The Bellingham Plan
Bellingham is updating our Comprehensive Plan, the document we use to guide growth toward a twenty-year vision for the future. This update is due in 2025 and will guide development, capital investments, city programs, and other actions across the city as we work towards our vision for 2045. Each phase of the project (see timeline at right) will include opportunities for engagement with the broader community alongside technical work completed by staff. This page acts as a home for information on those engagement opportunities. Sign up to get notified at important project milestones and as new opportunities to take part arise.
Visit The Bellingham Plan page on the city website for additional information on how we are also engaging with the City Council, Boards and Commissions.
Vision & Foundation
Beginning in the summer of 2023, the project kicked off with general engagement around the city’s vision for the future. Look out for opportunities to provide feedback on how the city has been doing on meeting its goals already identified in the Comprehensive Plan as well as what may have changed that you’d like to see reflected as we update the vision. This feedback will lead into the development of several approaches the city may consider for growing over the next twenty years and will help inform the topics to be covered in the next phase.
Virtual Open House
We held an Open House on 9/26 at Options High School, but all materials are now available in virtual format.
This is in a survey format with each board or collection of related boards viewable alongside the interactive portions. Each question is optional, but set aside at least 15 minutes to go through the full set of boards and questions to ensure you are able to complete it and submit your answers. Partially completed surveys will not be sent to City staff.
You can also participate in the "Ways the City Could Grow" Activity: This was one of the boards in the Open House, but it had so much interaction that we've pulled it aside as a separate activity so that you can see other community members' responses live, up-vote the ones you like most, and come back later if you'd like to add more.
Recent Visioning Events
We held two complementary events (one virtual on 9/20, one in person on 9/26) in September. We appreciate the wide interest in the Plan. View the presentation portion of the Zoom meeting here. We found the breakout rooms during the Zoom meeting particularly useful in getting feedback on what it is like to live, work, and play in Bellingham. We’ve grouped together the main themes from those discussions, generally from most discussed to least. As we continue with our engagement efforts over the next year, we will provide updates on what we hear and how that is incorporated into the planning process.
Virtual Meeting Breakout Themes: Inclusivity & Accessibility, Active Transportation, Housing, Climate & Environment, Growth & Change, Neighborhoods, Attractions, Festivals, Events, & the Arts, Economic Development, Built Environment, Small Town Feel & Local Vibe, The Waterfront, General Bellingham Love, The Library, Natural Beauty & Desirable Location, Downtown, Parking, Outdoor Recreation & Access, Lake Whatcom.
Above image credit: Jamie Ryland
En Español
Plan de Bellingham
Bellingham está actualizando su Plan integral, el documento que usamos para guiar el crecimiento hacia una visión de veinte años para el futuro. Esta actualización está prevista para 2025 y guiará el desarrollo, las inversiones de capital, los programas de la ciudad y otras acciones en toda la ciudad a medida que trabajamos hacia nuestra visión para 2045. Cada fase del proyecto (consulte el cronograma a la derecha) incluirá oportunidades para la participación de la comunidad en general junto con el trabajo técnico realizado por el personal. En esta página, se incluye información sobre esas oportunidades de participación. Regístrese para que le informemos acerca de los hitos importantes del proyecto y las nuevas oportunidades de participación que surjan.
Regístrese para recibir novedades.
Visite la página del Plan de Bellingham en el sitio web de la ciudad para obtener más información sobre cómo también trabajamos con el ayuntamiento, las juntas y las comisiones.
Visión y fundamentos
A partir del verano de 2023, el proyecto se iniciará con un compromiso general en torno a la visión de la ciudad para el futuro. Preste atención a las oportunidades para hacer comentarios sobre la forma en que la ciudad ha ido cumpliendo los objetivos ya identificados en el plan integral, así como sobre los cambios que le gustaría ver reflejados en la actualización de la visión. Estos comentarios servirán para desarrollar varias propuestas que la ciudad podría considerar para crecer durante los próximos veinte años y ayudarán a definir los temas que se tratarán en la siguiente fase. 
Realice la encuesta de la visión para tener la oportunidad de ganar una tarjeta de regalo para las tiendas locales.
Puede comunicarse con personal del proyecto mediante el correo electrónico del proyecto (TheBellinghamPlan@cob.org) o el número de teléfono (360-778-8310).
