Bellingham Greenways Advisory Committee

The February meeting of Bellingham's Greenways Advisory Committee marked a significant transition, with outgoing Chair Kate and member Scott attending their final meetings before term expirations. The session focused primarily on three major briefings that will shape the city's parks and recreation landscape over the coming years: Mayor Kim Lund's presentation on citywide advisory group reforms, comprehensive updates on the Bellingham Plan process, and detailed discussion of the Parks, Recreation & Open Space (PROS) Plan community engagement strategy. Mayor Lund outlined new standardized approaches for all city advisory groups, including universal reapplication requirements when terms expire and enhanced efforts to diversify membership. The initiative aims to reduce barriers to participation while ensuring more equitable representation across Bellingham's neighborhoods and communities. This change directly affects the Greenways committee as members transition out and new appointments are made. City Planner Anya provided an extensive overview of the Bellingham Plan comprehensive update, now in Phase 4 after three years of community engagement that generated thousands of survey responses and extensive public input. The plan proposes 11 chapters including three new sections on climate, civic practices, and community well-being. Parks and recreation policies will be distributed across multiple chapters while consolidating into a dedicated Parks chapter scheduled for Planning Commission review in May 2025. Parks staff Peter Lantz presented the PROS Plan community engagement strategy, which will run parallel to the Bellingham Plan process through 2025. The approach includes ongoing community surveys, public meetings at pavilions, stakeholder listening sessions, and targeted outreach to underrepresented communities. The plan aims to establish 20-year priorities for parks, trails, and recreational facilities while maintaining alignment with the comprehensive planning timeline. Committee member Michael Fear from Walk a Million Trees delivered passionate public testimony urging more aggressive invasive species control in Greenways corridors, specifically targeting English ivy removal that threatens forest health. Fear emphasized the need for measurable, actionable policies beyond general invasive removal language in planning documents.

No formal votes were taken during this meeting. The session was entirely informational, featuring presentations and discussion of upcoming planning processes. **January Meeting Minutes Approval:** The committee approved the January meeting minutes with one correction clarifying that the Bellingham to Baker Trail is "almost all land needed is in public ownership" rather than "almost to completion." **Administrative Transitions:** The committee acknowledged Kate's final meeting as Chair and Scott's absence from his final meeting due to childcare conflicts. Both members chose not to seek reappointment when their terms expire in March 2025. **Staff Introduction:** The committee welcomed Mackenzie Kilroy as the new Park Stewardship Program staff member overseeing community gardens and wetland mitigation projects.

**Mayor Kim Lund, on advisory group diversity:** "We have a member who, whose childcare didn't come through tonight? Right? And so how do we reduce those barriers as we seek to have more diverse voices around the table." **Michael Fear, on invasive species control:** "English Ivy kills virtually every tree it climbs up on eventually. And so over time, you know, lived here 36 years over time. I've seen an enormous amount of degradation of the forest health in that time along some of the green lights." **City Planner Anya, on comprehensive planning approach:** "It's definitely not popularity contest. And we take into account representation. And that's why we just tried so many different ways of getting feedback." **Committee Member Neil, on balancing competing priorities:** "Walking 1 million trees is good pointing that out to people. So when an idea like that comes forward and the goals, I get the feeling at this level. The goals are high enough that they're not really talking to each other." **Skip Williams, City Council member, on regional coordination:** "The elected officials of the county, all of us council members from all of the cities and the County Council have been meeting about all this since last summer, and we are in the process of trying to figure all this out." **Parks Staff Peter Lantz, on community engagement challenges:** "It's a challenge. I mean, we were, you know, in the Neighborhood Association. We try to diversify our audience because we tend to see the same faces pretty much in every meeting."

