Bellingham Plan Chapters
Proposed Updates for Our 2025 Plan
Based on Washington State requirements, guidance from our current Comprehensive Plan, and community feedback, we have developed draft chapter summaries for our updated Comprehensive Plan.
Summary of Proposed Changes
Get a quick overview of the most significant updates we are proposing for Bellingham’s growth plan. The changes listed in this summary document are so broadly important, that many will be found in multiple chapters of the updated plan.
We suggest giving the Summary of Proposed Changes a quick review before jumping into the individual chapters below.
You can also access an Accessible Word Document with the Summary Document content if you prefer.
Dig Into Each Chapter
- Land Use
- Community Design
- Housing
- Transportation
- Economic Development
- Environment
- Parks, Recreation and Open Space
- Capital Facilities and Urban Services
- Climate (new chapter)
- Community Wellbeing (new chapter)
- Equitable and Inclusive Civic Practices (new chapter)
You can also access an Accessible Word Document with all of these chapter summaries if you prefer.
Follow the individual chapter links above to:
- See draft summaries for each chapter.
- Get an overview of changes we're proposing.
- Dig deeper into chapter details.
- Leave your feedback and tell us what you think.
Pages were open for comment until December 1, 2024.
The Bellingham Plan is definitely on the right track! The elephant in the room however is the high cost of housing, both prices and rents. First time buyers and low-income renters are being frozen out of Bellingham by institutional real estate investors who can outbid buyers and jack up rents. This hurts families, young people, and mom and pop landlords. The city should stand up to these people with restrictions on outside ownership of single-family homes and duplexes, etc.
We need to priortize more housing over open space and other set backs the City has lots of open areas within short walks I would recommend that if there is a park, trail or other public facilities within a 1 mile radius of a project than no open space (25 % is in the proposal) shouild be required of the project
Removed by moderator.
I am in full agreement and support with Dan Larner's comments regarding the omission of Bellingham's vibrant arts and cultural scene in the city's plan for the future. True, they receive mention in the "Community Well Being" section but are deserving of more prominent placement than buried and only mentioned in this minimal chapter. Not even the cover photos on the slide show of this chapter include one of an arts activity. Nor are the arts and culture included in the "Build Upon What's Valued Today" box in the project scope. How is this possible?
One primary reason my family moved to Bellingham 28 years ago from Los Angeles was because we had never seen a city the size of Bellingham with so much to offer in way of the arts. I characterize it to others unfamiliar with our city as like a "small European city." While we love our beautiful surroundings and partake in all that has to offer, the arts are a very vital portion of our community. The city should be promoting itself heavily as a cultural center as well as a recreational mecca and needs to include this in the plan for its future.
Many are moving here, as we did, from larger metropolitan areas where they have actively engaged, participated and supported the arts. One of the primary amenities that brings them here is the recognition that Bellingham has such a rich arts scene with an abundance of music, theatre, art, spoken word, dance, film and literature opportunities. So much, in fact, that it's impossible to go any one night to everything happening here. Please do not overlook this major economic driver to our community in the plan for Bellingham's future.
I support the continued growth of Bellingham through the Larrabee Springs Community. The comprehensive plan and sustainable construction methods make this an excellent growth opportunity for the city of Bellingham. This also provides a variety of housing options to help people achieve the goal of home ownership at a price that works for their budget. Let's continue to grow Bellingham through this progressive new community with an eye toward the future.
I like this plan! I think allowing for all different types of housing, some mixed-use development, relaxing paring requirements, focusing on things like "Streets as Places" and being more business-friendly will allow Bellingham to grow in the "right" way.
With this plan, I'm more confident that Bellingham will still be the same kind of exceptionally beautiful and livable place in 20 years that it is now -- as opposed the typical pattern of US city growth that generally makes places less livable over time with strict commercial vs residential zoning and lack of emphasis on anything other than car infrastructure*.
*I'm not anti-car. I just appreciate how Bellingham is considering other important aspects of planning as well :)
Thank you for all your hard work on this. I would only add that government efficiency should be a priority and lowering taxes. I personally think it’s too easy for elected officials to raise everyone’s taxes to accomplish their priorities .
