Beat the heat: To help combat summer heat, we extended the hours of the spray parks at Fairhaven Park and Cornwall Memorial Park. These parks, along with our newest spray park in Cordata Park, are now open from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. daily. Enjoy – and don’t forget your sunscreen!
Hear the music: Speaking of summer fun in our parks, don’t forget to add the upcoming Concerts in the Park events to your summer calendar. The weekly Thursday night Elizabeth Park Concerts continue on July 25 with folkie pop music from the Sweet Goodbyes. On Friday, July 26, Boulevard Park’s monthly concert features County Rose playing country and Americana music. These free outdoor concerts are fun for all ages and a great way to get outside and enjoy some local music in the lovely summer weather!
New loos! Next time nature calls when you’re out and about downtown, check out one of our new Portland Loos, opening today, July 19! We recently installed two new loos at the corners of East Chestnut and Railroad and East Magnolia and Railroad. The City of Portland designed these restrooms to be easy to clean, hard to deface, and safe. The loos help deter crime in ways other restrooms don’t, and they provide privacy while letting people see if they’re occupied. The two downtown loos are open 24/7, and the Waypoint Park loo is open dawn to dusk; all are monitored and maintained by City facilities staff members. A list of all public restroom facilities is on our website.
Protecting Lake Whatcom: Earlier this week, City Council approved the purchase of a .74-acre property in the Lake Whatcom watershed. This sale preserves a forested area with Western Red Cedar and Douglas Fir trees and removes one potential development unit from the watershed, which protects Lake Whatcom, our drinking water source. Forests help soak up and naturally filter rainwater, reducing impacts to the lake from high flows and pollution. This property purchase is part of our Lake Whatcom Land Acquisition and Preservation Program, which has purchased and protected more than 2,700 acres of forested land in the Lake Whatcom watershed since 2001.
Required relocation of tiny home villages faces delay: Last week, we learned that the opening of North Haven, a new tiny home village on Northwest Ave. that will replace two existing villages, will be delayed. In case you missed it, the two existing villages need to move from their current locations, one by the end of this year. During the permit process for the new village, North Coast Credit Union (which neighbors the Northwest Ave. property) filed an appeal. This will delay the project for an unknown amount of time. Before the appeal was received, we anticipated North Haven would be move-in ready by the end of 2024. As this project is essential in supporting Bellingham community members who would otherwise experience homelessness, we are hopeful for a quick and positive resolution. Visit our North Haven project page to learn more about the appeal process, why the villages need to move, and about the project overall.