# Greenways Advisory Committee Confronts Change and Charts Future Course The February 6, 2025 meeting of Bellingham's Greenways Advisory Committee carried the weight of transitions — departing members, new priorities, and major planning initiatives converging on a cold winter evening in the Mayor's Boardroom. With snow outside and bureaucratic complexity within, the seven-member committee navigated a meeting that revealed both the scope of Bellingham's growth challenges and the vital role parks and trails play in the city's future. ## Meeting Overview The committee gathered on a snowy Thursday evening with several significant developments on the horizon. Two longtime members — chair Kate and Scott — announced they would not seek reappointment when their terms expire in March, marking the end of substantial institutional knowledge and leadership. Meanwhile, the city is simultaneously updating its comprehensive plan and developing a new Parks, Recreation and Open Space (PROS) plan, creating an unprecedented moment where major policy frameworks must align across departments and decades. Present were committee members including newly reappointed Sarah (through 2028), along with staff from Parks & Recreation and guest presentations from Mayor Kim Lund, Planning Department staff, and City Councilmember Skip Williams participating remotely. The meeting agenda reflected the complexity of current city planning efforts, with updates on everything from community garden programs to growth projections for 30,000 new residents over the next 20 years. ## Land Acknowledgment and Announcements The meeting began with the standard land acknowledgment recognizing Lummi and Nooksack peoples, then moved to several significant announcements. Staff highlighted upcoming public meetings for the PROS plan, including open houses at the Corda Pavilion (February 13) and Fairhaven Pavilion (February 18), both running from 5:30 to 7:30 p.m. The most significant personnel news was Sarah's three-year reappointment through 2028, providing continuity as the committee faces other departures. Scott's absence due to childcare issues illustrated the barriers to civic participation that Mayor Lund would later address directly in her presentation about advisory committee reform. Staff also announced plans for a long-awaited field trip to the DNR (Department of Natural Resources) property, weather permitting, using a doodle poll to find times that work for committee members who are largely employed during business hours. ## Public Comment: The Invasive Species Challenge Michael Fear from the Walk a Million Trees project delivered pointed public testimony that encapsulated one of the Greenways system's most pressing challenges. Having cleared "well over a thousand trees of ivy" from Greenways corridors during 2022 and 2023, Fear urged the committee to elevate invasive species control in the PROS plan process. "English Ivy kills virtually every tree it climbs up on eventually," Fear explained, describing 36 years of witnessing forest degradation along trail corridors. "What we do is we clear it off the base of the tree and 6 feet around, and then you know, everything above that dies off... It comes back to the tree after a couple of years, so it needs to be another wave after that." Fear's testimony went beyond problem identification to specific policy recommendations. He asked the planning process to move "beyond in the pros plan, just saying the word invasive removal" to create "real, actionable and real, measurable" statements that would enable systematic, wave-by-wave invasive removal funded through "whether it's through Greenways Fund, levy funding or otherwise." The testimony highlighted the ongoing tension between volunteer capacity and the scale of environmental challenges facing the city's green infrastructure. While partnerships like Walk a Million Trees provide significant free labor, the systematic approach Fear described would require sustained municipal investment and coordination across multiple properties and jurisdictions. ## Advisory Committee Reform and Diversification Mayor Kim Lund's presentation addressed fundamental questions about how Bellingham structures civic engagement through its more than 20 advisory groups. Speaking directly to the committee facing membership transitions, she outlined citywide changes designed to standardize support, create clearer expectations, and most importantly, "diversify who is around our tables." "How do we reduce barriers to diversifying who sits around the tables and guests being potent... experience of being able to help guide the city in our actions," Lund explained, drawing from her experience with Bellingham Public Schools where advisory groups included full meals and childcare at every meeting. The practical implications were significant: all advisory group members must now reapply when their terms expire, ending what Lund described as members "serving 18, 19 years consecutively" in some groups. While acknowledging the value of institutional knowledge, she emphasized the need to "give other people an opportunity to step into this work, too." Committee member Neil raised crucial questions about geographic representation, asking whether there had been "an effort to have representation from the different neighborhoods" on Greenways specifically. Staff confirmed this had been an informal consideration in appointment processes, though not formalized policy. Lund's response revealed the complexity of meaningful diversification efforts. Even geographic representation through neighborhood structures creates bias, she noted, since neighborhood association participation typically comes from homeowners