Pride In Bellingham: The City of Bellingham continues celebrating our LGBTQIA+ communities through July, with activities downtown July 8-9, 2023. This week we unveiled our new rainbow crosswalk on Cornwall Avenue between Magnolia and Holly streets. The crosswalk is an aesthetic and pedestrian improvement and a symbol of our support for diversity, inclusion and LGBTQIA+ rights. Look for City elected leaders and staff at events throughout the weekend. Pride events are centered around Depot Market Square in the heart of our downtown, hosted by Pride IN Bellingham with various community sponsors including the City. For details, see the Pride IN Bellingham website.
New location for tiny home villages: A recently purchased City property may become the new home for Unity Village and Swift Haven, two successful tiny house villages operated by HomesNOW on City-owned properties. Both villages were established at interim locations and currently operate under temporary permits. They were initiated with the understanding that they must relocate by March 2024. Because they were interim uses located on properties with longer term objectives, the sites cannot continue to host them. Unity Village is located at the Post Point Wastewater Treatment Plant, on a site that is needed to accommodate facility expansion. Swift Haven is located at Geri Field, in the Civic Athletic Complex, on property that is designated for recreation use only by state grant funding requirements. In collaboration with HomesNOW, the City is exploring the use of a property on Meridian Street recently purchased to complete trail connections adjacent to Cordata Park. The entire site is not needed for trails, and a portion of it is well-suited for relocation of the two tiny home villages and as a future site for affordable housing development. Over the past year the City has evaluated many public and private properties to host one or both tiny home villages and identified the Meridian Street property as the best option. The property has features that, with improvements, can effectively support the continued success of the villages, and it has bus access, stores and other nearby services for village guests. The Bellingham City Council at its July 10 meeting will consider a budget amendment to continue exploring the feasibility of this location. Meeting details available at meetings.cob.org.
Wise summer water use: With a warm, dry spring leading into our usual dry summer many people are thinking about water supply. We have substantial monitoring and tools in place to manage the level of Lake Whatcom to adequately supply clean drinking water while also supporting the fish and wildlife in Whatcom Creek. Minimizing summer outdoor water use helps reduce the demands for our source water. This week’s statewide drought advisory underscores the important need to use water wisely. For example, did you know that watering your lawn for an hour may use more than 100 gallons of water? And then, almost 50 percent of that water is lost to evaporation and runoff. There are many ways to reduce outdoor water use, such as letting your lawn go dormant, switching to native plants and using a hose timer. For these and other tips for conserving water, see our Outdoor Water Conservation webpage.
Vegetation along sidewalks and alleys: Is foliage from your yard creeping out over streets and sidewalks or into the alley? It may seem harmless, even attractive. However, that vegetation can block traffic signs, create tripping hazards and make it difficult or even unsafe for those using strollers or wheelchairs. That’s why City Code (BMC 13.40.050) requires property owners to trim back or remove any branches, bushes, roots or foliage that create a safety risk. What if the overgrown vegetation isn’t on your property? Let us know via cob.org/SeeClickFix. Visit our Street Maintenance webpage to learn more.
Support our crafty kids: More than 100 local kids are spending their vacation days making craft items to sell at two Children’s Craft Fairs hosted by Bellingham Public Library this summer. The community is invited to support these young entrepreneurs by attending these festive events:
- Friday, July 28, 11 a.m. to 1 p.m., Lee Memorial Park (Library lawn) downtown Bellingham
- Friday, August 11, 5 to 7 p.m., Bellis Fair Mall.
All items are priced $5 or less, and all sales are cash only. The events are fun for all ages to browse, and search for treasures. Mark your calendar to support our crafty kids!
