# Parks Committee Clears Path for Boulevard Park Restoration On a gray November afternoon, three city council members gathered for what would be one of the shortest Parks and Recreation Committee meetings on record. The business at hand was singular but significant: approving a noise variance that would allow contractors to work through the night to repair Boulevard Park's storm-damaged shoreline. Committee Chair Edwin "Skip" Williams called the meeting to order at 2:22 PM, joined by Council Members Hannah Stone and Jace Cotton. Committee member Hollie Huthman was excused. The agenda contained just one item, but it represented the culmination of years of planning following devastating shoreline erosion that had forced the city to fence off portions of the beloved waterfront park. Williams opened the meeting with a note of personal satisfaction, reflecting on the journey that had brought them to this point. "I'll just mention that my first year on the council is when this first came up, and I'm just happy to see this now. It's moving forward and the situation will be corrected," he said, referring to the 2021 storm damage that had prompted urgent safety measures at Boulevard Park. ## The Boulevard Park Shoreline Crisis The Boulevard Park Shoreline Enhancement Project addresses significant erosion damage that occurred during the fierce winter storms of 2021. The damage was severe enough that parks staff had to install hazard fencing and warning signage to keep the public away from unstable areas where the shoreline had washed away. For nearly three years, portions of one of Bellingham's most popular waterfront destinations have remained off-limits to visitors. The restoration project is designed not just to repair the damage, but to enhance the park's resilience and accessibility. The plan calls for creating and enhancing two beach areas that will improve public access while also providing better habitat for marine life and addressing the ongoing erosion that threatens the park's infrastructure — including the nearby Woods Coffee location that has become a fixture at the park. ## Why Night Work Is Essential Nicole Oliver, the city's Parks and Recreation Director, explained the unusual request for nighttime construction work. "This is an interesting project," she told the committee. "It has to be done. Some of the work has to be done when the tide is low. And at this time of year due to the fish window, that's when we need to do the work." The timing constraints are driven by a complex web of environmental regulations designed to protect marine ecosystems. Federal and state permits require that all work below the ordinary high-water mark occur "in the dry" — meaning when the tide has receded enough to expose the work area. During the permitted work window from August to February, the lowest tides occur during nighttime hours, particularly in the fall and winter months. "The low tides are in the middle of the night, so the work needs to happen in the middle of the night, and we can't specify exactly when because it's both tide and weather dependent," Oliver explained. "There is different days when the tide is the lowest and we just have to work in the dry is what it's called." ## Understanding the Impacts Project engineer Gina Austin presented a visual aid showing a 500-foot radius around the work site to help committee members understand which neighborhoods might be affected by the nighttime construction. The graphic illustrated that while Boulevard Park sits adjacent to multifamily residential areas, the Burlington Northern railway line provides some buffer between the construction zone and nearby homes. Oliver outlined the expected disturbances: "The staff memo explains some of the work we expect there to be the sound of trucks backing up. There's an excavator we're not having, and then there will be lights. And that's the extent of the impacts." Austin added important details about the project's sequencing that addressed potential concerns about prolonged disruption. "The project gets complete in sections each night," she explained. "So that was a question that people have asked us to like, do they just open up the whole site and start working in the beach area? But they build the beach in sections so that each strip is complete, and then they'll come back the next night and do the next strip. So when the tide comes in, it's actually seen part of the new beach, and then it'll go out and then they do that all over again." This approach minimizes the time any single area remains disturbed while ensuring that tidal action can begin naturally interacting with completed sections of the restoration immediately. ## A Swift Decision The committee's discussion was brief but thorough. The technical requirements were clear, the environmental constraints were well-documented, and the project's importance to the community was evident. With no questions from committee members and no public comment period for committee sessions, the decision-making process moved quickly. Cotton made the motion: "I'll move to approve the noise variance under BMC 1024 120 C4." Williams called for discussion, and hearing none, brought the matter to a vote. The approval was unanimous — a 3-0 decision that cleared the way for the restoration work to begin. ## Looking Forward The noise variance approval allows contractors to work between November 2024 and February 15, 2025, giving them a full winter season to complete the restoration during optimal tidal conditions. The work will be coordinated with tidal charts and weather forecasts, meaning the exact timing of nighttime activities cannot be predetermined but will depend on natural conditions. Williams concluded the brief meeting with a touch of humor that reflected both the project's importance and the community's attachment to Boulevard Park: "Now the woods. Coffee shop is not going to wash into the Bay." The comment drew quiet laughter and captured the relief that this long-awaited project would finally move forward. ## What This Means for Bellingham The Boulevard Park Shoreline Enhancement Project represents more than just infrastructure repair — it's about restoring access to one of Bellingham's most cherished public spaces. For nearly three years, visitors to the park have encountered fencing and warning signs where they once could walk along the water's edge or access beach areas. The project's completion will not only restore those lost amenities but enhance them, creating new beach access points and improving habitat conditions that benefit both wildlife and park users. The timing of night work, while potentially disruptive to nearby residents, reflects the city's commitment to environmental stewardship and efficient project delivery. As the meeting adjourned at 2:27 PM after just five minutes of business, the brevity of the proceedings belied the significance of what had been accomplished. Years of planning, environmental review, and engineering design had led to this moment of administrative approval that would finally allow the restoration of Boulevard Park's damaged shoreline to begin. The approval process now moves to the full City Council for final authorization, but with the Parks and Recreation Committee's unanimous recommendation, the project appears set to proceed as planned. For Bellingham residents who have watched the fenced-off areas of their beloved waterfront park for the past three years, the promise of restoration — even if it requires some sleepless nights from construction noise — represents a welcome return to the full Boulevard Park experience they remember.