Pacific Street Operations Building demolition: Going, going, gone! The demo of the old Public Works Operations admin building started this week to make way for the next phase of construction for the Pacific Street Operations Center. The original Public Works building opened in 1969 and has been home to Public Works Operations ever since. Many long-time employees said goodbye to their former offices and shared fond memories as the building came down. This construction, paid for by utilities funds, is the second part of a project started in 2021 and is the next step in our multi-year plan to upgrade aging buildings to be more energy- and cost-efficient and serve the needs of our growing community.
Share your input on the protection of Lake Whatcom: Interested in the health and future of Lake Whatcom, our drinking water source? We want to hear from you! The draft Lake Whatcom Management Program Work Plan is available for your review and comment through August 25. This five-year work plan is a coordinated effort between Whatcom County, the City of Bellingham, and the Lake Whatcom Water and Sewer District to meet program goals for the protection of Lake Whatcom and its watershed. Visit the Engage Bellingham page to download a copy of the draft plan and provide input.
Speaking of input – tell us how Bellingham should grow: Help us choose a growth pattern that best meets the priorities and needs of the community. Complete this Bellingham Plan survey by August 11 to share your feedback on how and where Bellingham should grow. You may have received a postcard in the mail with information about this survey – please take it and spread the word! The survey takes about 10 minutes and will help us select an approach to growth for decades to come. And if you want to dive into the Bellingham Plan with friends and family, you can also play our new Growing Together: Building Bellingham board game.
What to know about parking on city streets: Help keep our city lively and vibrant by following these parking rules. Use meters (pay by coin, card or the Pay by Phone app) in downtown and Fairhaven. For frequent downtown and Fairhaven parking, monthly permits are available. On other city streets, unless otherwise marked, you can park for up to 72 hours, but then you need to move your car at least a block away. Avoid tickets and tows by respecting all of these parking rules, as well as obeying posted signs such as overnight downtown rules, posted no parking areas, and loading zones. Visit our Parking webpage to learn more and keep parking with ease.
Congratulations, BTV! Our small and mighty BTV team got some big recognition from the National Association of Telecommunications Officers and Advisors (NATOA) Awards. BTV was nominated for seven awards this year for their work on both video production and broadcasting public meetings. Of course, we’re proud of this national recognition, just as we’re proud to deliver reliable access to City meetings and so much more on BTV Live.
Improving public spaces
Recently completed projects: It has been a busy year! We are excited to announce that we recently completed the Woburn Sewer Replacement project, the Lincoln-Maple Signal and Non-Motorized Improvements project, and the Westside Non-Motorized Improvements project. These projects reflect our ongoing commitment to improving our community’s infrastructure, utilities, and transportation network. We appreciate your patience during the detours, delays, and dig-ups!
Ongoing projects: Meanwhile, the work continues on many other projects. The construction on the roundabout at Meridian and Illinois is still underway. Crews will be paving through the first two weeks in August and cleanup and lighting work will continue into the fall. We know the intersection is rough right now, but it will get better, and we appreciate your patience while we improve the flow in this busy area. James and Meador bridges and the work at Telegraph are ongoing. Detours will remain in place as crews are working to complete these projects. Keep an eye our for signs and flaggers in these areas.
