Parks and Recreation Advisory Board

From the PROS Plan draft community engagement summary: **Community Survey Feedback:** "More than any other part of civics in Bellingham residents are satisfied with the park system." **Historical Context:** "Bellingham has long taken a pardonable pride in its parks. No city of its size in the Northwest has a finer system of public playgrounds" – Bellingham Herald, February 6, 1935 **Plan Vision:** "Parks and recreation are at the heart of Bellingham's exceptional quality of life. This plan provides direction for developing new recreational amenities, expanding enrichment programs, acquiring key properties, and enhancing park design to meet future needs." **Outdoor Recreation Identity:** "Bellingham stands out as one of the Pacific Northwest's top outdoor recreation hubs, offering an unparalleled blend of mountains, forests, and coastline within minutes of each other." #

## Meeting Overview The Bellingham Parks and Recreation Board convened via Zoom on December 10, 2025, at 7:32 PM for their monthly meeting. Present were Chair Scott Pratchner, Vice Chair-elect Jed Holmes, board members Holly McCamish, Steve Moe, Ray DeLacarre, and ASAP representative from Whatcom County. Staff included Parks Director Nicole Oliver, Parks Operations Manager Steve Hansen, Park Planner Peter Gill, and Parks Communications Coordinator Bri Crockett. The meeting featured significant business items including golf course fee increases requiring board recommendation, the first comprehensive draft of the Parks, Recreation, and Open Space (PROS) Plan, and the annual election of officers. The session concluded with an extensive director's report on multiple major capital projects reaching completion phases. ## Golf Course Fee Increases at Lake Padden The board considered a staff recommendation for a 5% cumulative increase in greens fees at Lake Padden Golf Course, presented by Parks Operations Manager Steve Hansen. The increase is required because it exceeds the 3% threshold that requires Parks Board and City Council approval. Hansen displayed the golf course's enterprise fund balance chart, emphasizing that "the golf course does not operate on any taxes or Greenways funds or any other kind of funds other than the revenue we generate." The fund balance has shown some decline due to ongoing repair costs, planned improvement projects, and increased expenses including labor and utilities. Hansen noted they've also seen "a decrease in golfers that are coming to Lake Padden from BC," which represents about 15-20% of total rounds according to General Manager Phil Gujero. The proposed rate structure maintains Lake Padden's position as the fifth-ranked course in the region for pricing, sitting between North Bellingham and Raspberry Ridge. "We are the only municipal course," Hansen explained. "The rest of the courses you see here are all private." Even with the increase and water conservation surcharge, Lake Padden would charge $54, compared to North Bellingham's rate, keeping the course competitively priced while remaining affordable as a public facility. Golf rounds are projected to reach 44,000 in 2025, "which is the highest they've ever been while we've been collecting these records," Hansen reported. This represents a strong recovery after a dip in 2024, though still below Canadian participation levels from previous years. The presentation highlighted revenue enhancement initiatives under consideration, including TrackMan technology for the driving range that would provide golfers with "technical data about their golf" and entertainment value. Food and beverage improvements are also planned, as this area "maybe isn't maximizing revenue as much as it could." Troon brought in a food and beverage expert who provided analysis recommendations shared at the recent golf committee meeting. Board member Steve Moe raised questions about Wi-Fi availability at the clubhouse, suggesting this amenity could attract customers who might "come up there to eat lunch and, you know, work on their laptop." Hansen agreed this would be valuable. The disc golf component showed mixed results. "The disc golf numbers have not produced at a level I felt comfortable with," Hansen reported. "It's actually down this year." He attributed this partly to the course's challenging nature compared to other disc golf venues, requiring players to be "a further good disc golfer to score well at Lake Baden." Board discussion revealed strong support for maintaining youth accessibility. Holly McCamish specifically asked that "the youth keep their $5 option." However, Parks Director Nicole Oliver clarified that current youth rates are actually higher than $5, leading to procedural confusion about the motion's specificity. Ray DeLacarre suggested amending the motion "to approve the 5% increase with stipulation that youth rates shouldn't change." After parliamentary clarification from board member Ray regarding proper amendment procedures, the board ultimately approved the rate increase with the stipulation that youth rates remain unchanged. The discussion highlighted the golf course's broader community value. Oliver noted during agenda bill review that "while golf may be viewed by some as a an exclusive or elitist sport, this is one of the only things the Park Department does that has to fully support itself and is not subsidized in any way." She anticipated tough questions from some council