Shuksan Middle School Cafeteria November 29, 2011 6:30-8:00 pm
Welcome: John Coleman, BNA President, welcomed neighbors to the meeting and reviewed the agenda.
North Sound Baykeepers: The team from North Sound Baykeepers gave a presentation on the pollution problem in Puget Sound caused by runoff of oil, fertilizers, pesticides, animal waste and soil trash. Motor oil is the single largest source of pollution. Polluted runoff causes 30% of the pollution in the Sound. Some ways to help decrease this pollution include:
The North Sound Baykeepers team plans to conduct a walking tour of Birchwood to show examples of runoff control in our neighborhood. If you know someone who might be interested in being part of the tour, please contact Lindsay Taylor, Project Coordinator for North Sound Baykeepers Team at LindsayT@re-sources.org. You are also invited to a watershed walk in the Lettered Streets, starting at 1301 J Street on Sat. Dec 3rd at 10am. The North Sound Baykeepers’ website gives more information on their mission and projects. (http://www.re-sources.org/programs/baykeeper)
HKP Architects: Julie Blazek gave a presentation on the firm’s history and its work as Campus Architects on Bellingham Technical College's campus for the past 15 years. The new Campus Center, which will be completed soon, has many environmentally friendly features such as a green roof, solar panels, day lighting, and rain gardens for runoff. Several other projects at BTC are currently underway: additional offices for the Campus Services building, 2 large labs and 2 classrooms for the Des McArdle Center, additional parking, and Whatcom Creek Fish Hatchery improvements. There is a pressing need for an expanded Health Sciences facility due to huge waiting list for the Nursing program. Eve Magyar and David Jungkunst from BTC answered a question about the possibility of instituting paid parking on campus. They stated that students have had to absorb increased tuition costs and paid parking would be an additional burden. Also, if paid parking was adopted, it could push parking into the neighborhood rather than keeping it confined to the BTC campus.
Portable toilet funding for Birchwood Park: This year, the Birchwood Neighborhood Association paid for a portable toilet in Birchwood Park for 5 months. It was financed by a generous grant from Whatcom Educational Credit Union and Birchwood neighbors’ donations. We would like to provide this facility again next year. A small portable toilet costs $95/month and an ADA portable toilet costs $150/month. We will approach WECU again for a grant and solicit donations from neighbors and others who use the Park. Steven Trinkaus, owner of Bellingham’s Everyday Public Market on Cornwall Ave., has offered to match donations up to $250. If you would like to donate to this project, please send the donation, payable to BNA, to Becky Schlotterback, 2611 Lafayette, Bellingham, WA. 98225.
Opportunities to serve on BNA Board: An election for open Birchwood Neighborhood Board positions will be held at the January 17th BNA meeting. Becky Schlotterback, BNA Treasurer, explained that anyone who has lived in Bellingham for a year and is a resident of Birchwood Neighborhood or owns a business in the Neighborhood is eligible to run for a Board position. A Board member’s term of office is three years. The Board meets once a month. Please contact Becky Schlotterback, rebecca.schlotterback@comcast.net if you are interested or have questions.
Questions and Answer Time with Jack: Our councilman, Jack Weiss, shared information and answered questions from the neighbors concerning City and neighborhood issues:
Our next Birchwood Neighborhood Meeting will be Tues. Jan. 17th The Bellingham School District Superintendent and Assistant Superintendent will discuss plans for the Birchwood Elementary remodel.
]]>Shuksan Middle School Cafeteria September 20, 2011 6:30-8:00 pm
Welcome: Becky Schlotterback welcomed neighbors and informed them about the Bellingham Bay Marathon that will be using some trails and streets in our Neighborhood on Sept. 25th. She also reminded people to sign in, encouraged membership donations, and pointed out the 3x5 cards that could be used for submitting meeting ideas and comments.
House 2 Home presentation: Abby Lund, from the House 2 Home Network Virtual Furniture Bank at Whatcom Volunteer Center, explained how the organization helps people who were recently homeless and acquired housing through housing case management. Her organization has volunteers pick up furniture items from donors and deliver them to clients’ new homes. They have the greatest need for bookcases, dressers and dining sets. They also need volunteers to help pick up and deliver furniture. You may contact her at: abbyl@whatcomvolunteer.org
Squalicum Park, Phase III plans: Jonathan Schilk, a landscape architect for the Bellingham Parks Department, gave the development history of Squalicum Park to date. The project started in 2004, with Phase I completed in 2008. This included site preparation with demolition and removal of concrete, building a baseball field, putting in parking and a restroom. Phase II of the Park, day-lighting a salmon-enhancement stream, was completed this year.