rather than renters. "We have a bias through that structure of renters versus homeowners... even what seems like a natural way to make sure that we're reflecting geographic diversity can be problematic in some ways, too." The mayor outlined several strategies being developed or tested, including stipends for participation (used successfully in the Bellingham Plan process), active recruitment through the Whatcom Racial Equity Commission, and examining barriers like meeting times, locations, and childcare availability. However, she acknowledged the fundamental challenge: "the inherent nature of having time or the executive functioning to be able to engage in this kind of thinking isn't available to everyone." ## Parks Stewardship Program Expansion Freya Fredenberg, acting supervisor for the Park Stewardship program, introduced the committee to new staff member Mackenzie Kilroy, whose background in environmental social justice and food education brings fresh perspectives to community gardens and wetland mitigation programs. Kilroy outlined ambitious goals for the community garden program, emphasizing "building community aspect" through programming that brings gardeners together for learning and mutual support. More practically, they plan to "assess, like, how much food is being wasted, or space is not being really utilized for gardening" and provide resources to help gardeners "use their space efficiently as well as potentially redistributing food that they aren't able to use in their own household." The hiring represents more than additional staffing — it reflects growing municipal attention to food systems, environmental justice, and community-building aspects of park programming. With actual funding earmarked for community garden improvements, as Freya noted, the department has "multiple heads to put together, to figure out and talk to all the gardeners and all the stakeholders, and figure out how that money is best used." Committee member Neil advocated for expanding beyond traditional ground-level gardens to "rooftop gardens, or apartment complexes... That's a demographic that doesn't necessarily have the property around them for gardens." The suggestion points toward more innovative approaches to urban agriculture that could serve renters and residents in higher-density housing. Freya also reported remarkable volunteer engagement numbers, including post-COVID records: nearly 330 volunteers at the MLK Day event at Welcome Creek Park and 82 people with the York Neighborhood Association at Rock Hill Park. These numbers suggest strong community interest in hands-on environmental stewardship, providing a foundation for expanded programming. ## The Bellingham Plan Integration Challenge Planner Anya provided an extensive overview of the comprehensive plan update process, revealing the massive scale of community engagement already completed and the complex timeline ahead. The process has included three completed phases since July 2023, generating thousands of survey responses, multiple open houses, and targeted outreach to previously underrepresented communities. The numbers were impressive: vision surveys mailed to every household, growth surveys similarly distributed, statistically significant housing preference surveys, and targeted work with Latino community focus groups through partnerships with Vamos. A community work group provided "really specific and targeted feedback from people who had really never engaged with local government before." For parks and recreation, the most significant change involves separating the traditional PROS plan into two components: goals and policies incorporated into the Bellingham Plan's parks chapter, and technical/functional content remaining in a separate PROS implementation plan adopted by reference. This structural change aligns parks planning with other city departments while maintaining the specialized focus the field requires. Anya emphasized how parks-related policies appear throughout the comprehensive plan, not just in the dedicated parks chapter. Land use and community design chapters address "preservation activation and integration of natural areas and open space." Environment and climate chapters emphasize "ecosystems, natural resource management, and the role of human health and well-being." Transportation and capital facilities chapters address "provision connection to parks and trails." The growth projections underlying all planning efforts are substantial: accommodating about 30,000 people over the next 20 years, with just over 18,000 housing units and just over 19,000 jobs. These numbers, roughly 1,300 people per year, align with actual growth seen from 2014 to 2024, suggesting consistency rather than acceleration. However, committee member Neil raised water availability concerns following recent Volume City Club discussions about "potential water issues, not just the legislation that's going on now about water rights, but about their actually availability of water for the growth that's predicted." Anya confirmed water conservation and infrastructure provision appear across multiple plan chapters — capital facilities, environment, and climate — reflecting the interconnected nature of growth challenges. ## Housing Versus Trees: The Eternal Tension Committee member Neil posed perhaps the meeting's most challenging question about competing city goals: "we often hear there's a conflict between, say, saving trees and building housing that several people will convince you. You have to cut down all the trees in order to build a certain number of units on a piece of property, whereas maybe you can reduce the number of units by a certain percentage. But save all the