### Meeting Overview The Bellingham City Planning Commission met on May 29, 2025, to review draft Transportation and Parks & Recreation chapters of the updated comprehensive plan. Staff from Public Works and Parks departments presented the new goals and policies for these chapters, which are part of the ongoing Bellingham Plan update process gearing toward formal public hearings this summer. ### Key Terms and Concepts **Comprehensive Plan:** A 20-year citywide planning document that guides development, transportation, and municipal services. Required by Washington state's Growth Management Act. **Transportation Demand Management (TDM):** Strategies to reduce reliance on single-occupancy vehicles by encouraging walking, biking, transit, and carpooling. **Transportation Impact Fees:** Fees paid by new developments based on person trips generated, used to fund transportation infrastructure including sidewalks and bike lanes. **Multimodal Concurrency System:** A process that evaluates whether adequate transportation capacity exists for new developments across all modes of transportation. **Vision Zero:** A safety approach that strives to eliminate serious injuries and fatalities from transportation systems. **PROS Plan:** Parks, Recreation and Open Space Plan - a 20-year implementation guide for improving parks, trails, and recreation programs. **RFB:** Rapid Flashing Beacon - crosswalk safety devices with push-button activated flashing lights. **WTA:** Whatcom Transportation Authority - the regional transit agency serving Bellingham and surrounding areas. ### Key People at This Meeting | Name | Role / Affiliation | |---|---| | Mike Estes | Planning Commission Chair | | Sydney Prusak | City Planning Staff | | Dylan Casper | Transportation Planner, Public Works | | Joel Pfundt | Director of Public Works (day 3 on job) | | Peter Gill | Planning and Development Coordinator, Parks & Recreation | | Nicole Oliver | Parks & Recreation Director | | Lane Potter | Development Manager, Parks & Recreation | ### Background Context This meeting was part of an ongoing comprehensive plan update process that began in 2023. The city is updating its 2016 comprehensive plan to comply with state Growth Management Act requirements and address current challenges like housing affordability, climate change, and transportation safety. The Transportation chapter emphasizes safety more heavily than the previous plan, while the Parks chapter is being restructured to separate policy goals from implementation details. Both chapters reflect increased collaboration between city departments and external partners like WTA and the Parks Advisory Board. ### What Happened — The Short Version Staff presented the draft Transportation chapter's five goals focusing on safety, transit collaboration, multimodal networks, connectivity, and equitable infrastructure. Dylan Casper explained new emphasis on Vision Zero safety approaches, stronger WTA partnerships, and updated transportation impact fee systems. Peter Gill then presented the Parks chapter's seven goals covering equity, design, preservation, play, connectivity, system resilience, and partnerships. Commissioners asked detailed questions about transportation impact fee calculations, trail surface materials, park lighting policies, and how parks balance different recreational uses. The meeting concluded with news that the Community Well-Being chapter would be released the following week. ### What to Watch Next - June 26th: Planning Commission will review the new Community Well-Being chapter - August: Planning Commission will receive the technical aspects of the Transportation chapter including the 20-year project list - Summer: Formal public hearings on the comprehensive plan chapters - Later 2025: Full PROS Plan implementation document will come to Planning Commission ---