Phase III will start this year with a site survey and site sculpting. The majority of the work will start in 2014. This will included a softball field, a fenced “bark-park”, picnic area, multi-use field, underground wiring, an internal trail loop, volleyball and basketball courts, extended parking, an office area and restroom.
Several neighbors expressed their wish to keep the hill in the Park. This hill was created with soil moved in to develop a second baseball field. The hill is considered the best amenity of the Park by many of the Park users. The funds used to purchase Squalicum Park were designated to provide a community athletic area. Significant community input was used in designing the Master Plan for this Park. In order to change the Master Plan in order to keep the hill, there would need to be a public discussion of the issue, a conclusion supporting a Master Plan amendment, submission of the amendment to the Parks Advisory Board, and final consideration by the City Council. For further information and opportunity to comment, there will be a public meeting on October 6th, from 7-8:30pm, in Building G at Bellingham Technical College.
Questions and Answer Time with Jack Weiss: Jack Weiss, our City Councilman, shared information that would affect us and our City. He also took questions from the neighbors concerning City and neighborhood issues.
The clean-up of Little Squalicum Creek Park is nearing completion and the Park should be opened very soon. There was more toxic waste in the Park than initially thought. Many trees had to be removed leaving the Park with larger fields than planned. There will be a total of 11,000 plants put in along the creek. The fields have been seeded with grass. At this time the City does not have funds to replant the entire Park. It was suggested that the Neighborhood Association investigate ways of helping to replant the Park.
The State is mandating that Bellingham have water meters installed on houses by 2017. Bellingham and Everett are the only large cities in the State that are not on water meters. Households may request the installation of water meters sooner than 2017. Many people find they are paying less if they have their water metered. To request a meter or estimate your water consumption, go to: www.cob.org/utilities and select Voluntary Water Metering Program
Maplewood Avenue is in need of resurfacing. It is in very poor condition and has unpaved parking strips. It creates a hazard for bicycle and pedestrian traffic. One neighbor said it is an embarrassment as a main entry into the Neighborhood. Jack Weiss will check with Transportation to see what could be done. Starting next year, there will be funds available for pedestrian and bicycle improvements. Neighborhood will decide the 3 most important improvements needed and will submit them for consideration to the City. Maplewood Ave. could be included on this list.
The Chuckanut Ridge purchase was discussed. The main issue now concerns financing the loan the City made to itself from one of the Greenway accounts. One idea was selling off a portion of the land to pay off the loan.
Kulshan Community Land Trust will be building a total of four houses with 2 ADUs on their four lots at the end of Indiana St. They don’t need and are not requesting special zoning for the project.
]]>BTC Surge Space update: Dave Jungkuntz and Eve Magyar presented the site plan for Bellingham Technical College. They explained the Surge Space construction that will continue to the end of the year. They will be adding classrooms and electronics labs. More space will be added to the Campus Center. Additional parking spaces will be created, as well as rain gardens to manage water runoff. BTC has a webcam that will provide viewing of the construction on certain sections of the campus. To access BTC construction updates, go to www.bet.ctc.edu and use the QUICKLINKS pull down menu in the upper right corner. Updates are posted every other week.