trees." The question struck at fundamental tensions in urban planning: how do high-level goals like "more housing" and "more trees" interact when they appear to conflict on specific parcels? When do these broad visions "start to kind of bump into each other? And how is that potential conflict handled?" Anya acknowledged the challenge directly: "Trees are always the most conflictual." She described ongoing interdepartmental discussions about balancing competing interests, noting proposed policies that "acknowledge that there are competing interests" and point toward "some sort of criteria or framework or an implementation strategy" for managing these conflicts. The response suggested tools being developed include sliding scales that weigh different priorities and looking beyond individual parcels "to thinking about the balancing in the community as a whole and looking at maybe, what areas of the city could use more trees, what areas don't." However, Anya was clear that specifics remain undecided: "none of that is conclusive or decided. But it's a continuing conversation amongst leadership and across city staff." Staff member Peter added practical context about upcoming policy implementation. City Council would consider amendments to the landmark tree ordinance on Monday, addressing exactly these tensions by adding "whereas statements that allow planners to have the ability to judge development proposals and do a little balancing." The urban forestry plan, still in draft form, "has to accommodate the growth that's projected as well as preserve the canopy... that's why the actions are so difficult to implement." The exchange revealed how comprehensive planning creates frameworks for future decisions without resolving fundamental tensions. The "code is what implements it" and "guides the actions and the decisions, reviews and the approvals by the permit reviewers who are actually looking at the thing on the ground." ## Middle Housing Implementation Timeline Committee discussion touched on House Bill 1110's middle housing requirements, which will "allow for at least 4 units per lot and every residential lot" throughout Bellingham's residential zones. Anya confirmed the legislation must be implemented within six months of Bellingham Plan adoption, likely by next summer. This timeline creates pressure across city departments. As Anya noted, "we'll be doing this all this code work alongside the Bellingham plan legislative adoption phase, because we really need to get started on some of that work, because it's going to be so time intensive." The middle housing requirements represent one of several state mandates driving comprehensive plan updates, alongside House Bill 1181 requiring climate elements in comprehensive plans. These state requirements limit local discretion while requiring communities to address implementation challenges like infrastructure capacity, neighborhood character, and environmental protection. ## PROS Plan Public Engagement Strategy Peter Lane outlined an ambitious public engagement plan for the PROS plan update, building on momentum from the Bellingham Plan process while addressing the specific challenge of reaching underrepresented communities. The approach includes multiple audiences and strategies: a community survey (open through early March), virtual open houses, in-person meetings, and targeted outreach to specific groups. Current survey goals include understanding actual park experiences, identifying strengths and weaknesses, determining improvement priorities, and assessing how to meet community needs "now and then into the future." The survey takes about 15 minutes and includes roughly 20 questions broken into three or four sections. Outreach strategies attempt to address barriers identified earlier in the meeting. Staff are paying to boost social media posts "to get people that aren't already subscribed to the Bellingham... Parks thread." The survey has been translated into Spanish, with a meeting planned with Vamos for Spanish-speaking community engagement. Information will appear in the Playbook (distributed to most city homes) and go to recreation program mailing lists reaching "people that are not typically involved in government." Committee member Neil pressed on accountability: "How will you know if you succeed, do you have metrics... if you realize halfway through... We're not getting to these groups via what we thought would work. What do we do now to your plan B?" Peter acknowledged: "We don't plan B, okay, but we do have help across the city departments to do the outreach and the communications plan." Other committee suggestions included meeting at schools ("they know the school, they trust the school") and churches, though Sunday meetings create staffing challenges. Members also noted the Bellingham Tenants Union as a resource for reaching renters specifically. The discussion revealed ongoing challenges in meaningful public engagement. As committee member Kate observed from neighborhood association experience, "we try to diversify our audience because we tend to see the same faces pretty much in every meeting." Solutions like food and door prizes help, but fundamental barriers remain: "there's a trust issue. And there's also just a availability and other priorities... babysitters all sorts of things." ## Community Center Interest and Usage Questions Survey development prompted discussion about community center facilities, with Peter noting this "might be the top 5" interests emerging from community feedback. Kate questioned whether this represented new interest or standard survey inclusion, leading to confirmation that community centers received "tons of feedback" during