members "about why we even have a golf course," emphasizing that "44,000 rounds is not nothing a year." Several board members praised the $5 youth rate program, which McCamish described as enabling high school participation: "those are those sports, if you haven't done it since you were seven, you're not gonna be able to make the soccer team, but you can make the golf team." The program has supported diversity in youth participation, allowing students who "could cough up $5" to access the sport. ## Parks, Recreation, and Open Space Plan First Draft Park Planner Peter Gill presented the first comprehensive draft of the PROS Plan, emphasizing this represents the culmination of extensive public outreach and analysis. "We've been extremely focused on the public outreach and the feedback," Gill explained. "We've been talking about this for like, I don't know, feels like forever to me. But now we actually have a plan." The draft establishes framework for the next 20 years of parks planning, updated every six years according to state requirements. Gill outlined the plan's structure, noting it differs from previous versions by organizing information thematically rather than distributively. "If you want to know something about the existing park system and where the neighborhood parks are, and what we are proposing all of that information from the inventory to the public feedback to what we plan on building is all going to be in one place." The plan addresses accommodating 29,000 additional residents projected by 2045, including demographic analysis and service level assessments. Current performance metrics show Bellingham excelling in facility quantity, with 85 miles of trails compared to a national average of 16 per municipality. "We do a lot of things very, very right with the number of facilities that are available to the population," Gill noted. Service level analysis reveals strong performance in facility distribution, with over 80% of residents having trail access within a 10-minute walk and 70% having park access within that timeframe. However, the analysis identifies gaps in recreational amenities compared to peer cities and national averages, particularly in "rectangular fields, swimming pools, volleyball courts, indoor and outdoor fitness, and ice rinks." The condition assessment, conducted with operations staff, shows "overall, the condition of our parks is high. Some of them are aging and they're showing that, but they're all very functional and work well with some exceptions." Rankings use a three-point scale, with ones indicating best condition and threes requiring prioritized attention. Holly McCamish provided detailed feedback, noting duplications in policy sections where "PR 10 and your PR 20 and your PR 9 and your 19" showed identical language. She questioned the demographic focus on seniors as "at-risk populations" over families with children, suggesting the use of "free and reduced lunches" data might provide better insight into economically vulnerable populations needing park access. McCamish also inquired about swimming beach priorities, noting feedback showed high demand but unclear preferences between freshwater versus saltwater access. "I haven't heard anybody ask for more freshwater access," she observed, while Gill responded that "what we've gotten the majority of is fresh." Ray DeLacarre appreciated the condition assessment chart format, calling it "a great way to present a lot of information in a concise way," while suggesting inclusion of community parks in addition to the neighborhood parks shown. He also recommended adding a legend to clarify color coding indicating above or below average performance metrics. Chair Scott Pratchner noted some slides were "really text dense" and suggested highlighting key points for easier scanning. Steve Moe praised Gill's thorough statistical analysis, recognizing "how deep you've gone into coming up with these statistics." The plan incorporates seven guiding principles adopted with the Bellingham Plan: connection, play, partnerships, system resilience, conservation, equity, and design. Projects and actions will be prioritized based on facility inventory, public feedback, policy application, and available staff and funding resources. ## Election of Officers for 2026 The board conducted its annual officer election for 2026. Steve Moe nominated Scott Pratchner for chair and Jed Holmes for vice chair. Both candidates accepted their nominations. Holmes expressed enthusiasm for the role: "I enjoyed participating in this board and would enjoy kind of taking that next step of a little bit of a leadership role filling in for Scott if he's not here." He viewed it as "a nice logical step" in his board participation. Pratchner accepted the chair nomination and noted he would be absent for the March meeting, making Holmes' vice chair role immediately relevant. Both nominations passed unanimously without opposition. The election maintains continuity in board leadership while providing succession planning through Holmes' elevation to vice chair. ## Director's Report: Major Projects Near Completion Parks Director Nicole Oliver provided comprehensive updates on multiple significant capital projects nearing completion, representing a major milestone period for the department. ### Sunset Pond Trail Connection The Sunset Pond project is "coming along really well" with substantial completion anticipated by month's