# Parks and Recreation Advisory Board Considers Fee Increases and Civic Athletic Complex Planning The Bellingham Parks and Recreation Advisory Board gathered for their November 13, 2024 meeting at 7:30 a.m., a monthly gathering of community volunteers who advise the Parks Department on policy and planning matters. Board Chair Steve Walker presided over the meeting, with members Jed Holmes, Maggi Kriger attending in person, and others participating remotely. The meeting opened on a celebratory note as Parks Director Nicole Oliver shared exciting news about recent land acquisitions that significantly expand Bellingham's park system. The city had just closed on 116 acres on Slater Road previously owned by the Department of Natural Resources, marking the largest single park acquisition in the city's recent history outside of recreation areas. Additionally, the city acquired 3 acres at the end of Telegraph Road that will allow crucial trail connections from Sunset Pond and Squaw Creek Trail all the way to the bay. Two property donations were also completed – one on 32nd Street around the Padden Creek nature area and another 6 acres adjacent to Arroyo Park. "We also closed on the Robinson donations," Oliver announced. "The DNR parcels are the biggest acreage of Greenways other than the recreation piece. It really is the biggest purchase." ## Cyclocross Community Advocacy The public comment period featured passionate testimony from Leslie Finch, who lives in the Cornwall Park neighborhood. Finch, who goes by "Fishy" due to her love of scuba diving, spoke as an advocate for the Cyclocross events held at Cornwall Park. "I did my very first Cyclocross – and I hesitate to use the word race, but it was called a race – when I was 65 years old," Finch told the board. "That was a few years ago, and I had no clue what I was doing. I had never done Cyclocross. I didn't know what it was. One of my daughter's friends said, 'Fishy, you would love this. These are your people. They wear costumes, and the spectators hand you food as you go around – bacon, little cuts of eggnog.' And I thought, 'Well, you know, I'll try anything once as long as it's legal and not death defying.'" Finch's experience exemplified the welcoming, intergenerational nature of the Cyclocross community. When she worried about being lapped by other riders, the response was encouraging: "Don't you guys get tired of lapping me? They're like, 'No, we just hope that when we're older we can still ride bicycles.'" Currently, Cornwall Park hosts about two Cyclocross races per year, and Finch emphasized the events' alignment with Parks and Recreation values of promoting community health and inclusion. "I see so many different positives about Cyclocross in our community," she said, requesting the board's "full support in continuing it at Cornwall Park because it's a great venue. It's beautiful. It's centrally located. And there's a lot of people that love that event." ## Substantial Facility Fee Increases Approved The board's primary business item was reviewing and recommending substantial increases to Parks and Recreation facility rental fees – the first such increases since 2018. While program fees and admission fees have been adjusted periodically, facility rental fees require City Council approval. The increases are projected to generate approximately $80,000 in additional revenue annually, representing a significant boost to the department's budget during challenging fiscal times. "We are comparable to every other aquatic facility in our region, still a little less expensive than most," Oliver explained when board member Maggi Kriger asked about regional comparisons. Importantly, Bellingham maintains a single fee structure for all users – unlike many municipalities that charge different rates for residents versus non-residents. "We do not charge resident non-resident fees. We don't do that," Oliver noted. "We did try that 15 years ago, and people just stopped coming, and we had a consultant come in and say that their best advice was to eliminate the non-resident fee. So we did at that time." Several special-use facilities saw more dramatic changes: **Woodstock Farm** was restructured from hourly rentals to a flat $4,000 per day rate. This change reflects both the facility's extremely high operating costs – over $250,000 annually in general fund support – and market research showing the flat rate is reasonable compared to similar wedding venues. "Woodstock is very, very expensive to keep," Oliver explained. "We last expected that, and now we have confirmed that it's over a quarter million dollars a year in general fund operating cost." The Van Wick Park Lodge, which has been under renovation, will come online June 1st with new rental fees. Both Woodstock and Van Wick will be available on alternating weekends to ensure adequate staffing while providing venue options for the community. **Bloedel Donovan Multipurpose Room** received a new reduced rate structure for weeknight sports team rentals. At $25 per hour Monday through Friday evenings, this dramatically undercuts the previous $80 rate that made the facility uncompetitive with school gyms at $8 per hour. "We've had some requests from youth basketball teams to come in and use the Bloedel multipurpose room for practices," Oliver said. "But when you can rent a school gym for $8 an hour, and our gym there is $80 an hour, that presented a real constraint to our sports teams." The Cordata Pavilion saw increases reflecting its larger capacity (72 people versus 45-50 for other pavilions), and a new cleaning fee structure was introduced that will only be charged when excessive cleanup is required. **Golf Course fees** also increased, with Premier Golf Management conducting market analysis showing Bellingham remains the most economical course in Whatcom County even after the adjustments. The golf course operates on an enterprise fund, meaning all revenue goes directly back into course operations. Board member Maggi Kriger inquired about potential non-resident fees for the golf course, noting the substantial number of Canadian golfers. "Has the golf course ever charged different fees for non-residents, or considered that?" she asked. Oliver indicated they could explore this, though Canadian golfers represent significant restaurant and pro shop revenue beyond just green fees. The board unanimously approved recommending all fee increases to the City Council, with implementation planned for January 1, 2025. ## Civic Athletic Complex: A Complex Decision Ahead The meeting's most substantive discussion centered on the ongoing planning process for the Civic Athletic Complex, where a major decision looms about relocating Coral Shores Elementary School to the campus while constructing new community recreation facilities. Four scenarios have