### Meeting Overview The Bellingham City Council met on January 13, 2025, for their regular evening meeting, with the primary focus on a major public hearing regarding the elimination of automobile parking requirements citywide. The Council ultimately approved an interim ordinance removing parking minimums and establishing consistent bicycle parking standards, despite significant public debate about the lack of affordability provisions. ### Key Terms and Concepts **Interim Ordinance:** A temporary regulation that stays in effect for one year while the city studies impacts and develops permanent rules. **Parking Minimums:** Requirements that force developers to build a certain number of parking spaces for new buildings, regardless of whether those spaces are needed or used. **ADA Parking:** Accessible parking spaces required by the Americans with Disabilities Act for people with mobility disabilities. **Supply-Side Economics:** The theory that increasing the supply of housing will automatically make housing more affordable, though critics argue this doesn't guarantee affordability at specific income levels. **Area Median Income (AMI):** A measure used to determine housing affordability, with affordable housing typically targeting households at 80% or below AMI. **SEPA (State Environmental Policy Act):** Washington state law requiring environmental review of certain development projects. **Design Review:** A process where proposed developments are evaluated for compliance with city standards and community design guidelines. ### Key People at This Meeting | Name | Role / Affiliation | |---|---| | Hollie Huffman | Council President | | Kim Lund | Mayor (participated remotely) | | Blake Lyon | Planning and Community Development Director | | Lisa Anderson | Council Member (opposed the ordinance) | | Michael Lilliquist | Council Member (opposed the ordinance) | | Hannah Stone | Council Member | | Jace Cotton | Council Member | | Daniel Hammill | Council Member | ### Background Context Bellingham faces a severe housing shortage, with only 126 multifamily units permitted in 2024 despite needing nearly 800 units annually. The city requires approximately 18,000 new housing units over the next 20 years, with 13,000 needed for households below median income. Currently, 56% of Bellingham renters are cost-burdened, and the city has struggled to produce affordable housing despite various programs. This parking reform is part of Mayor Lund's broader housing executive order aimed at increasing housing production through multiple policy changes. The ordinance eliminates requirements that developers build specific numbers of parking spaces, allowing market forces to determine appropriate parking levels instead. ### What Happened — The Short Version Director Blake Lyon presented the case for eliminating parking minimums, citing benefits for housing production, climate goals, and street safety. Twenty-nine community members testified during public comment, with roughly half supporting the ordinance and half opposing it due to concerns about affordability, accessibility for disabled residents, and neighborhood impacts. The Council made technical amendments to fix citation errors and clarify ADA parking requirements. Council Member Lilliquist proposed but then withdrew an amendment requiring sidewalks and street parking before parking minimums could be waived. The ordinance ultimately passed 5-2, with Anderson and Lilliquist voting no due to concerns about the lack of affordability provisions and potential equity impacts. ### What to Watch Next - The interim ordinance takes effect by the end of January 2025 after a 15-day adoption period - City staff will study impacts over the next year before proposing permanent regulations - Mayor's broader housing executive order includes additional legislative items coming to Council - January 27, 2025: Public hearing on surplus sale of city property at Cornwall Avenue and Pine Street - Ongoing development of middle housing and design review streamlining ordinances ---