Plastic Bag Reduction Ordinance: Brooks Anderson handed out information about the problems caused by single-use plastic bags. She outlined the benefits of reusable bags, including less litter on the land and ocean and reduced land fill waste and cost. Bellingham uses 22 million plastic bags a year. The “Bag It Bellingham” group is proposing a ban on plastic carryout bags as well as a 5 cent charge on recycled paper carryout bags. The fee will encourage the switch to reusable bags. The fee will stay with the retailer to cover costs of the paper bags. To express your support of this ordinance, contact City councilmembers. More information is available at: www.bagitbellingham.com or www.facebook.com/bagitbellingham
Earthquake Preparedness: Flip Breskin described the “Map Your Neighborhood” program that explains how to prepare your home and neighborhood for disasters. In a disaster, first responders may not be able to help you. Your neighbors will be your resource for help. When you meet with your neighbors to “Map Your Neighborhood”, you will make 3 lists: who has what skills, who has what supplies, and who lives where. The “Map Your Neighborhood” booklet tells you what to do first. One thing that everyone should do is have a bag under the bed with sturdy shoes, a flash light, and hardhat or helmet. “Map Your Neighborhood” takes only one person on any block to start it. That person invites the block neighbors to a meeting to go over the “Map Your Neighborhood” information. Flip Breskin would be willing to present at such meetings. If she is not available, there is a “Map Your Neighborhood” DVD. The presentation takes 90 minutes. Contact Flip Breskin at: flip@breskin.com You may also ask to join the email list for Flip’s Columbia Neighborhood newsletter that has great information for all neighborhoods. If you wish to be on her email list, include your name, address, phone number, and email address in your message to Flip.
Sheriff Department Presentation: Sheriff Bill Elfo and Corrections Deputy, Wendy Jones gave a presentation outlining the many responsibilities of the Whatcom County Sheriff’s Department. The Department patrols 2000 sq. miles, and serves 201,000 residents. It works with all other law enforcement agencies and public safety agencies. There has been a significant drop in crime over 5 years, but there has been a rise in crime in the last year. A major concern of the Sheriff’s Department is the increase in gangs in Whatcom County. There are 18 active gangs with over 400 members. The white supremacist gangs are the most prevalent in Whatcom County. The Sheriff’s Department has assigned a team of deputies to focus on the gang problems. Another pressing issue for the Sheriff’s Department is the out-dated, over-crowded jail. The jail was built to house 148 prisoners and currently averages 290. The Sheriff’s department would like to see a jail built close to I-5 that would meet current needs and be able to expand, as needed, over time. You can contact the Sheriff’s Department at: www.whatcomcountysheriff.org
Announcements:
Birchwood Park Port-a-potty: The Birchwood Neighborhood Association is renting a Port-a-potty for the Birchwood Park from May through September, the highest park use period. The Bellingham Parks Department budget was not able to pay for the facility. The BNA felt this was a sanitation and safety issue and decided to pay for it through BNA dues and donations. The cost to cover this time period is $520. At this point BNA has collected $300 in donations to support the portable toilet. Donations may be sent to: BNA, c/o Becky Schlotterback, 2611 Lafayette St., Bellingham, WA 98225
New Neighborhood Church: Nate Walker told us about Christ’s Church that has newly located in the church building next to Birchwood Elementary. The church is planning to be of service to the Neighborhood residents. Nate encouraged neighbors to contact them or attend the Church services.
Cozy Corner Book Store: The bookstore has moved to the Northwest Shopping Center across from Yeagers. They have a larger space and serve espresso drinks. Several cards giving free espresso drinks were given out.
Annual Birchwood Neighborhood Picnic: The annual picnic will be held on Sunday, August 7th, from 3:00-5:00pm. Hot dogs, veggie burgers, and watermelon will be provided. Potluck dishes are welcome. More information will be coming later in the summer.
]]>Welcome: Barb Campbell welcomed the neighbors to the meeting and reviewed the agenda.
Graffiti Action and Prevention—Rick Flug introduced Shuksan principal, Andy Mark, and teacher, Theo Milne who spoke about the efforts Shuksan Middle School has made to eliminate graffiti around the School. A group of Theo Milne’s students painted out graffiti on the Masonic Lodge. Andy Mark encouraged neighbors to take a photo of the graffiti and call the police to report graffiti whenever they see it. If the graffiti is not painted over quickly, other graffiti is likely to occur. Rick Flug, who has been active in solving some of the neighborhood graffiti problems, shared what he has learned about discouraging graffiti in our Neighborhood. He noted that we want to prevent the “Broken Window Syndrome” where areas with damage will attract more damage. Most of the graffiti in Birchwood is not gang related but is general tagging. If graffiti is removed within 24-48 hours, less graffiti will recur.
