### Meeting Overview The Civic Athletic Complex Consortium met on December 17, 2024, led by Brice Maryman of MxM Landscape Architecture. This meeting presented community feedback from over 1,000 respondents and outlined an emerging design vision for the future of Bellingham's Civic Athletic Complex, including a new elementary school and expanded recreation facilities. ### Key Terms and Concepts **Civic Athletic Complex Consortium:** A stakeholder group representing various community organizations and users of the civic complex, working together to plan future improvements and developments. **Park Perimeter Option:** The preferred master plan concept that places higher-impact developments (like the school) at the north and south ends of the site along Fraser and Lakeway, preserving central green space. **Critical Areas:** Environmentally sensitive lands including wetlands, streams, and fish habitat that require special permitting and may limit development options. **Swing School:** A temporary school facility used while permanent schools are under construction, planned for Carl Cozier Elementary. **Green Stormwater Infrastructure (GSI):** Natural systems like rain gardens and swales that manage stormwater runoff while providing environmental benefits. **Jurisdictional Determination:** A formal review process to determine exactly which areas of the site contain regulated wetlands and streams, affecting what can be built where. **Community Recreation Center:** A proposed comprehensive facility to replace/expand Arne Hanna Aquatic Center, potentially including pools, gyms, meeting spaces, and other recreational amenities. **Master Plan:** The comprehensive planning document that will guide future development and improvements across the entire civic complex. ### Key People at This Meeting | Name | Role / Affiliation | |---|---| | Brice Maryman | Lead Consultant, MxM Landscape Architecture | | Nicole Oliver | City of Bellingham Parks & Recreation | | Neil McCarthy | RMC Architects (affordable housing/community center design) | | Curtis Lawyer | Bellingham School District | | Melissa Bianconi | City of Bellingham | | Ray Dellecker | Community member/housing advocate | | Stephanie Morrell | Sports organization representative | ### Background Context Bellingham's Civic Athletic Complex is a 60+ acre site that serves as the community's primary recreational hub, hosting everything from youth baseball to high school football to ice hockey. The site currently includes Jerry Fields, the Sportsplex, Joe Martin Field, Civic Stadium, and Arne Hanna Aquatic Center. However, growing community needs have outpaced the facility's capacity, particularly for aquatics and indoor recreation. The Bellingham School District needs a new elementary school and has identified the civic complex as an ideal location. This creates an unprecedented opportunity to comprehensively reimagine the entire site—adding school facilities while dramatically expanding recreational opportunities through a new community recreation center. The planning process engaged over 1,000 community members to determine priorities and preferences. Mayor Lund has also issued a directive emphasizing the urgent need for more housing, particularly affordable and mid-range housing, which has introduced housing as a potential component of the redevelopment. ### What Happened — The Short Version Maryman presented results from extensive community engagement, including an open house with over 100 attendees and two surveys totaling nearly 1,000 responses. The community strongly preferred the "park perimeter" option that places the new elementary school at the north end near Fraser Street and major recreational facilities at the south end near Lakeway. Key community priorities emerged: enhanced aquatics with multiple pools and amenities, expanded indoor recreation spaces, preservation of existing sports facilities, and better site connectivity. The plan envisions replacing Carl Cozier Elementary and dramatically expanding Arne Hanna into a comprehensive community recreation center. Challenges were identified around construction impacts to Jerry Fields, traffic circulation, and navigating environmental regulations in wetland areas. The consortium discussed housing integration, timeline concerns for sports organizations, and the complex phasing required to maintain operations during construction. ### What to Watch Next - Critical areas determination from regulatory agencies will determine what can be built where - School district design process ramping up for 2027 construction start - Community recreation center planning advancing with additional public engagement - Master plan refinement and approval process through Parks Board and City Council in Q2 2025 ---