end. However, Oliver cautioned about "an extensive punch list and some outstanding matters to address with the contractor on some of the changes that happened during the course of the project." The project's completion enables addressing a long-standing problem: "the adjacent property owner to the north, the city is engaged with them in regards to the encampment cleanup that has been an ongoing problem there for at least 10 years." The improved trail infrastructure may facilitate action on this persistent issue. Oliver expressed excitement about connectivity benefits, particularly when combined with the James Street multimodal connection project going to council Monday. "We're going to have a multimodal separated path on the West side of James St." When linked with future Jill's Court development, "it's going to actually provide a full connection pedestrian and bike for the King Mountain and Bakerview folks." Plans include programming and ribbon cutting events to showcase connectivity, though Oliver noted scheduling challenges: "if we can figure out what day will not be raining in the next couple of months." ### Story Brook Park Story Brook Park encountered minor setbacks including concrete color issues that were "the contractor's mistake." Weather and tidal conditions have impacted progress since the same contractor handles both Story Brook and Boulevard Park shoreline enhancement. An extension has been granted with completion expected "probably by February," followed by a ribbon cutting or opening celebration. ### Boulevard Park Shoreline Enhancement The Boulevard Park beach project represents a dramatic transformation. "It's quite an astonishing space that is being carved out for this new beach," Oliver reported, with completion expected by month's end. The project includes trail rerouting and area restoration. A significant permitting dispute with Department of Ecology over contamination concerns has been resolved. "Our testing found that it wasn't" contaminated as initially believed. Follow-up documentation will "make sure that the record is clear about where what is contaminated at Boulevard Park and what is not," crucial information for future work phases. Ray DeLacarre inquired about the closed northern restrooms. Steve Hansen from Public Works explained the building will be addressed during the South State Street manufactured gas cleanup project at 60% design. Plans call for replacement with "some kind of prefab picnic shelter" rather than restroom restoration, as utilities were rerouted during overpass removal. ### Cornwall Landfill and Salish Landing Cleanup The department awarded the largest contract in city history—$48 million to IMCO for the RG Haley, Cornwall Landfill, and Salish Landing cleanup. Oliver described an eight-hour partnership meeting to coordinate the massive project: "it was a really good group think and group awareness building and group getting to know each other." The cleanup's scope impressed even experienced staff. "It would have been a Superfund site if anybody lived downstream," Oliver revealed, emphasizing the contamination severity. The project will create "an enormous new beach" and include "ADA hand boat launch" facilities. Steve Moe inquired about the Kayapana canoe club's displaced beach access. Oliver believed Nielsen Brothers and the Port arranged alternative access arrangements, though details were uncertain. Plans include fence graphics explaining the project to confused community members wondering about Glass Beach's closure and the cleanup's purpose. ### 100 Acre Wood and Civic Athletic Complex The 100 Acre Wood project nears completion despite "a pretty big punch list." Steve Hansen sent Oliver a photo of the new bridge over Hoax Pond for potential PROS Plan inclusion. The improvements are "quite extraordinary," though weather challenges remain for final completion. The Civic Athletic Complex Master Plan advances toward public presentation with an open house at Lodel the evening of the meeting. Online engagement through Engage Bellingham will supplement in-person feedback collection. The plan addresses "much needed park amenities specifically for indoor recreation and expanded aquatics." Oliver shared the mayor's emotional Monday council comments about the project's community importance and the "doable, realistic plan that we think we can phase." Negotiations with the school district are in "final throes," nearly resolving the long, difficult process. Holly McCamish suggested more specific survey questions about ice rink and indoor soccer space demand, noting these amenities appeared frequently in PROS Plan feedback but weren't emphasized in civic complex surveys. She highlighted indoor soccer's overwhelming demand at the current facility: "it was booked to like close and, you know, people were playing at crazy hours with the children because they're, you know, there just wasn't enough." ### Whatcom Regional Trail Summit The December 6th invitation-only summit brought together 60 participants including landowners, land managers, trail advocates, small cities, and agency representatives. The meeting achieved consensus to rebrand the Coast Millennium Trail as the Salish Coast Trail. Nooksack Tribe's George Swanaset Junior provided historical perspective, representing significant tribal collaboration on recreational trail planning. Ken Wilcox shared historical trail planning context while Bennett Knox presented