Birchwood School Garden: Birchwood teacher, Kelly Morgan and Birchwood parent, Matt Conour shared the plans for the School Garden after the students are relocated to Cordata Elementary during the remodel of Birchwood. The garden will be maintained and improved during this time. Matt Conour has built several gates and fences, a large composting box, installed water lines and will soon be building a 10’x10’ shed for the property. An Eagle Scout is building a potting table. This spring, the Birchwood students will plant the garden. The Whatcom Garden Collective is starting a Youth Garden Corps that will care for the garden during the school remodel period. Shuksan students will also be involved with the garden. On April 23rd, there will be a garage sale with all proceeds going to support the garden. There will also be a work party at the garden after Spring Vacation. Kelly Morgan asked the neighbors to keep an eye on the garden and provide a presence by walking through it occasionally. A question was asked about access to the play equipment as well as the garden during the remodel. The Neighborhood Association will contact Superintendent Baker about maintaining access to both areas, if possible.
Shore Stewards: Chery Lovato-Niles presented information about creating a healthy shoreline and marine environment. A short movie, “Shifting Baselines” pointed out many negative changes over the last 100 years in the marine environment. Even if we are not on the water, we can negatively affect the marine environment from a distance. Shore Stewards is a program that addresses the issues of creating and maintaining a healthy marine environment. Cheryl provided materials, including guide books, signs and DVDs for interested neighbors.
Birchwood Port-a-Potty: Barb Campbell told the neighbors about the removal of the portable toilet from Birchwood Park. The Parks Department is not able to provide one at this time due to budget constraints. The BNA Board would like to fund a port-a-potty in the Park for the summer months through membership dues and donations. The cost is $95/month with a one-time $45 delivery fee. The number of months we are able to fund will depend on the amount of donations and dues that can be collected. A parent will be talking to Birchwood PTA about helping in this project. One neighbor said she had seen a blog comment from a parent who was hoping to organize people to fund a port-a-potty. She will follow up on that blog comment and let the person know the BNA is involved in the gathering funds for it.
Board Members present: Barb Campbell, Dan Welch, Rick Flug, Stephanie Twiford, Jon Raney, Scott Rockwell
Board Member absent: Sue DenAdel, Becky Schlotterback, Cari Duffy, John Coleman
]]>Welcome: John Coleman, acting president, welcomed neighbors to the meeting and reviewed the meeting agenda. All Board members were present.
Northwest Avenue Bike Lanes
Councilman Jack Weiss reported on the status of the Bike Lane proposal. The City Council voted 7-0 in favor of having a stakeholders meeting about the NW bike lanes. The lanes will be on Northwest Ave, Elm Street and Dupont. Public Works will investigate the route to decide how the bike lanes will be set up. The stakeholders meeting should be in March or April. After the meeting, the plan will go to the City Council.
Perry Eskridge noted that many students and adults are jaywalking near his Whatcom Realtors Association office on Northwest. He feels that more pedestrian crosswalks are needed to remedy this dangerous situation. Jack Weiss said the Speed Camera that will be installed on Northwest at Shuksan should provide more safety for pedestrians by enforcing speed limits.
Margaret Rudy from DeWild’s Nursery expressed her concern for the safety of jaywalking students from Shuksan School. She suggested that a crosswalk placed next to the bus stops would improve the situation. Jack Weiss said that was a possibility. There are plans to move the bus stops by Albertson’s and Rite Aid closer to the lit crosswalk to discourage jaywalking in that area.
An audience member asked about the cost of putting in the proposed bike lanes. Jack Weiss estimated it would cost around $50,000. There was a discussion about the benefit and cost of regular crosswalks compared to lit crosswalks.
Louise Bjornson brought up the need for sidewalks on McLeod and Maplewood. She noted that this project has been needed since the 1980s. Jack Weiss said that the Transportation Commission is reviewing projects that haven’t been done. If you have questions for the commission, email transportation@cob.org
Neighborhood and Special Projects Coordinator
Linda Stewart, the Mayor’s Neighborhood and Special Projects Coordinator, explained her responsibilities to the neighborhood associations of Bellingham. At this time, there are 25 neighborhoods associations. The City of Bellingham is providing $500 to each association to use for outreach and association costs. A question was asked about the possibility of the Alderwood area forming a neighborhood association even though it is outside of the City limits. Linda Stewart said she would be available to give advice and guidance to any group that wished to organize an association.