中文
Bellingham 正在更新我们的综合计划，这是我们用来指导未来 20 年发展愿景的文件。此更新 (The Bellingham Plan) 将于 2025 年到期，在我们努力实现 2045 年的愿景时，它将指导整个城市的发展、资本投资、城市计划和其他行动。本项目每阶段都将包含参与建设更广泛社区的机会，同时由工作人员完成技术工作。本页面是该等参与机会相关信息的主页。大多数材料都有英语和西班牙语版本，但请通过 thebellinghamplan@cob.org 或 (360) 778-8310 联系工作人员，以询问用您喜欢的语言参与的机会。
ਭਾਸ਼ਾ
Bellingham ਸਾਡੀ ਵਿਆਪਕ ਯੋਜਨਾ ਨੂੰ ਅੱਪਡੇਟ ਕਰ ਰਿਹਾ ਹੈ, ਜੋ ਇੱਕ ਦਸਤਾਵੇਜ਼ ਹੈ ਜਿਸਦੀ ਵਰਤੋਂ ਅਸੀਂ ਭਵਿੱਖ ਵਾਸਤੇ ਵੀਹ ਸਾਲ ਦੇ ਦ੍ਰਿਸ਼ਟੀਕੋਣ ਵੱਲ ਵਿਕਾਸ ਦੀ ਅਗਵਾਈ ਕਰਨ ਲਈ ਕਰਦੇ ਹਾਂ। ਇਹ ਅੱਪਡੇਟ (The Bellingham Plan) 2025 ਵਿੱਚ ਹੋਣ ਵਾਲਾ ਹੈ ਅਤੇ ਇਹ ਪੂਰੇ ਸ਼ਹਿਰ ਵਿੱਚ ਵਿਕਾਸ, ਪੂੰਜੀ ਨਿਵੇਸ਼, ਸ਼ਹਿਰ ਦੇ ਪ੍ਰੋਗਰਾਮਾਂ, ਅਤੇ ਹੋਰ ਕਾਰਵਾਈਆਂ ਦੀ ਅਗਵਾਈ ਕਰੇਗਾ ਕਿਉਂਕਿ ਅਸੀਂ 2045 ਲਈ ਆਪਣੇ ਦ੍ਰਿਸ਼ਟੀਕੌਣ ਦੀ ਦਿਸ਼ਾ ਵਿੱਚ ਕੰਮ ਕਰ ਰਹੇ ਹਾਂ। ਪ੍ਰੋਜੈਕਟ ਦੇ ਹਰੇਕ ਪੜਾਅ ਵਿੱਚ ਸਟਾਫ ਦੁਆਰਾ ਮੁਕੰਮਲ ਕੀਤੇ ਗਏ ਤਕਨੀਕੀ ਕੰਮ ਦੇ ਨਾਲ-ਨਾਲ ਵਿਆਪਕ ਭਾਈਚਾਰੇ ਨਾਲ ਸ਼ਮੂਲੀਅਤ ਦੇ ਮੌਕੇ ਸ਼ਾਮਲ ਹੋਣਗੇ। ਇਹ ਪੇਜ ਉਹਨਾਂ ਰੁਝੇਵਿਆਂ ਦੇ ਮੌਕਿਆਂ ਬਾਰੇ ਜਾਣਕਾਰੀ ਲਈ ਇੱਕ ਘਰ ਵਜੋਂ ਕੰਮ ਕਰਦਾ ਹੈ। ਜ਼ਿਆਦਾਤਰ ਸਮੱਗਰੀਆਂ ਅੰਗਰੇਜ਼ੀ ਅਤੇ ਸਪੈਨਿਸ਼ ਵਿੱਚ ਉਪਲਬਧ ਹਨ, ਪਰ ਕਿਰਪਾ ਕਰਕੇ ਆਪਣੀ ਤਰਜੀਹੀ ਭਾਸ਼ਾ ਵਿੱਚ ਸ਼ਾਮਲ ਹੋਣ ਦੇ ਮੌਕਿਆਂ ਬਾਰੇ ਪੁੱਛਣ ਲਈ thebellinghamplan@cob.org ਜਾਂ (360) 778-8310 'ਤੇ ਸਟਾਫ ਨਾਲ ਸੰਪਰਕ ਕਰੋ।
русском языке
Мы обновляем свой Комплексный план города Bellingham — документ, регулирующий развитие города в течение будущих двадцати лет. Данное обновление (План развития города Bellingham) должно быть выполнено в 2025 году. Оно будет регулировать развитие, капиталовложения, городские программы и другую деятельность в пределах города в процессе достижения наших целей на 2045 год. Каждый этап проекта будет включать возможности для взаимодействия с жителями сообщества в целом, а также технические задачи, выполняемые нашими сотрудниками. На данной странице размещена основная информация о возможностях взаимодействия. Большинство материалов доступны на английском и испанском языках, однако просим вас связаться с нашими сотрудниками по электронной почте thebellinghamplan@cob.org или номеру телефона (360) 778-8310, чтобы узнать о возможностях взаимодействия на удобном вам языке.