county efforts on the Bay to Baker Trail extension from Kendall to Glacier. The summit coordinated city and county projects, particularly timing the Lockwood property development with county Marine Drive improvements for pedestrian and bike lanes. "Their project ends at our Lockwood driveway," Oliver noted, emphasizing coordination importance. ASAP representative announced exciting news: Whatcom County hired Karen Beringer as senior planner starting January 5th. Currently a Silver Lake Park ranger, Beringer brings planning department experience to focus on multimodal trails including Bay to Baker and the Salish Coast Trail. ## Public Comment and Board Recognition Brian provided the sole public comment, continuing his advocacy for volunteer program expansion. He described community disappointment with the suspended Park Stewards program and questioned greenways fund expenditures on "skate park turf" and "ball fields" rather than "trail connectivity and habitat restoration" that voters expected. "When they think of greenways, they think of natural spaces, trail connectivity and habitat restoration," Brian argued. "The idea of sports courts and things like that doesn't really resonate with people when we talk about greenways." He urged creative staffing solutions to restore volunteer programs providing "an immense amount of free labor to help keep our city green and beautiful." Steve Moe concluded the meeting by praising Holly McCamish's preparation and engagement: "I just wanted to compliment Holly for setting an example of doing the deep reading and preparation for these meetings." He emphasized that thorough preparation enables the board to "provide advice" effectively, making it "a really functional part of city government." ## Personal Announcements and Holiday Wishes The meeting included personal announcements reflecting board community spirit. Steve Moe encouraged reading praise for former board member Bree's basketball coaching tenure at Meridian's athletic department website, highlighting "wonderful comments that people have made about her leadership and working with those young athletes." ASAP representative shared family news of expecting their second child, due February 2nd with likely late January arrival. He assured continued meeting attendance despite anticipated sleep challenges, with Chair Pratchner's understanding response setting a supportive tone. The meeting concluded with holiday wishes and promotion of the Santa Cordata 5K Jingle Bell Run, reflecting the board's connection to broader community recreation programming as 2025 draws to a close.

### Meeting Overview The Bellingham Parks and Recreation Advisory Board met on December 10, 2025, to review golf course fee increases, discuss the draft PROS Plan, and elect officers. The meeting addressed operational matters including budget proposals and strategic planning for the city's parks system. ### Key Terms and Concepts **Parks, Recreation & Open Space Plan (PROS Plan):** The overarching 20-year strategic document that guides development and maintenance of Bellingham's park, recreation and open space system. Updated every six years to maintain state grant eligibility. **Premier Golf/Troon:** The private company that has operated Lake Padden Golf Course as the city's management partner since 2018, responsible for day-to-day operations under a management agreement with the city. **Greenways Advisory Committee:** A citizen committee that provides public input on expenditure of Greenways levy funds, focusing on property acquisition and trail development consistent with the PROS Plan. **Golf Enterprise Fund:** The dedicated city fund that manages Lake Padden Golf Course finances, showing cash balances that have grown from around $250,000 in 2021 to over $650,000 in 2025. **Urban Growth Area (UGA):** The designated area around Bellingham where urban development is planned to occur, currently containing about 106,000 people and expected to grow to 135,000 by 2045. **Service Level Standards:** Metrics used to measure park system performance, such as the goal that all residents live within one-half mile safe route of a developed park and trail. **Trackman Technology:** Advanced golf equipment technology being considered for the Lake Padden driving range to enhance the golfing experience and generate additional revenue. **Capital Maintenance:** Major repairs and improvements to existing park infrastructure, as opposed to routine maintenance, funded through dedicated budget allocations. ### Key People at This Meeting | Name | Role / Affiliation | |---|---| | Scott Pratschner | PRAB Chair | | Steve Janiszewski | Park Operations Manager | | Peter Gill | Staff member presenting PROS Plan | | Melissa Bianconi | Staff member | | Steve Walker | PRAB member, Arts Commission representative | | Ray Dellecker | PRAB member, Greenways Advisory Committee representative | | Jed Holmes | PRAB member, Lake Padden Golfers Committee representative | ### Background Context Lake Padden Golf Course has experienced remarkable growth under Premier Golf's management, with golf rounds increasing from previous years to an estimated 44,000 rounds in 2025, setting revenue records from 2023-2025. The course's financial success has built substantial reserves in the Golf Enterprise Fund, growing from $276,724 in January 2021 to $654,563 by December 2025. The proposed fee increase exceeds the 3% annual limit previously approved