In response to a question about the progress of the Waterfront Development project, Linda Stewart said the Master Plan Draft should be completed in the first quarter of 2011 and be sent to the Planning Department for review.
Rental Licensing Program
Dan Welch, Birchwood’s Mayor’s Advisory Commission representative, informed us about a rental licensing program that is being considered for the City of Bellingham. Dan will forward information to the Neighborhood as it comes to him. There are two parts to the proposal. One is to license the people who rent property, and the other is an inspection program. The City Council has a policy analyst gathering information to determine how they will proceed. The website, www.zonemaven.blogspot.com is promoting the adoption of the program. Perry Eskridge of the Whatcom Realtors Association, perrye@wcar.net , is available to present information against adopting the program. Right now there is a “complaint-basis” system to address rental problems.
Kulshan Community Land Trust - Lafayette Affordable Housing Project
Paul Schissler and Dean Fearing of the Kulshan Community Land Trust gave an update on the progress of the Lafayette project. The property is approximately 2 acres and has 22 buildable lots. Paul and Dean then took questions from the audience. They explained that the financial difficulties they encountered with the Ferndale KCLT project. The Lafayette project is a separate project and has access to funds through the City of Bellingham. At this point, there is not an architect hired for the project but there should be one by this summer. The many audience members expressed serious concern about the density of housing, the style of housing, the impact on traffic and parking. A lengthy discussion of the issues was held. Paul noted that KCLT housing is not rental property. It will be owner occupied. It is also affordable housing, not low income housing. The trail system will be improved. He recognized that traffic and parking issues must be addressed. They will be meeting with Madrona homeowners at Don Anderson’s home in February to continue gathering input on the project. There will also be public meetings for Neighborhood input as planning continues on the project. The BNA will email information to the Neighborhood as it is received from KCLT. Information about KCLT is available on their website: www.kulshanclt.org. You may contact Paul Schissler (paulschissler@kulshanclt.org at KCLT with further questions.
Election of New Board Members
Becky Schlotterback went over the requirements for serving on the BNA Board. She introduced the seven current Board members: John Coleman, Stephanie Twiford, Barbara Campbell, Sue Denadel, Cari Duffy, Becky Schlotterback, and Dan Welch. There were four vacancies on the Board that could be filled. Three people volunteered to serve on the Board: Jon Raney, Scott Rockwell, and Rick Flug. Each person introduced himself and told why he is interested in serving on the Board. Since there were four Board vacancies and three people willing to serve, a vote was not needed and the three volunteers were approved as BNA Board members.
Next BNA general meeting will be March 22nd.
Attendance: approx.40
]]>Welcome: Board member Stephanie Twiford welcomed neighbors to the meeting.
Board members in attendance were RebeccaSchlotterback, Cari Duffey, Dan Welch, & Sue DenAdel
Birchwood PTA Scrip Program:
Jennifer McAuley from the Birchwood PTA told everyone about the script program. This is a fundraising program for Birchwood School. Anyone in the neighborhood can buy scrip, which is like a gift card from the Birchwood school office.
Bellingham Police Department:
Officer Kat Dearborn, Bellingham Police Dept., told everyone about several break-ins that have occurred in the neighborhood in the last few weeks. Most have happened in the daytime and windows have been broken to gain access. The break-ins have been on Pinewood, Patton, Cedarwood and Birchwood. There have also been break-ins on Laurelwood and McLeod, but the break in method was different, so the police are not sure if it’s the same people.
She suggested neighbors add 3” screws to your door locks. This can make a door more secure and harder to kick in. Also having a dog can make the home not as desirable for break-in. Alarms and security systems can also a huge deterrent to burglars.
Bellingham Technical College:
Presenters: Eve Magyar, Capital Project Manager emagyar@btc.ctc.edu and
David Jungkuntz, Facilities Manager kjungkun@btc.ctc.edu
BTC is six months into the major construction at the school. The new buildings are rated LEED Silver, a rating system used by the US Green Building Association. http://www.usgbc.org/DisplayPage.aspx?CMSPageID=222 Washington State requires public building more than 5,000sf to follow these guidelines.
