** - **Action:** Unanimous approval to recommend adoption - **Vote Count:** 3-0 (Williams, Hammill, Cotton all in favor) - **Staff Recommendation:** Approve the master plan - **Council Action:** Aligned with staff recommendation - **Significance:** Adopts 20-year strategic blueprint for $50+ million in phased improvements - **Next Step:** Full Council consideration at evening meeting **No amendments or modifications were made to the plan during committee review.**

**Nicole Oliver, on community engagement momentum:** "We had an extraordinary amount of people who participated in this plan. We had people come to our open houses on very rainy days. We had just a lot of people participating online and in person, and we are really excited about the momentum that has come from this project, and we are not going to waste it." **Bryce (MXM), on community-driven planning:** "No one who gave feedback is going to find this plan meets all of their objectives, but hopefully they'll find something that they responded to within the plan." **Bryce, on the accessibility spine:** "This is a path that everyone can use and becomes what we're calling that civic spine to getting you from the north end of the site to the south end of the site." **Council Member Hamill, on legacy impact:** "It's a great reminder that this is indeed a legacy that we can leave for future generations. The proximity of where it's located at in Bellingham really matters. It's sort of almost a centrally located location." **Nicole Oliver, on funding challenges:** "The mayor has this wonderful term as yet to be defined funding mechanism. So that's what we're investigating with this business plan." **Chair Williams, on community growth:** "Growing this now from what it is to what it's going to be is a big, huge step forward. And I know when I first came here, having a complex like that, as it is now, back in the 90s, was a big deal. But now what we're going to do is reflect, it reflects on our growth and our need for more diverse activities."