The Bellingham City Council
cancelled a joint meeting with Port of Bellingham Commissioners, originally
scheduled for March 21, to allow more time for City staff, Port staff and
the public to recommend ideas on how to redevelop Bellingham’s waterfront.
City Council President Gene Knutson announced at the Monday March 13 City
Council meeting that the meeting would be postponed. A new date for the
joint meeting has not yet been determined.
The March 21 meeting was intended as an opportunity for the City Council and
Port Commission to give an initial nod to a preferred design concept for the
waterfront. This preferred concept would form the basis for a
waterfront master plan.
"This is an historic opportunity that this community may never see again,"
Knutson said. "We need to make sure that we get it right. No project
in Bellingham's past or future is as important as this, so a little more
time will do no harm to the ultimate goal, which is a great new beginning to
Bellingham's waterfront. After all, that's where it all began."
The city administration also recommended slowing the pace of planning in
response to citizen requests for more time and opportunities to consider
additional alternatives.
"There have been so many questions and ideas regarding the different
conceptual alternatives, and we need more time to pull them all together to
provide something for the City Council and Port Commission to consider,”
City Chief Administrative Officer Malcolm Fleming said.
In a March 14 memo to the Waterfront Advisory Group, City Council, Planning
Commission and Port of Bellingham Commissioners, Mayor Mark Asmundson also
called for more time.
“We have seen the energy and enthusiasm of the community increase, making
clear its desire and commitment to ensuring that Bellingham’s waterfront
transformation achieves its fullest potential for generations to come,”
Asmundson said.
“In order to be receptive to ideas, we must be willing to take the time
necessary to consider them,” he said. “We are not engaged in a
project. We are engaged in a process.”
In his memo, Asmundson also noted the significant financial risk borne by
citizens in the public redevelopment of the waterfront, along with the “risk
of not getting it right.” To address these risks, Asmundson called for
collaboration and openness to new ideas.
Posted: March 17, 2006