Enrollment is up 10% and more students are driving to school. There are parking challenges and the school is trying to handle them. They have implemented pay parking. There should be 150 additional parking spaces at the start of Fall quarter next year. In the new catalog the school is directing students to enter the school via the new W Illinois road off Marine Drive instead of through Cedarwood to Pinewood/Patton. If neighbors have concerns please contact either of the above contacts.
Eve also said that there is a real time web cam on the school website. (I looked and could not find it) She also said she would give a chocolate bar for the best email question.
Transitions Whatcom/Transition Birchwood:
David MacLeod with Transitions Whatcom/Transition Birchwood group has concerns about depletion of resources, impact on environment and financial disruptions. On a neighborhood level the group wants to share skills & work groups. They offer classes in gardening, permaculture & potlucks to help connect on a neighborhood level and build community in the neighborhood.
Contact David at http://transitionwhatcom.ning.com/profile/DavidMacLeod
General Discussion:
Janet Elise elsch2920@hotmail.com spoke for many of the neighbors that live close to the Kulshan Community Land Trust proposed project. She said they have not received any information from KCLT. All of these neighbors live on the block that the project backs up to and say they have received no information about meetings or about the project at all. These neighbors want to know what is happening and try to separate fact from rumor. Janet has volunteered to be the contact for neighbors that have questions about the project and want more information from KCLT. Jack Weiss said he would contact KCLT as a City Council member, Stephanie said the board would also make contact with KCLT to try to get better information from KCLT for the neighborhood.
Jack Weiss shared that the City Council was considering speeding/red light cameras. There would be a speeding camera by Shuksan Middle School.
Louise Bjornson shared an article called History Runs Deep about Bellingham Coal Mines, from Whatcom Life, March 2, 2008. Many of the coal mines in Bellingham are under the Birchwood neighborhood.
There will be several Birchwood Neighborhood Association Board vacancies at the end of this year. The election of new Board members will be at the January 25th BNA meeting. If you would like to become more involved in Birchwood Neighborhood issues, we encourage you to consider serving on the Board. It is a three-year term and requires attending monthly Board meetings and bi-monthly General meetings. Contact Rebecca Schlotterback at Rebecca.Schlotterback@comcast.net if you are interested.
]]>Birchwood Elementary Sept. 28, 2010 6:30-8 pm
Welcome: Adrienne Battis, President, welcomed neighbors to the meeting and reviewed the meeting agenda.
Membership Donations:
Becky Schlotterback explained how membership dues support the BNA. Several of the items paid for membership donations are: rental of Birchwood Elementary for meetings, newsletter printing, website maintenance, and the annual picnic supplies.
Little Squalicum Creek Park Clean-up Update:
Gina Austin, Bellingham Parks Department, gave a comprehensive review of the contaminated materials clean-up that is taking place in Little Squalicum Creek Park.
The clean-up is supervised by the Environmental Protection Agency and is paid for by Oeser. The contamination came from materials previously used by the Oeser pole mill in telephone pole treatment. Bellingham Parks Department worked with the EPA to keep the project consistent with the Parks Master Plan for this area. The final park layout will follow the Master plan.
Most of the contaminated soil was moved to the Oeser property for proper containment. More contamination was found in the Park than originally estimated. Some contaminated materials will be relocated and capped within the Park itself. This was not the City or Parks Department preferred option, but the EPA determined that is was a feasible solution.
The project work, covering 8-10 acres of land, was estimated to take 30 days and is currently a month over schedule. Since the contamination is more extensive that first thought, the work will not be finished until the end of October. This will require a heavy work schedule with trucks and machinery operating daily for many hours.
The estuary that was planned for the Park will not be built at this time. Contamination was also found in that site. This contamination was not from Oeser, so the clean-up is not funded as part of the current EPA project. The estuary site will be developed at a later date after working with the State Department of Ecology on the clean-up plans.
Due the extent of the contamination in the Park, much of the area had to be clear-cut. The cut logs and trees will be used in the park. Trees that were 8” or smaller were chipped up and that material will also be used in the park. Trees with contaminated roots were sent to an appropriate landfill. Oeser will pay for meadow grass seeding of areas that were cleared and the planting of 11,000 plants in the wetlands area. Oeser is responsible for maintenance of these plantings for two years.