Tiếng Việt
Bellingham đang cập nhật Kế Hoạch Toàn Diện, tài liệu chúng tôi sử dụng để định hướng sự phát triển hướng tới tầm nhìn hai mươi năm trong tương lai. Bản cập nhật này (Kế Hoạch Bellingham) sẽ ra mắt vào năm 2025 và sẽ định hướng việc phát triển chung, đầu tư vào công trình cơ bản, chương trình của thành phố cùng các hành động khác trên toàn thành phố, trong khuôn khổ hành trình hướng tới tầm nhìn đến năm 2045. Mỗi giai đoạn của dự án sẽ mang đến các cơ hội đồng hành cùng cộng đồng lớn hơn xuyên suốt công việc kỹ thuật do nhân viên thực hiện. Trang này là nơi tập trung thông tin về các cơ hội tương tác đó. Hầu hết các tài liệu đều có sẵn bằng tiếng Anh và tiếng Tây Ban Nha, nhưng quý vị vui lòng liên hệ với nhân viên theo địa chỉ thebellinghamplan@cob.org hoặc (360) 778-8310 nếu muốn biết về cơ hội sử dụng ngôn ngữ ưu tiên của mình.
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The city could grow in a variety of ways and will likely grow in a combination of these ways. Let us know the pros and cons of each of the approaches on their individual comment boards. Click here to view the boards from the 9/26 Open House that explain how and why we plan for growth in Washington State.
Add pros and cons (or up-vote some else's comment) for an approach that focuses on Urban Villages. This would continue development of Downtown, Fairhaven, Samish Way and other urban villages with a mix of uses and opportunities for people to live close to jobs, transit, services, entertainment, and recreation.
Click here to move on to the next way the city could grow.
View All Ideas
Add your idea
16 days ago
Have commercial destinations adjacent to each other.
Some of the urban villages are set up so that going from one business to another in the same area requires walking through a parking lot. It would be way more pleasant & efficient & safe if commercial buildings would be clustered together. Related: residential developments that have also become superblocks. These development patterns increase driving.
about 1 month ago
Government-built condos
Singapore and Austria have programs where the gov builds condos to keep the housing a commodity instead of a speculative investment. Maybe if people rent to own high-quality condos then you can have a more sustainable economic model. The cost of housing is simply crazy. There's a lot of talk about creating affordable housing for "all income levels". But basically, that means tiny rentals for the poor with no way to build wealth with rent going out the window monthly. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Public_housing_in_Singapore https://www.huffpost.com/entry/vienna-affordable-housing-paradise_n_5b4e0b12e4b0b15aba88c7b0
16 days ago
Re-structure streets to fit an urban village context.
Since land use & transportation go together, it’s difficult to reconcile a wide arterial designed for throughput as part of a “village”. With limited choices of the locations for these main streets, they need to be redesigned according to Safe Systems principles – including more assertive street designs: using narrower drive lanes so that drivers are directed to drive at safer speeds, numerous raised crossings, tight corner radii, no right-turn-on-red, and more. (*If there’s also a narrow median, then the narrower (9-10’ drive lanes can still accommodate the 10.5-11’ desired by WTA.)
19 days ago
Speed limits in urban villages
2 months ago
People-friendly design, not car-oriented high-density jungles
So far, Bham's budding urban villages are too car oriented and do not integrate much needed tree canopy into the high-density site plans. Instead, the development plans are maxed out for maximum profit!!
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Add pros and cons (or up-vote some else's comment) for an approach that focuses on distributed nodes (similar to a "15-minute city" concept). This would allow small-scale commercial services to locate inside neighborhoods within walking distance of where people live.
Click here to move on to the next way the city could grow.
View All Ideas
Add your idea
13 days ago
Eliminate minimum parking requirements
These add $20,000 - $80,000 to the cost of every housing unit, they promote dependence on automobiles, they jack up rents. Other cities are doing away with them, most recently Austin. For more on this, https://whatcomhousingalliance.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/07/Parking-Report-Final-Draft-6.6.22.pdf and https://www.whatcomdemocrats.org/_files/ugd/fe4445_7406e1aef9c045c1a2e3cd098b1f4802.pdf.
16 days ago
Proximity to commercial & other services within neighborhoods – yes!