Bellingham Plan engagement. The civic campus proposal has "really raised awareness because we're talking about an actual location for this unknown thing called a community center. What does it mean for Bellingham? Because we've never had one." This represents a potential major shift in recreation programming, though details remain to be developed through the planning process. Committee members also emphasized understanding Greenways program awareness: "I would love to know if people know that Greenways exist in billing... like the program, and that it is its own thing." This connects to longer-term sustainability concerns, as Neil noted: "10 years is going to come really fast. And if people don't understand what Greenways does. It's... getting harder and harder to get that levy passed." The Greenways levy provides roughly one-third of the Parks & Recreation department budget, making public understanding crucial for continued funding. As Kate observed from recent outreach experience: "We talked to so many people at the farmers market... and people" often don't understand the connection between the levy they vote on and the parks and trails they use. ## Regional Coordination and Missing Links Discussion touched on regional trail coordination, with staff acknowledging this as "a little bit of our gap, or what we want to improve upon this time around." The county-wide trail map was described as inadequate — "8 and a half by 11" — for addressing regional connectivity needs. Committee member Daniel raised specific concerns about growth coordination: "So coordination with I'm sure Lyndon and Ferndale have their own growth plans. Is Bellingham coordinating with them about you know, like what their maps look like." Anya confirmed county-wide coordination on growth projections and allocations, though she referred detailed questions to other staff. The question of "missing links" in trail connectivity emerged as a perennial concern. Peter noted this "always comes up" in public feedback, suggesting an interactive mapping component for the PROS plan process "similar to that perfect" tool used for Viking pipeline input. Trail mapping has been updated recently (2023), providing better foundation for coordinated growth planning than was available for previous planning cycles. This timing could prove crucial as urban growth areas are evaluated for adequacy to accommodate projected population increases. ## System Integration Versus Separation City Councilmember Skip Williams, participating remotely, raised fundamental questions about how the community perceives parks and Greenways. "There seems to be a perception or a perspective that sees Greenways as a totally separate entity... separate from the total parts development in our city," he observed. Williams emphasized the need for integrated thinking: "it all has to come together and support each other and... should be seen as a piece of the total system... not as a standalone separate piece that is, has no relationship to the development of our city parks system." This perspective aligned with Mayor Lund's earlier comments about "one city" approaches, but created tension with practical political considerations. As committee member Kate noted, the Greenways levy provides significant funding that voters must understand and support. "If they see a Greenways levy on their ballot, they're gonna want to know what Greenways is that it's... they're voting for a Greenways levy, not a parks levy as far as they're concerned." The exchange revealed ongoing challenges in balancing system integration with distinct program identity. Staff have "really tried to put more signs up on things" and increase visibility, while survey language emphasizes "parks, trails, Greenways open space" to reinforce connections. Peter suggested celebrating accomplishments from the previous PROS plan as one strategy: "list all the things we did that were in the last plan, because it's a great way to celebrate our accomplishments, and how and demonstrate that when we do put things in the plan, we actually get them done." This approach could help voters understand the connection between planning processes, levy funding, and visible improvements. ## Closing and What's Ahead The meeting concluded with final planning details and appreciation for departing members. Peter confirmed the committee would visit City Council on Monday, February 10, for Parks Committee presentation, with additional updates planned for April and beyond. As the meeting adjourned, the scope of challenges and opportunities facing Bellingham's parks and trails system was clear. Two major planning processes must align while addressing growth pressures, environmental challenges, funding sustainability, and equity concerns. New staff bring fresh perspectives to community engagement and program development, while longtime committee members prepare to step away after years of service. The committee's final meetings with current membership will occur as these planning processes accelerate through spring and summer. March will bring inventory and assessment discussions, draft goals review, and continued public engagement coordination. By April, a complete parks chapter should be ready for public review, setting the stage for Planning Commission hearings and ultimately City Council adoption. The evening's discussions revealed a parks and trails system at an inflection point — managing success while preparing for unprecedented growth, maintaining community support while expanding access, and preserving natural resources while accommodating development. How these tensions resolve will shape Bellingham's livability and environmental health for decades to come.