The EPA does not require reforestation of the Park and the Parks Department does not have the funds to do it. There will be a plan developed for re-planting the Park. The Parks Department Volunteer Coordinator will be able to guide groups who wish to contribute to and participate in the reforesting of the Park. One stand of cottonwood trees that was not on contaminated soil was left in the Park. There may be some blow-down of the trees now that they are more exposed.
If you have questions or concerns about the Park clean-up, you may contact Howard Orlean, EPA superfund project manager, at (206) 553-2851. More information on the cleanup is available online at go.usa.gov/ltk . Scroll down to Little Squalicum Creek. Gina Austin, Parks Department, can be contacted by email at gaustin@cob.org Complete information on the Park Master Plan is available at:
http://www.cob.org/government/departments/parks/projects/little-squalicum-park-master-plan.aspx
Airport Impact on Community:
Matt Paskus, community activist, presented a video and slide show he developed as a college thesis concerning the negative impact of a large airport on a community. Air traffic at Bellingham Airport has increased dramatically in last few years that led to increased noise and emissions. He suggested that the Airport adds berms or trees for noise abatement, but has not found the Port receptive to his requests. Matt also questioned the need for a large airport in our area due to other nearby airports that are considering expansion and the proximity of the Abbotsford, B.C. airport that currently can handle 747s. He stated that 80% of air passengers using Bellingham Airport are from Canada. More information is available on his website: www.blinet.org. A King 5 news report by Glenn Farley about the Bellingham Airport growth is available at www.king5.com. Type “Bellingham Airport cheap tickets” in the search bar.
Audience members expressed concerns about the increased helicopter traffic and flight patterns over the Neighborhood. At the end of the meeting, Port Commissioner, Mike McAuley, noted the concern many people have about the Airport and its expansion. He felt that it would be beneficial to have a community meeting concerning airport issues and will investigate that possibility.
Kulshan Community Land Trust Housing Project
Paul Schissler, project manager, reviewed the progress of the Lafayette/Indiana St. affordable housing project. In June, the Bellingham City Council approved the vacation of the undeveloped portion Lafayette Street, north of W. Illinois, along with a short protion of W. Indiana. This allowed the KCLT project planning to continue. There will be a 30’ easement on the east portion of the project that will be developed as an ADA accessible trail for the public, landscaping and no homes. This will also be used as a utilities easement. Twelve teams of engineers, surveys and planners have submitted ideas for the development. The project will be composed of 20 or more single-family, owner-occupied homes on individual lots. The public will soon have opportunities to give input. We will e-mail Neighborhood residents when Paul has the dates for public meetings.
The audience expressed concerns about the number of houses proposed, the change in the Neighborhood character, and the potential negative effect on property values. Paul felt the project would have a positive effect on the neighborhood since the homes will be owner-occupied and well cared for. KCLT also manages the project and requires good maintenance of the homes and land in its owners’ contracts. Councilman Jack Weiss and another audience member provided positive comments in support of the KCLT organization and KCLT projects. Concerns and questions about the project can be e-mailed to Paul Schissler, paulschissler@kulshanclt.org.
Northwest Ave. Bike Lanes Proposal
Councilman Jack Weiss reported that the Fountain District Urban Village plan was approved by the City Council on Monday. This allows mixed residential and commercial development of the area. The transportation plan for this area included bike lanes along Northwest Ave. and Elm Street. Jack feels that we should consider continuing bike lanes up Northwest to the freeway. There is not enough space on Northwest Ave. for traffic, parking and bike lanes. He recommends removing parking from one side of Northwest to accommodate a bike lane. The bike lane could alternate sides of Northwest as parking needs dictate. Currently, traffic traveling on Northwest Ave. exceeds the speed limit. The addition of a bike lane would narrow Northwest Ave., which should slow traffic speeds. Jack will be organizing a community meeting soon to discuss the bike lane options and we will e-mail Neighborhood residents when date, time and location are set.
An audience member asked about the addition of traffic cameras in Bellingham. Jack reported that there would be a public hearing concerning this issue on Monday, Oct. 4, at 7pm., in the City Council Chamber.
