Bellingham Greenways Advisory Committee

## MODULE S1: STUDY GUIDE **Meeting ID:** BEL-GRN-2025-01-02 ### Meeting Overview The Bellingham Greenways Advisory Committee met on January 2, 2025, to review the existing PROS (Parks, Recreation, Open Space) plan goals and objectives, and to discuss the upcoming update process for both the PROS plan and the Greenways Strategic Plan. The meeting focused on incorporating new state requirements, addressing community needs assessments, and establishing a process for updating key planning documents. ### Key Terms and Concepts **PROS Plan:** Parks, Recreation, and Open Space Plan - a required 6-year planning document that guides the development of parks, recreation, open space as the community grows, with a mandatory update deadline of February 2026. **Growth Management Act (GMA):** State legislation that includes new requirements for parks elements, including forest canopy assessments and designation of urban and community forests within urban growth areas. **Urban and Community Forests:** New GMA requirement for municipalities to designate forested areas within urban growth areas, with assessment and mapping requirements tied to climate change mitigation efforts. **Level of Service Analysis:** A measurement system to evaluate how well the park system serves community needs, typically using metrics like distance to parks and accessibility standards. **Right-of-Way Vacation:** The legal process where the city sells or transfers unused public right-of-way to private property owners, with state law requiring half the proceeds go to parks and open space funds. **Blue Ways:** Trail connections along waterways, referenced in the Greenways Strategic Plan but not extensively covered in current PROS plan goals. **Strava Heat Map Data:** Digital tracking data from recreational users that shows where people actually travel, used to inform trail planning and prioritization decisions. **RCW (Revised Code of Washington):** State laws, specifically RCW 36.70A.070 regarding parks elements and forest requirements, and RCW 35 regarding right-of-way vacation proceeds. ### Key People at This Meeting | Name | Role / Affiliation | |---|---| | Peter Ruffatto | Parks & Recreation Planning Staff | | Lane Potter | Parks & Recreation Staff | | David | Committee Member | | Neil | Committee Member | | Jacob Stewart | Committee Member | | Sarah | Committee Member (referenced for reappointment) | | Daniel | Public Commenter, Bellingham Mount Baker Trail Project Lead | | John | Committee Member | ### Background Context The city is undertaking a comprehensive update to its parks planning documents, driven by both state mandates and local needs. The Growth Management Act now requires new assessments of forest canopy and designation of community forests, reflecting increased focus on climate resilience. Meanwhile, the city's recreational needs assessment was conducted in 2022 during the pandemic, potentially skewing results about how residents use parks and recreation facilities. The Greenways levy provides dedicated funding for parks, trails, and open space projects, but the committee expressed concern that many trail projects from the current 6-year plan remain incomplete after several years. Only one project (Wildflower Bridge replacement) has been fully completed, while others face challenges with land acquisition, permits, or coordination with other agencies. The planning process must balance state regulatory requirements with community input and funding realities. New state requirements around climate resilience and forest preservation add complexity, while growing density and changing demographics create evolving recreation needs that may not be captured in pandemic-era survey data. ### What Happened — The Short Version The committee reviewed the seven main goals in the current PROS plan, which cover equity, system enhancement, health and wellness, nature integration, innovation, connectivity, and effective operations. Members raised concerns about gaps in the goals, particularly around water access, climate resilience, and regional trail connections that cross city boundaries. Staff explained the timeline for updates: public outreach through February, draft goals and inventory by April, Planning Commission hearing in May, and final adoption by July. The Greenways Strategic Plan will be updated in parallel, incorporating recommendations from committee subgroups and the new "climate" funding category in the levy. Committee members discussed the slow progress on trail projects, with only one of many planned connections completed in recent years. They also raised concerns about right-of-way vacations potentially eliminating future trail opportunities, and questioned whether survey data collected during the pandemic accurately reflects community recreation needs. The meeting concluded with Chair volunteering to work with staff on drafting updates to the strategic plan, which will then be reviewed by the full committee in a focused meeting dedicated solely to that topic. ### What to Watch Next • Public meetings on the PROS plan update scheduled for February 2025 • Planning Commission public hearing on May 15, 2025, for community input on draft goals • Committee review of park system inventory and level of service analysis at upcoming meetings ---