# Parks Board Champions PROS Plan Update and Addresses Seasonal Dog Park Changes The December 11, 2024 Bellingham Parks and Recreation Advisory Board meeting buzzed with excitement about launching the city's Parks, Recreation and Open Space (PROS) Plan update—a once-every-six-years comprehensive planning effort that will guide the next two decades of park development. The board also approved seasonal restrictions at Bloedel Donovan Park's dog off-leash area and received updates on the Civic Athletic Complex planning process. ## Meeting Overview Seven board members gathered at 7:30 AM for their monthly meeting, with Chair Brian and Vice Chair Steve leading discussions on significant policy and planning initiatives. The meeting featured presentations from city planning staff, public comment from community advocates, and substantial discussion about the intersection of parks planning with Bellingham's urgent housing needs. The session ran efficiently through a packed agenda covering art installations, governance changes, and major planning updates. ## PROS Plan Launch: A Six-Year Planning Milestone Parks Planning Manager Peter Gill unveiled the ambitious timeline for updating Bellingham's Parks, Recreation and Open Space Plan—the foundational document that determines how the city's park system will evolve through 2045. This comprehensive plan serves multiple critical functions: satisfying state Growth Management Act requirements, establishing the legal framework for collecting park impact fees, qualifying the city for state recreation funding, and providing the public's primary opportunity to shape the future of Bellingham's parks. "This happens only once every six years," Gill explained to the board. "So this is direction for the next 20 years on how parks will develop—not only physical parks outside, but also park facilities, indoor facilities, recreation programs, trails, everything we do, maintenance and operations as well." The update represents a significant shift in approach. Unlike previous versions where the PROS Plan existed as a chapter within the city's comprehensive plan, the new version will be split into two integrated components: goals and policies that will be incorporated into the Bellingham Plan (the city's comprehensive plan), and a functional plan that will serve as a detailed appendix with specific project recommendations and implementation strategies. Parks and Recreation Director Nicole Oliver emphasized the strategic timing of this decision: "We realized that our timelines are actually much closer than we originally realized, because their timeline has gotten longer and ours kind of got a little shorter. We decided to jump on the train." This integration ensures that parks planning is deeply embedded in the city's overall growth strategy rather than treated as an afterthought. The PROS Plan process will begin with a comprehensive inventory and assessment of the existing park system, analyzing everything from facility conditions to usage patterns through foot traffic data. The plan will incorporate new level-of-service measurements, including access to waterfront and specific amenities like sports fields and community gardens. Critically, it will address equity considerations in park distribution and access—a requirement stemming from recent state mandates. Board member questions revealed the scope of this undertaking. When asked how the department would manage such an extensive process alongside regular operations, Oliver revealed their strategy: "We're not going to be buying any property for the next year to keep [Peter] available and fully invested in this." The department has allocated over $100,000 for consultant support to assist with public engagement, survey design, and graphics. The public engagement strategy includes community surveys, virtual open houses, in-person meetings, and extensive outreach to historically underrepresented communities. Planning staff acknowledged that meaningful multilingual engagement would be essential, given the diverse communities that actively use Bellingham's parks. Board member Maggie Kriger raised important questions about multilingual outreach: "I know when I go to parks, there is, if you compared populations in parks to the population overall, there is a high level of engagement with parks with Hispanic communities, Ukrainian communities, various different things." Staff confirmed that all materials would include multilingual options and surveys would be available in multiple languages. The plan will also integrate consideration of the mayor's urgent housing initiative, reflecting the reality that every park acquisition now faces questions about housing potential. As Oliver noted: "Lately what has been happening every time we bring property to city council, they say is there any room for housing on that along with your park?" ## Seasonal Dog Park Restrictions at Bloedel Donovan Parks Operations Manager Steve presented a proposal to implement seasonal restrictions at Bloedel Donovan Park's popular dog off-leash area. The change would close the lakefront turf areas from October 1st through May 31st, while keeping beach areas open year-round, due to severe turf damage caused by increased dog activity combined with wet weather conditions. "Because of the amount of dog activity there was in the last year and combined with the weather, we have a lot of turf damage just because of all the dogs running across the grass," Steve explained. The damage was so extensive that city staff spent considerable time on turf restoration, overseeding, and aeration efforts. More concerning, the public works department cited the parks department for compromised stormwater filtration function—the entire turf area serves as a giant stormwater filtration facility. The damage resulted from a "perfect storm" of factors: increased dog usage, persistent wet weather, irrigation system problems, and rapid grass growth followed by freezing temperatures that turned the turf "to mush." The compaction from dog and human foot traffic on soggy soils prevented proper water infiltration, compromising the area's environmental function. During the closure period, dogs would still have access to beach areas via the boat launch, and off-leash activity would be diverted to overflow parking areas that can better handle wet conditions. The seasonal approach acknowledges that the lakefront areas function as overflow parking during peak summer months anyway. Board members expressed some concern about enforcement and alternative options. Steve assured them that signage would emphasize the water quality protection rationale and educational messaging rather than punitive language. The board unanimously approved the seasonal restriction, recognizing both the environmental necessity and the availability of alternative off-leash areas throughout the city. This decision reflects the ongoing challenge of balancing recreational access with environmental protection, particularly as climate change brings more intense precipitation events that stress park infrastructure. ## Storybrook Park Art Installation Progress Planning Department's Taylor Webb updated the board on the artist selection for