been developed through an extensive community engagement process that Parks Director Oliver praised highly. "I think we've done – I just want to do a little shout out to Melissa because she helped put together this concept of this consortium that has worked so well for this particular place and the people, the energy in the room, the positive engagement that we've been able to achieve on this project. People are really feeling like they play a meaningful role in the future of a place that so many people care about." The November 6th public meeting at Bloedel Donovan generated strong community interest, with over 110 survey responses collected immediately afterward. An online survey remains open through November 22nd for continued input. **Board members showed clear preferences among the options:** Board member Jed Holmes strongly favored **Option 3**, describing it as "very forward thinking" with its campus-style layout featuring green space in the middle and elimination of most blacktop parking. "I just think it's very forward thinking. And if you think about communities that have outdoor festivals, or if we wanted to do double major again, something like that, that provides the space to do outdoor movies or concerts, or really, when talking about how it's a hub and so centrally located, that this would be the most future proof." Director Oliver, however, preferred **Option 4**, citing several strategic advantages: "I actually like option 4 the best, and it's entirely because it preserves the fields for future expansion down at the south end and preserves the space to the north of the sports plex for expanded ice, and it creates a synergy between the existing Coral Shores and a future Coral Shores on the other side of Arne Hanna." Option 4 would maintain the school's current location on Lakeway Drive, use existing arterial access, require less structured parking initially, and prove most cost-effective. "I also think it's probably definitely the most cost effective," Oliver noted. Board Chair Steve Walker expressed concern about keeping the school on busy Lakeway Drive: "I know it's our kind of prerogative to figure all that out, and I understand we can keep the school on Lakeway, but there's just so much of me that is like, get them off that busy, busy road and away from the noise, away from the pollution." **The structured parking issue emerged as a significant concern.** Several options require underground or multi-level parking, with costs and feasibility questions. "Structured parking has people really concerned because they just don't think that folks are gonna walk," Oliver explained. "We heard a lot from people at the public meeting and at the consortium like, 'I need to be able to pull up and drop my kid off.'" The timeline creates additional pressure. The school district wants to begin construction in 2027, requiring the Parks Board's recommendation in December. Any scenario will require rezoning the property, adding another layer of complexity. "There's a lot of moving parts, a lot of time pressure. And we're already at the middle of November," Oliver acknowledged. "Somehow it's an unbelievable short runway." The board will receive the staff recommendation at their December meeting, with the possibility of a special session if needed for adequate deliberation. ## Budget Challenges and Strategic Responses Oliver's director's report outlined significant budget pressures and the department's strategic responses. The Parks Department faced mandates to both cut costs and generate additional revenue as part of citywide budget constraints. **Staffing reductions** included phasing out the Park Ambassador program, reducing Recreation and Athletics staff, and freezing an athletic park worker position at Civic. The full-time Park Ambassador position is being converted into a limited commission Park Code Compliance Officer – a collaborative effort with Public Works and Planning to create enforcement capacity for minor violations currently beyond police resources. **Security concerns** created difficult trade-offs. Night security at Maritime Heritage Park and Waypoint on the waterfront was cut despite ongoing concerns about activity levels, particularly with the opening of a new mission facility nearby. "We have a lot of activity happening first thing in the morning at Maritime. A lot of people are coming out and hanging out at the park, and we just want to make sure that we're keeping our level of service and rule following," Oliver explained. The $70,000 annual cost for limited overnight security checks couldn't be sustained in the operating budget, though the department continues seeking alternative funding sources. **Vandalism continues plaguing parks,** with recent damage at Boulevard Park, Ridgemont, and Cornwall parks around Halloween. "The gates – 5 parks got damaged since... They just go in at night, do wheelies for fun. Thousands of dollars each time," Oliver reported. Solutions under consideration include tire-shredding devices and additional gate closures. **Capital projects** for 2025 include completing the East Bakerview Neighborhood Park (complicated by utility infrastructure needs), Hundred Acre Wood phase one trail improvements, Sunset Pond Loop trail completion, and Boulevard Park shoreline enhancement. The new Sunnyland pier should open for public access by March 2026. **Achievements** from the past year included 6,130 facility reservations, 300 recreation programs, 10 new Greenways positions, 25% water reduction at the golf course through smart irrigation upgrades, 72 miles of trail maintenance, and 13,286 volunteer hours through park volunteer programs. ## Leadership and Looking Forward The meeting addressed board leadership transitions. Chair Steve Walker and Vice Chair positions will be up for consideration in December, with current holders indicating willingness to continue if no other members seek the roles. Board member Maggi Kriger announced this would be her final meeting after 8.5 years of service, noting her appreciation for the 7:30 a.m. meeting time she'd experienced for seven of those years before the recent change to evening meetings. As the Parks and Recreation Advisory Board navigates major decisions about facility fees, the Civic Athletic Complex, and ongoing budget pressures, the balancing act between community needs, fiscal reality, and long-term vision remains challenging. The December meeting promises to be pivotal as the board weighs their recommendation on what Oliver called "leveraging this incredible investment" from the school district partnership "for the best possible future for civic." The meeting adjourned into executive session, with board members clearly engaged in the complex decisions ahead for Bellingham's park system during a time of both opportunity and constraint.