Mayor Lund is doing a great job and I will most definitely vote for her if she runs again.
We desperately need a second - secular hospital maybe an extension of UW Medical center? Or something similar. I've seen a lot of bad experiences with St. Joes.
Also please don't give in to the Nimbyism. We desperately need the city to grow in a healthy, more livable way the ability to afford housing and having nearby jobs and services matters far more than upsetting a few people.
After reviewing the proposed updated I am in support of it.
I like the adjustments to the UGA. Focusing on the UGA areas that have buildable lands makes sense.
I like the infill housing and the state law HB1110. I personally, think neighborhoods should do away with minimum lot sizes. Let the builders design the products. It makes sense the builders would be well aquatinted with what the people of Bellingham want to buy!
I like the city is actually improving some of the infrastructure for more homes to be built. The city needs to plan for building water tanks where needed and partnering with developers to build major roads (such as the Lopez St Collector. Does the city really want to open up a significant number of homes? Then remove the Lopez St Collector requirement as a special condition. The developers will build the part of the street that is along each of their parcels.
My only suggestion would be to plan for more people moving to Bellingham. Past administrations have kicked the infrastructure problems down the road by simply planning for/saying less people were going to move here. Don't be like those people.
I am thankful for all of the effort that Chris and the planners have put into this comp plan update.
The plan seems to be well rounded. I support the adjustment of the UGAs and opening the UGA reserves. I support the infrastructure development and higher densities that often come with infill.
My number one concern is promoting and allow more homes to be built which will slow the raising home prices and provide homes for the average hard working individuals and families of
I support the city's plan of upzoning and easing regulatory burdens that have made it impossible for Bellinghamsters to exercise their property rights. More housing of all kinds, from studios to big condos, is needed in the city, and easing the draconian restrictions of the current zoning code is the perfect way to do that. Not only will the city enhance property rights with this plan, but it will also cut the cost of housing for Bellinghamsters and reduce emissions by increasing the use of transit. Good work!
There is no more room for Bellingham to grow. The roads are a mess. There is nowhere to park. We can't afford to live here. Stop growing.
You need to think of the people who are already paying high tax rate that you are pricing us out of the area. Are we receiving new services? People need to be accountable for their actions, their garbage their mess. Make sure that the people you serve contribute to our society not just abuse it. A bit of accountability is needed. We need to feel safe for all of the areas of town we pay for. Would you let your children and friends walk around all of town?
The "protected" bike lanes on Eldridge are horrible and have made this road much worse. I'm a cyclist and these lanes make it more dangerous as street sweepers can clean around posts, cars park in the lane all the time or worse in the sidewalk. Garbage trucks run right over posts. I have even witnessed a pedestrian get hit by a trailer in this lane due to the false sense of security that the lane provides. It has not slowed cars at all and now there are much more obstacles to avoid compared to prior situation. The lack of street parking for this mile stretch is horrible, causing my elderly parents to walk several blocks and cross this busy road just to visit.
This would have been much better to include parking on one side of the road, regular bike lanes (painted but no posts) to allow transit of bikers comfortable with this road while others could use Monroe. Much like the lanes on Illinois with sidewalks and street parking carved on this could have been a much better design.
This current plan is more dangerous and need to change
What is the point of providing you feedback when you act like dictators and do whatever you want to do regardless of what we the public say? Everyone was against the 11.4% property tax hike that Mr Sidphal proposed but you went against our input and raised the tax anyhow. Most of you need to be replaced starting with Mr Sidphal sorry if I have misspelt his name as it is not intentional.
I support what I read in the summary of this plan:
More density spread equally across ALL neighborhoods.
Planning for robust multi-modal transportation corridors. Hopefully this means prioritizing the safety of pedestrians, bike riders and other non-car travelers as well as building and maintaining a robust transit system that does more than go downtown on weekdays and sometimes on weekends.