## MODULE S1: STUDY GUIDE **Meeting ID:** BEL-GRN-2025-02-06 A structured study guide helping readers understand the meeting's content and context. ### Meeting Overview The Bellingham Greenways Advisory Committee met on February 6, 2025, to discuss the integration of the Parks Recreation and Open Space (PROS) Plan with the comprehensive Bellingham Plan update, receive operations updates, and review the public engagement strategy for the PROS Plan. ### Key Terms and Concepts **Greenways Advisory Committee:** A city advisory board that provides guidance on parks, trails, and open space issues in Bellingham. The committee helps plan and prioritize recreational amenities funded through the Greenways levy. **PROS Plan:** Parks, Recreation, and Open Space Plan - a 20-year planning document that will be separated into two parts: goals and policies integrated into the comprehensive Bellingham Plan, and technical implementation details as a standalone document. **Bellingham Plan:** The comprehensive plan update happening citywide, covering 11 chapters including housing, transportation, climate, and parks. Required to be updated every 10 years under state law. **Growth Management Act:** State legislation requiring cities to plan for projected population growth and allocate housing, jobs, and infrastructure accordingly. Bellingham must plan for 30,000 new residents over the next 20 years. **Middle Housing Legislation (House Bill 1110):** State requirement allowing at least 4 housing units per lot in every residential area, which must be implemented within 6 months of comprehensive plan adoption. **Community Gardens:** City-operated garden plots for residents to grow food, overseen by new staff member Mackenzie Kilroy. The program has dedicated funding for improvements. **Urban Growth Areas (UGAs):** Designated zones where cities can expand to accommodate projected population growth, requiring adequate infrastructure like water, sewer, police, and fire services. **Type 6 Legislative Process:** The formal adoption process for comprehensive plan updates, requiring public hearings and city council approval. ### Key People at This Meeting | Name | Role / Affiliation | |---|---| | Kate (Chair) | Greenways Advisory Committee Chair (last meeting before term end) | | Scott | Greenways Advisory Committee member (absent, final term) | | Sarah | Greenways Advisory Committee member (reappointed through 2028) | | Neil | Greenways Advisory Committee member | | Kelsey | Greenways Advisory Committee member | | Mayor Kim Lund | Mayor of Bellingham | | Skip Williams | Bellingham City Council member | | Freya Fredenberg | Acting Supervisor, Park Stewardship Program | | Mackenzie Kilroy | New Parks staff member overseeing community gardens | | Anya | City planner working on Bellingham Plan update | | Peter Lane | Parks department staff | | Michael Fear | Walk a Million Trees project representative (public comment) | ### Background Context This meeting occurred during a critical transition period for both the Greenways Advisory Committee and city planning. Two long-serving committee members (Kate and Scott) are ending their terms, while the city undertakes its most comprehensive planning update in decades. The Bellingham Plan represents a coordinated effort to address state-mandated growth requirements while maintaining community character. The decision to separate the PROS Plan into goals/policies (in the comprehensive plan) and implementation details (standalone document) reflects a new approach to reduce duplication and create clearer connections between different city planning efforts. Bellingham must accommodate significant growth - 30,000 new residents, 18,000+ housing units, and 19,000+ jobs over 20 years - while preserving its extensive park and trail system funded through the dedicated Greenways levy. This creates tensions between development and environmental preservation that the planning process must address. ### What Happened — The Short Version The committee received three major presentations. Mayor Kim Lund discussed citywide efforts to standardize advisory group processes, including requiring all members to reapply when terms expire to encourage diversity and reduce barriers to participation. Parks staff introduced Mackenzie Kilroy, who will oversee community gardens and wetland mitigation projects. The stewardship program reported record volunteer turnout at recent events. City planner