Storybrook Park's percent-for-art installation. The selected team, Polly Metis—a duo with one artist having Bellingham roots and the other based in Toronto—will install a piece called "Stand in Reflection," featuring vertical elements designed to interact with natural light patterns. The installation sparked robust discussion about materials and maintenance. Initially proposed in birch wood, the artists are now working with parks staff to identify more durable alternatives like Alaskan yellow cedar. Board members shared experiences from other sculpture installations, noting problems with skateboard damage and UV degradation. Board member Jed, who served on the selection jury, explained the rationale: "This probably meets group, though, really seemed like out of the three finalists, they could deliver on budget and on time and that they had really worked with these materials before and really done a good job with some other kind of other really significantly larger projects, both in the US and in Canada." The piece will require building permits and engineering to ensure safety, and the contract will include strong language about deaccessioning if maintenance becomes too costly. The Arts Commission retains the right to remove pieces that become overly burdensome to maintain. ## Civic Athletic Complex Planning Advances Oliver provided updates on the public engagement process for the Civic Athletic Complex master plan. Of four conceptual alternatives presented to the community, Option 1—placing the new school at the Fraser and Puget intersection while preserving forest areas—emerged as the clear public preference. The preferred option addresses several key community concerns: moving the school away from busy Lakeway Drive, preserving forested areas from development, and creating opportunities for expanded indoor recreation at the Sportsplex. However, it also presents challenges due to proximity to Whatcom Creek and associated wetland areas that will require Army Corps of Engineers review. "We now have taken the forested area off the table for development because we want to keep that forest intact," Oliver explained. The community engagement process, which attracted nearly 600 participants through the city's Engage platform, showed strong support for keeping recreational expansion space north of the Sportsplex rather than using it for school development. Board member questions about housing integration reflected the mayor's housing directive influence. Oliver acknowledged this represented "a bit of a curveball" but noted the area's advantages: "nearness to the school, nearness to recreation, nearness to transit." However, the complexity of adding residential components to an already complex multi-agency planning process would require careful consideration. The school district expressed satisfaction with Option 1, and planning teams are now conducting detailed feasibility analysis including wetland delineation, permitting requirements, and mitigation strategies. The goal is to present a refined preferred alternative by January 2025. ## Director's Report: Multiple Projects in Motion Oliver's comprehensive director's report covered numerous ongoing initiatives reflecting the parks system's busy winter planning season. The Sportsplex will transition to a new shorter-term lease with Washington Sports and Recreation that focuses their responsibilities on interior operations while the city takes full responsibility for the building shell and major infrastructure. This lease restructuring reflects the reality that the organization will never be able to purchase the building outright, particularly after the city's $3 million investment in recent years. The new arrangement positions the facility for potential expansion of indoor recreation opportunities once the current bond debt is paid off in four years. The Chuckanut Center in Fairhaven will receive a modified lease addressing their garden plot rental activities. The center, operated by a nonprofit that rebranded from the Center for Resilience, raises significant produce for the food bank and has stabilized operations after some organizational challenges. Northern Lights Park, being built by developer Janicki near Costco, nears completion with unique climbing post play features and a massive rock discovered during construction that will serve as a centerpiece. The park's sculptural play elements were specifically designed to complement the residential views while providing innovative play opportunities for ages 5-12. Multiple infrastructure projects showed varying progress. Squalicum Pier construction awaits materials but should open by early spring with new railings and solar lighting. However, the Boulevard shoreline erosion repair project remains delayed due to regulatory complications, despite the urgent need to address rapid erosion. Water quality concerns at Lake Padden prompted discussion after several board members noted unusually intense green algae blooms. The Health Department continues regular testing, and new state funding supports more routine monitoring. Public Works is conducting a comprehensive water budget analysis to better understand the lake's nutrient cycles and contributing factors. ## Housing Policy Implications The meeting occurred against the backdrop of Mayor Kim Lund's urgent housing directive, which will eliminate parking minimums and accelerate permitting for affordable housing projects. Board members engaged with the implications of this policy shift for parks planning, recognizing that reduced parking requirements could influence park design and access patterns. Oliver contextualized the parking changes within successful precedents like Fairhaven's parking district model, where centralized parking serves a walkable core with infill buildings that didn't require individual parking provision. "As a community, if we really want to change mode shift, we've got to stop creating all the surface parking," she noted. The housing directive's emphasis on infill development aligns with parks planning principles of compact, walkable neighborhoods. However, it also intensifies questions about park capacity and access as density increases within existing neighborhoods. ## Looking Ahead The board concluded by addressing upcoming transitions, with member Maggie Kriger noting that January would mark her final term. The city has one new applicant and will invite previous candidates to apply for the opening, with the mayor's office emphasizing improved diversity on boards and commissions. The parks system enters 2025 with multiple major initiatives in motion: the PROS Plan update will consume significant staff energy over the next year, Civic Athletic Complex planning advances toward final decisions, and numerous infrastructure projects near completion. The intersection of parks planning with housing policy represents a new dynamic that will likely influence all future park development decisions. As the board adjourned for the holidays, the sense of momentum was palpable. After years of individual project focus, the department is embarking on comprehensive system planning that will position Bellingham's parks for the next two decades of growth and change.