Community Design Chapter

It would be lovely if Bellingham could have more cohesion with sidewalks to promote the "human-scale streetscapes." As it stands now, some neighborhoods have sidewalks, others don't (and may have a ditch one needs to retreat to from careless drivers, and in many more cases sidewalks start and stop with little reason. More cohesion will help the pedestrian experience.

I also support better connections to the waterfront. It's unfortunate that we have a very large area from F street to Lafayette where there is no reasonable access to the waterfront. Ideally, there would be new pedestrian infrastructure that allows for access between the waterfront and neighborhoods over the bluff and railroad tracks.

I love that Bellingham is adding a Community Design chapter to the Comp Plan, and I really like what I'm reading. I hope the City will provide ample, well-advertised opportunities for the public to comment on the design criteria that will be established. (For my part, I am very tired of seeing new apartment buildings going up that are just big boxes painted three different shades of gray. Come on, folks, the sky is gray 3/4 of the year! And colored paint can't cost that much more!)

Future residential alleyways could be designed with more open space in mind. Leave a lot or two that would otherwise be for a home and dedicate it to a mini community garden, a basketball court, a fenced-in dog run, food truck parking, secure bike parking, an outdoor kitchen space, or simply an intentionally designed, well-lit, community gathering open space. Something that would be considered a hidden gem in an alley. The possibilities are endless!

I support activating our alleyways both downtown and throughout neighborhoods that are lucky enough to have alley homes. Streeteries in alleys, vendors and markets in alleys, hanging plants and floating art work along with string lights. Allow blank canvases for guerilla street art (thinking about WayPoint Park here). Encourage unique placemaking opportunities! There is such potential to make our downtown alleyways a "hidden" tourist destination.