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Introducing Waterfront Futures

Waterfront Futures is a visioning and master planning process for the waterfront areas along Bellingham Bay. A number of activities and events came together that convinced the City and Port of Bellingham to form a partnership and to initiate this process. They include:

• Development and adoption of a new City Center Master Plan (CCMP) from 2000 to 2002.
   
• Port studies of the Central Waterfront area published in 2000.
   
• Bellingham Planning Commission recommended a separate planning process for the Waterfront sub-area of the City Center Master Plan. City Council agreed it could begin after adoption of the City Center Master Plan.
   
• Bellingham City Council adopted the City Center Master Plan in 2002.
   
• Georgia Pacific, owners of nearly 150 acres of the Central Waterfront, ceased operation of significant portions of their pulp and paper mill in 2001.
   
• The planning area extends from the Urban Growth Area boundary (Cliffside) on the north along the waterfront to Chuckanut Bay on the south. Its scope extends inland to address its relationship to City Center and to neighborhoods along the bay.

Another Waterfront Perspective “Urban waterfronts are important and special assets and that, when redeveloped, they often contribute to healthy traditional communities. Waterfronts can serve as a unifying force in a city or town and can be, and often are, a force for community enrichment. Further, vibrant communities are essential for environmental, economic and social advancement.” The Waterfront Center