Anya provided an extensive update on the Bellingham Plan, explaining how the parks chapter will be integrated and the timeline for public hearings. The plan addresses state growth requirements through four themes: more housing choice, sustainable growth, climate resilience, and "Bellingham for all." Staff presented the PROS Plan public engagement strategy, including community surveys, open houses, and targeted outreach to underrepresented groups. The committee discussed challenges in reaching diverse communities and strategies for effective engagement. The meeting highlighted ongoing tensions between housing development and tree preservation, with acknowledgment that high-level goals don't always provide clear guidance for specific situations. ### What to Watch Next - Parks chapter draft release in April, with Planning Commission discussion in May - PROS Plan community survey closes March 2nd - Public open houses at Cordo Pavilion (February 13) and Fairhaven Pavilion (February 20) - Planning Commission hearings on comprehensive plan chapters through summer - Final Bellingham Plan adoption targeted for late 2025 ---

## MODULE S2: FLASH CARDS **Meeting ID:** BEL-GRN-2025-02-06 **Q:** Who is ending their term on the Greenways Advisory Committee? **A:** Kate (the current chair) and Scott are both ending their terms and not seeking reappointment. **Q:** What is Mackenzie Kilroy's new role with the city? **A:** They are the new Parks staff member overseeing community gardens and wetland mitigation projects, working under the Park Stewardship Program. **Q:** How many new residents must Bellingham plan for over the next 20 years? **A:** 30,000 people, along with just over 18,000 housing units and 19,000+ jobs. **Q:** When must middle housing legislation be implemented in Bellingham? **A:** Within 6 months of the Bellingham Plan adoption, allowing at least 4 housing units per lot in residential areas. **Q:** What organization did Michael Fear represent during public comment? **A:** Walk a Million Trees project, advocating for increased invasive species removal in Greenways. **Q:** How will the PROS Plan be structured differently than before? **A:** It will be split into two parts: goals and policies integrated into the Bellingham Plan, and technical implementation details as a standalone document. **Q:** When does the PROS Plan community survey close? **A:** March 2nd, 2025 - it takes about 15 minutes and has about 20 questions. **Q:** What record did the Parks volunteer program break in January? **A:** Post-COVID volunteer turnout record with almost 330 volunteers at the MLK Day event at Welcome Creek Park. **Q:** How many chapters will the new Bellingham Plan have? **A:** 11 chapters total, including 3 new chapters on climate, civic practices, and community well-being. **Q:** What are the four themes organizing the Bellingham Plan chapters? **A:** More housing choice, sustainable growth, climate resilience, and "Bellingham for all." **Q:** When is the Parks chapter scheduled for Planning Commission discussion? **A:** May 2025, with the draft released for public review in April. **Q:** What percentage of the Parks department budget comes from Greenways levy funding? **A:** Almost one-third of the department's funding comes from the Greenways levy. **Q:** How often is the PROS Plan updated compared to the comprehensive plan? **A:** PROS Plan updates every 6 years, while the comprehensive plan updates every 10 years as a 20-year vision document. **Q:** Where are the upcoming PROS Plan public open houses? **A:** Cordo Pavilion on February 13th and Fairhaven Pavilion on February 20th, both from 5:30-7:30 PM. **Q:** What new outreach methods is the city using for the PROS Plan survey? **A:** Paying to boost social media posts to reach people not already subscribed to Parks communications, and making the survey available in Spanish. **Q:** What state office provides growth projections that cities must use? **A:** Office of Financial Management (OFM), which provides low, medium, and high growth projections. **Q:** How many advisory groups does the city have? **A:** More than 20 advisory groups across the city, which the mayor wants to standardize and diversify. **Q:** What major infrastructure concern was raised about accommodating growth? **A:** Water availability and conservation, particularly given legislation about water rights and actual water supply for projected growth. ---