by City Council, requiring new approval. This reflects broader inflationary pressures affecting municipal operations, including minimum wage increases and utility costs. The Parks Department is simultaneously updating its comprehensive 20-year PROS Plan, which requires community input and regular updates to maintain eligibility for state recreation grants worth millions of dollars. Bellingham's population is expected to grow by about 29,000 people over the next 20 years, creating pressure on the parks system to expand services while maintaining quality. The city's park system currently receives high satisfaction ratings from residents, with 85% rating parks and trails as excellent or good. ### What Happened — The Short Version The meeting covered three main items. First, staff presented a proposal to increase Lake Padden Golf Course greens fees by 5% for 2026, which exceeds the previously approved 3% annual increase limit. The golf course has been highly successful financially, setting revenue records and building substantial cash reserves. The fee increase would help cover rising operational costs including minimum wage increases and utility charges. Second, staff presented the draft PROS Plan for board review. This is the city's 20-year strategic plan for parks, recreation, and open space that must be updated every six years to maintain state grant eligibility. The plan includes population projections, service standards, and prioritized projects based on community input. Third, the board needed to conduct its annual election of officers, though the specific results of this election are not detailed in the available materials. ### What to Watch Next • The PRAB's formal recommendation on the golf fee increase will go to City Council for final approval • The PROS Plan will continue through the public review process before final adoption by City Council • Implementation of any approved fee increases would begin in 2026 • Board officer elections results and any impact on future meeting leadership ---

**Q:** What company currently operates Lake Padden Golf Course? **A:** Premier Golf/Troon, which has been the city's management partner since 2018. **Q:** By how much does Premier Golf want to increase greens fees for 2026? **A:** Approximately 5%, which exceeds the previously approved 3% annual increase limit. **Q:** How many golf rounds are estimated for Lake Padden Golf Course in 2025? **A:** An estimated 44,000 rounds, continuing a steady increase over the past 7 years. **Q:** What is the cash balance in the Golf Enterprise Fund as of December 2025? **A:** $654,563, representing substantial growth from $276,724 in January 2021. **Q:** How often must the PROS Plan be updated? **A:** Every six years to maintain eligibility for state recreation grants administered by the Recreation and Conservation Office. **Q:** What is Bellingham's current estimated population in the Urban Growth Area? **A:** About 106,000 people as of 2024, expected to grow to 135,000 by 2045. **Q:** What technology upgrade is being considered for the driving range? **A:** Trackman technology installation to enhance the golfing experience and generate additional revenue. **Q:** What are the main reasons cited for the proposed fee increase? **A:** To cover increases in operational costs including minimum wage, utility charges, and to keep pace with inflation. **Q:** Who serves as the PRAB Chair? **A:** Scott Pratschner chairs the Parks and Recreation Advisory Board. **Q:** What is the goal for park accessibility in Bellingham? **A:** All residents should live within one-half mile safe route of a developed park and trail. **Q:** Which advisory committee handles Greenways levy fund expenditures? **A:** The Greenways Advisory Committee provides public input on levy fund spending for property acquisition and trails. **Q:** What percentage of Bellingham residents rate parks and trails as excellent or good? **A:** 85% of residents rate parks and trails services as excellent (40%) or good (45%). **Q:** What years did Lake Padden Golf Course set revenue records? **A:** From 2023-2025, Premier Golf broke records in both golf rounds played and total revenue. **Q:** How many people work for the Parks & Recreation Department? **A:** Over 100 employees across four work groups: Operations/Maintenance, Recreation, Design/Development, and Administration. **Q:** What was scheduled for the December PRAB meeting besides golf fees and PROS Plan? **A:** Election of officers for the board's leadership positions. **Q:** What is the primary purpose of the PROS Plan? **A:** To provide 20-year strategic direction for developing new recreational amenities, expanding programs, acquiring properties, and enhancing park design. **Q:** How does Lake Padden's fees compare to other Whatcom County golf courses? **A:** Lake Padden still falls within the lower end of the fee spectrum compared to other local courses. **Q:** What major demographic trend is affecting Bellingham's parks planning? **A:** The population is aging, with residents over 65 increasing from 13.2% in 2014 to 18.9% in 2025. **Q:** What is the largest age segment in Bellingham's population? **A:** The 20-29 age group, comprising 23% of the population and 10% above the national average. **Q:** What are the food and beverage improvement goals for the golf course? **A:** Menu improvements and seating area upgrades for both indoor and outdoor dining spaces. ---