There’s lot of talk about rehabbing houses for people to age in place, this expands the concept to aging in place/the neighborhood. So, as people age out of driving, they can still be independent. Many neighborhoods are isolated from this easy access. // But, it would be blight if they required more surface parking lots. Two important notes: 15 minute cities need to include all income levels. Glad you are talking about nodes or 15 minute city since “walkable” is exclusive of people using wheelchairs.
about 2 months ago
I think it's important to add mini pockets of commercial zoning in order to create more walkable neighborhoods & reduce our carbon footprint
26 days ago
Smaller, well curated grocery stores within neighborhoods would be a game changer!! Especially with zero to little car parking.
Erase the food deserts!
about 1 month ago
Too spread out
Business do better in pockets like corridors rather than solo ventures.
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Add pros and cons (or up-vote some else's comment) for an approach that focuses on corridors (and transit-oriented development). This would allow higher-density development with more housing, offices, and commercial services to develop along transit corridors to support higher frequency bus service and reduce personal vehicle trips.
Click here to move on to the next way the city could grow.
View All Ideas
Add your idea
16 days ago
Create a place that is inviting and comfortable through sidewalk placement & lighting for pedestrian travel.
Some of the details that need to be updated from the Comp Plan to BMC +/or Development Guidelines: 1) sidewalk lighting that works for pedestrians going to destinations, as well as the bus drivers who need to stop for riders, 2) build sidewalks separated/set-back from the curb (current Comp Plan language only “encourages” and puts the planting strip between the sidewalk and the adjacent property.)
16 days ago
Use Safe Systems principles to improve corridor safety for all users.
These corridors need to be restructured according to Safe Systems principles – including more assertive street designs: using narrower drive lanes so that drivers are directed to drive at safer speeds, numerous raised crossings, tight corner radii, no right-turn-on-red, and more. (USDOT)
about 2 months ago
Right now the city as a whole is not walk-able & is very car-oriented. These corridors will help create a lively, walkable transition to DT.
16 days ago
City responsibility for arterial sidewalks
Have the city do cleanup on sidewalks that are adjacent to arterials – including snow removal. If we want people to get to the bus or walk where they need to go, the sidewalks should be included (instead of only plowing between the curbs). This goes double for clean up of HAWK light platforms.
26 days ago
Corridors sound car focused. Samish Way is still dangerous for all non car traffic. I'm really not convinced this would be a great solution.
Gotta make motorists feel uncomfortable first....
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Add pros and cons (or up-vote some else's comment) for an approach that focuses on areas with fewer opportunities today. This would direct investment for infrastructure like parks, trails, sidewalks , street lights, and libraries to recently annexed, low-income, or under-invested-in areas.
Click here to move on to the next way the city could grow.
View All Ideas
Add your idea
about 2 months ago
In order to create a better Bham, we need to uplift all of our community, especially those currently underserved!
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Add pros and cons (or up-vote some else's comment) for an approach that focuses on urban growth area (UGA) expansion. This would allow expansion of city boundaries to areas where new neighborhoods can be created and provide funding for extension of urban services.
View All Ideas
Add your idea
about 24 hours ago
Infill development alone will not solve our housing crisis
The city should mindfully expand its UGA to include land owners who are eager to build the much needed housing for our community. Greenfield development without sprawl is possible if done strategically.
about 1 month ago
This seems counterproductive to sustainability
16 days ago
Identify criteria that would negatively affect individuals & families
One consideration to reject expansion: How does an expansion or a development increase VMT? Increased “Vehicle miles travelled” -- results in higher risk of traffic crashes, climate change consequences, as well as cost burdens to families. (CNT’s Housing + Transportation Affordability Index)
about 23 hours ago
Missing middle and infill toolkit housing does not equate to affordability.
Passing legislation for higher density housing is a good first step, but this is not an immediate solution. Individual owners have the financial ability to build a few units at a time which will not solve our housing crisis. We need to build over 800 units per year, it's time the city embrace expansion to speed up our ability to add more housing to the market.
16 days ago
Consider the consequences for future generations
This is a choice that would continue to create a financial burden for all of us, as well as exacerbate our climate change situation. Just looking across the water at Victoria, their population within the city limits is similar to Bellingham’s on less than half the land. They are able to do so much more with their transportation infrastructure budget (similar $ amount for active transportation) because they aren’t having to cover so much territory.
College/University Student Survey
Project Documents
Open House Informational Boards
Click on the image below to view the boards that were presented at our recent Open House, held at Options High School on September 26, 2023.
Videos
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Did you miss the 9/20 Zoom Meeting? Watch the recording of the presentation portion for an overview of the project.