I'd like an emphasis on single/studio housing that someone working full time $20/hour could afford on no more than half their salary. Open to communal kitchens/minimal bathrooms if this could happen. Not everyone is suited to a roommate situation-especially older adults
There is an important omission in the characterization of the Bellingham community and in the vision for the future projected by the summary document. The only place I find any mention of Arts and Culture is a section under Community Wellbeing.
For its size, Bellingham is a very strong cultural center. It is a remarkable place for live music of all kinds, live theatre, the film arts, graphic and visual arts of all kinds and writers of all kinds, from novels and non-fiction to drama, film and television.
This community boasts a surprising collection of arts professionals who choose to live and work here, while some live here but often work elsewhere, all over the country and world.
We can boast several unique and nationally known film festivals, music festivals, a distinguished “art house” film theater, film producing organizations, several small theaters doing original work, an extraordinary local symphony orchestra, and distinguished choral singing groups. We have major arts instutions that are thriving—the Mount Baker Theatre, The Whatcom Museum, Allied Arts, and the arts departments of Western Washington University. We can also boast amazing numbers of artistic citizens who act, direct, produce, write, design, photograph, paint, sculpt, and otherwise make art in public.
Numbers of local corporations sponsor arts programs and use the Bellingham scene as part of their recruiting process for new employees. Our rich cultural scene was an important attraction for a number of corporations who recently moved here, and is more so now.
Fostering the arts and enabling them to thrive makes sense in promoting the creativity in our community. It makes sense in honoring our many cultures, giving them new opportunities to express themselves and increase awareness of their communities. It makes sense in bringing the best of the classical and popular arts to Bellingham audiences.
It makes sense in promoting tourism and the economic benefits that follow. It makes sense in helping the downtown to thrive and in increasing the general pride and approval with which residents and tourists alike view our community.
Could we somehow get Arts and Culture further up front in the vision of the community articulated by this plan, and in the structure of the plan itself? It should not just be hidden away on a small shelf in “Community Wellbeing.” Our cultural, spiritual, social and economic lives are all impacted by this unusually rich, open, and thriving arts scene. It’s in our midst. Let’s make proper use of it in this plan!
Love the idea of allowing small-scale commercial uses in residential neighborhoods. A great way to make more trips on foot possible.
There is an important omission in the characterization of the Bellingham community and in the vision for the future projected by the summary document. The only place I find any mention of Arts and Culture is a section under Community Well-Being. For its size, Bellingham is a very strong cultural center. It is a remarkable place for live music of all kinds, live theatre, the film arts, graphic and visual arts of all kinds and writers of all kinds, from novels and non-fiction to drama, film and television. This community boasts a surprising collection of arts professionals who choose to live and work here, while some live here but often work elsewhere, all over the country and world. We can boast several unique and nationally known film festivals, music festivals, a very special local orchestra, distinguished choral singing groups. We have major arts instutions that are thriving—the Mount Baker Theatre, The Whatcom Museum, Allied Arts, and the arts departments of Western Washington University. We can also boast amazing numbers of artistic citizens who act, direct, produce, write, design, photograph, paint, sculpt, and otherwise make art in public. Numbers of local corporations sponsor arts programs and use the Bellingham scene as part of their recruiting process for new empljoyees. Our rich cultural scene was a major attraction for a number of corporations who recently moved here, and is more so now. Fostering the arts and enabling them to thrive makes sense in promoting the creativity in our community. It makes sense in honoring our many cultures, giving them new opportunities to express themselves and increase awareness of their communities. It makes sense in bringing the best of the classical and popular arts to Bellingham audiences. It makes sense in promoting tourism and the economic benefits that follow. It makes sense in helping the downtown to thrive and in increasing the general pride and approval with which residents and tourists alike view our community. Could we somehow get Arts in Culture further up front in the vision of the community articulated by this plan, and in the structure of the plan itself. It should not just be hidden away on a small shelf in “Community Well-Being.” Our cultural, spiritual, social and economic lives are all impacted by this unusually rich, open, and thriving arts scene. It’s in our midst. Let’s make proper use of it in this plan!