Public hearing regarding proposals in Puget Neighborhood

WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 12, 2014, 10:00 AM

City Council Chambers

City Hall, 210 Lottie Street

The City of Bellingham Hearing Examiner will hold a public hearing to take testimony on a couple of proposals (Public Works Variance Requests) in the Puget Neighborhood.

1.     This request relates to the Lincoln Street mixed development near Fred Meyer. The Applicant has requested to reduce the width of Maple Street to 11' (for each directional lane) with parking/curbs/gutters/sidewalk, and to reduce the width of the existing sidewalk on the east side of Lincoln Street from 8' to 5' 8" although City Planning Staff recommends this remain 8’ and further related plans are to be provided at the hearing. 

This item may be of interest to those desiring good city wide bicycle commuting, those with concerns about traffic and development along Lincoln, as well as those specifically interested in the Lincoln St./Maple St. area.  Additionally, Neighbors may wish to take the opportunity to comment about hearing processes, deadlines for public comments, and availability of plans and information.  Although written comments are required before or at the hearing, and verbal testimony should be possible at the hearing, apparently full plans and information won’t be available until the time of the hearing, making thoughtful consideration of the proposals by the public difficult.

2.     Here the Applicants wish to build a single-family home and improve the alley from Whatcom Street to access the lot. Although the lot abuts the private road part of Whatcom Street within the gated development between Puget Street and Nevada Street, apparently the Condo Association, owner of the road and the north and south adjacent properties, are not interested in allowing the Applicants to join the association at this time. The proposed alley improvement will run in an alley easement behind 4 existing homes where no visible alley or pathway exists. Currently, the easement contains established fences and an outbuilding. 
This item may be of interest to anyone concerned about city zoning and development issues, in-fill development strategies, development in an alley or alley easement bordering their property and those Neighbors in the Nevada Street/Whatcom Street area.

For more information, click here: http://www.cob.org/cob/HElog.nsf/$vAllByUnid/099A8B6E557C9FB288257C6F0075841F?OpenDocument