City, Port policy makers schedule joint waterfront update
May 3
City and Port policy makers will hear a status report on
waterfront master planning and related waterfront development efforts at a
joint meeting planned for May 3, 2012.
The Bellingham City Council and the Port of Bellingham Board
of Commissioners have scheduled a joint public meeting from noon to 1:30 p.m.
Thursday, May 3 at Bellingham City Hall Council Chambers. The meeting will air
live as it is occurring on BTV10 and
on the City website,
and be posted online for on-demand viewing following the meeting.
At the May 3 meeting, Mayor Kelli Linville, Port Interim
Executive Director Rob Fix and other City and Port staff will provide a
presentation on waterfront master planning and related waterfront redevelopment
efforts. The presentation will describe proposed changes in redevelopment
phasing, including adjustments to the 2010 Draft
Sub-Area Plan and waterfront site cleanup and preparation steps
taken so far.
The presentation also will describe work items completed to
date and tasks still remaining before proposed planning documents can be
submitted for legislative and public review, expected later in 2012.
“The Port and the City are moving forward together on a proposal that emphasizes cleanup, public access and jobs,” Linville said. “The May 3 meeting is a status report to the City Council, Port Commissioners, and the communities we serve. We are making important progress and we still have more to do. People need to know what is happening with this project, including our plans to present a complete, practical and achievable plan to the Bellingham Planning Commission in the coming months.”
“The Port and the City are moving forward together on a proposal that emphasizes cleanup, public access and jobs,” Linville said. “The May 3 meeting is a status report to the City Council, Port Commissioners, and the communities we serve. We are making important progress and we still have more to do. People need to know what is happening with this project, including our plans to present a complete, practical and achievable plan to the Bellingham Planning Commission in the coming months.”
Port Commission President Scott Walker said he is pleased at
the collaboration between the Port and the City to move forward on waterfront
redevelopment.
“Our agencies have made a great deal of progress in
planning, site preparations and job creation,” Walker said. “Two early action
cleanups are completed, old structures removed, and other similar work well
underway. We’ve accommodated two businesses bringing 150 new jobs. Meanwhile,
extensive public participation has guided the waterfront master plan, and we’re
working now to recalibrate it to reflect community preferences and economic
realities. It is important for policy makers and community members to hear an
update about our work together as we look toward submitting a proposal for
legislative review this year,” he said.
