City adopts transportation plan
Posted on 02. Jul, 2009 by Isaac Bonnell in Features
On June 1, the Bellingham City Council adopted the city’s six-year Transportation Improvement Program (TIP) for 2010 to 2015.
Pike appoints Public Works director
Posted on 01. Jul, 2009 by Isaac Bonnell in People
Bellingham Mayor Dan Pike has appointed Ted Carlson as Director of the city’s Public Works department. Carlson has served as the city’s assistant Public Works director, overseeing the Operations Division, since November 2007. He will begin as director on July 1, 2009.
As director, Carlson will oversee the department’s 240 full-time employees and a $102.7 million [...]
Infill toolkit needs to applyto neighborhoods
Posted on 31. May, 2009 by admin in Opinions
On May 14, the Bellingham Planning Commission recommended by a 4-0 vote to forward the new Infill Housing Toolkit to the City Council for review and approval. The planning commission made a few changes before sending it on, but generally it’s the same document that was put forward by Planning and Community Development Director Tim [...]
City taskforce indentifies cost savings
Posted on 31. May, 2009 by admin in News
Lance Henderson
The city of Bellingham released a new report that identifies internal cost-saving measures, that would total more than $8 million.
The Fiscal Alternatives for Stability Taskforce (FAST) report mainly focuses on deficit-reduction ideas, although some of the ideas would increase revenue.
The taskforce included city department heads, managers, and City Council members. In November 2008, Mayor [...]
City gets public input on Fountain redevelopment
Posted on 30. Apr, 2009 by admin in Features
Business, residents weigh in on mixed-use urban village
photo by Lance Henderson
Neighbors and business owners pour over maps of the Fountain District to identify public spaces that could be expanded and pedestrian linkages that could be created in a Fountain District urban village.
Lance Henderson
Bellingham’s Fountain District has a lot of potential.
A stroll along Meridian Street between [...]
Study finds city has 998 net acres for future jobs
Posted on 30. Apr, 2009 by admin in News
Lance Henderson
The City of Bellingham has released a report that analyzes how much Bellingham land is available to support future job creation.
Bellingham’s Employment Lands Report provides a snapshot of Bellingham’s industry sectors, employment zones, and future employment capacity. It also includes statistical information on each of Bellingham’s geographic employment centers and a summary of [...]
The hit of impact fees
Posted on 31. Mar, 2009 by admin in Features
photo by Isaac Bonnel
Architect Sean Hegstad of Haven Design Workshop makes minor changes to plans for a four-story multifamily building during a recent visit to the permit center in City Hall. The project has been in review for a few weeks, “but after I get this in and one structural engineering change, we should get [...]
What should government do?
Posted on 28. Feb, 2009 by admin in Features
Depression-era economics still pertinent today
This graph shows the predicted effects on the economy of current government intervention with the American Recovery and Reinvestment Plan. Source: President Barack Obama’s Council of Economic Advisors.
Lance Henderson
After the stock market crash in 1929, banks shut down, unemployment was at 25 percent and President Herbert Hoover led the United States [...]
Police, bars come to the table
Posted on 30. Nov, 2008 by admin in Features
Police more proactive about liquor license
Photo by Isaac Bonnell
Steve Duthie, owner of The Rogue Hero, had to fight the city after police objected to the renewal if his liquor license in June 2007.
Isaac Bonnell
Last summer, Steve Duthie got a letter. It looked like a form letter from some city department, so he left it [...]
Waterfront planning hits rough seas
Posted on 30. Nov, 2008 by admin in Features
By Isaac Bonnell
After four years of planning and community discussions, the waterfront redevelopment project came to a dead stop last month as port and city officials battled over the last remaining hurdles of this complex project.
Some say the impasse was in the making back in January when the city took issue with the port over [...]
