The Governor's Advisory Council on Historic Preservation (ACHP) will be reviewing the Bellingham National Historic District recommendations at their quarterly meeting in Spokane on November 5. The three Bellingham Historic Districts are featured, beginning on Slide 78, in the "149th Meeting - Spokane, WA Nov 5, 2009" WHR & NR Listing PowerPoint presentation.
Katie Franks and Kate Newell will give a presentation on November 12, 2009 at 7:30pm in the Rotunda Room located in the Whatcom Museum of History and Art on the Lettered Streets, South Hill, and York Neighborhood Historic Districts. The Whatcom County Historical Society provides more insight in their History News article.
In 2007 the City of Bellingham received a federal Preserve America grant to complete an historic resource survey and inventory of three older Bellingham neighborhoods: Lettered Streets, South Hill and York. Phase II of the project involved writing a National Register of Historic Places District nomination for each neighborhood.
Note: National Register status imposes no restrictions to property owners.
As one of the last steps of Phase II, the City of Bellingham Planning & Community Development Department has completed and submitted three National Register of Historic Places District nominations to the State Department of Archaeology and Historic Preservation (DAHP). The nominations include:
National Register Listing Process
In June 2009 the City of Bellingham held three public meetings, one in each neighborhood, to explain the National Register Historic District nomination process and the justification for the historic district boundaries. Additionally, the DAHP has notified affected property owners to solicit public comment. If a majority of owners for a district nomination objects (over 50%), the district would not be listed.
As a Certified Local Government (CLG) the City of Bellingham Historic Preservation Commission reviews and makes recommendation on National Register nominations. The three Bellingham nominations were reviewed at a special meeting on Tuesday, September 29, 2009 at 7:00 PM in Council Chambers at City Hall. Bellingham CLG recommendations were forwarded to the DAHP and will then be reviewed by the Governor's Advisory Council on Historic Preservation (ACHP) at their quarterly meeting in Spokane on November 5, 2009.
Complete nominations, with certifying recommendations, are submitted by the DAHP to the National Park Service in Washington, D.C. for final review and listing by the Keeper of the National Register of Historic Places.
For project details contact:
Katie Franks
Project Manager
City of Bellingham
Planning & Community Development Department
(360) 778-8388 or E-mail kfranks@cob.org
This project is funded by a federal Preserve America grant and is administered by the National Park Service. Preserve America provides funds on a matching basis to assist Preserve America Communities with marketing, planning and educational efforts associated with protection and utilization of community heritage assets. The City of Bellingham became a Preserve America Community in June, 2007. For more information visit the Preserve America website at www.preserveamerica.gov.
The City of Bellingham does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, national origin, political beliefs, sex, religion, age, families with children, or disability in employment or the provision of services.