Box tops for Birchwood School
Birchwood PTA is collecting food labels and box tops to earn play equipment for Birchwood Elementary students. There is a box to deposit labels near the school office. Also, people may go to www.fredmeyer.com, click on Services, then School Programs, and register their Fred Meyer’s card to give credit to Birchwood Elementary every time they shop at Fred Meyer.
Birchwood Neighborhood Association Board Vacancies
There will be several Birchwood Neighborhood Association Board vacancies at the end of this year. The election of new Board members will be at the January 25th BNA meeting. If you would like to become more involved in Birchwood Neighborhood issues, we encourage you to consider serving on the Board. It is a three-year term and requires attending monthly Board meetings and bi-monthly General meetings. Contact Barb Campbell, BNA Secretary, if you are interested: campbell2920@comcast.net
Birchwood Neighborhood Association: www.birchwoodneighborhood.org
Meeting Attendance: Approx. 35
]]>Birchwood Elementary School May 24, 2010 6:30-8:00 pm
Board Members in attendance:
Adrienne Battis, Pres. John Coleman, V P. Linda Long, Treas. Dan Welch
Barb Campbell, Sec. Becky Schlotterback Andrew Davis
Welcome: Adrienne Battis, President, welcomed neighbors to the meeting. Recognition was given to Little Caesar’s for donated pizzas.
Announcements:
Picnic: Adrienne Battis announced that the Annual Birchwood Neighborhood Picnic would be held on Sunday, August 1st, from 4-6pm. There will be food, games and neighborhood news. Hamburgers and veggie burgers will be provided. People are welcome to bring side dishes if they wish. More information will be sent out by e-mail closer to the picnic date.
Newsletter: The Birchwood Newsletter is printed and is available in letterboxes around the neighborhood.
Faith Lutheran Community Garden: Andrew Davis announced that Faith Lutheran Church on McLeod and Northwest will be creating a community garden with raised-beds. Neighbors who are interested in garden space should contact Sharon Swanson, pastor at Faith Lutheran.
Urban Gardens
Dan Welch presented information supporting the development of urban gardens in Birchwood Neighborhood. Our neighborhood’s large lots make it ideal for preserving of green space and creating garden opportunities for the residents. Dan introduced several local groups that support the development of urban gardens:
The next general BNA meeting will be Tuesday, September 28th.
]]>Board Members in attendance:
John Coleman, V P., Barb Campbell, Sec., Linda Long, Treas., Sue DenAdel, Stephanie Twiford, Cari Duffy, Becky Schlotterback, Andrew Davis
Welcome: John Coleman, BNA Vice President, welcomed neighbors to the meeting. Recognition was given to Albertson’s for donated cookies and Little Caesar’s for donated pizzas.
Announcements: John Coleman announced the 3rd Annual Birchwood Community Party to be held on March 30th at Shuksan Middle School from 6-8 pm. Proceeds from the event will be used for a college scholarship fund for local students.
Fireworks Regulation: Barb Campbell introduced Clay Butler, a Fairhaven neighbor who would like to see the city of Bellingham ban fireworks. Clay has presented to all of the neighborhood associations in Bellingham. He handed out information about current State, County, and City fireworks regulations. Included was a spreadsheet listing cities that ban or regulate fireworks for all of the counties in Washington State. Clay plans to ask the City Council to consider a ban on fireworks sometime in the future. If neighbors have questions or wish to be involved in his campaign to change Bellingham’s fireworks regulations, they can contact Clay Butler via e-mail at butlers@Juno.com
Bellingham Airport Plans: Stephanie Twiford introduced Art Choat, Aviation Director for Port of Bellingham. Art gave a presentation covering the history of development at Bellingham Airport from 1941 to the present. Currently the airport handles over 300,000 passengers a year. Allegiant Air has 44 flights per week. Horizon, Alaska and Allegiant Air provide the commercial flights from Bellingham airport. Allegiant Air offers the most flights per week (44). Canadians make up 50-55% of the passengers using Bellingham Airport.
Art’s presentation also gave details on a large project to rehab the runway. The project will cost 27 million dollars. Work will start in April, with the majority of the work happening September 1st – 21st when the Airport will be closed.
Art answered questions about the type of airplanes that use the Airport, the differences in noise levels of those planes, the type of planes that will be able to use the Airport after the runway rehab, the hours of flights, the flight paths of planes, and the limits to airport growth.
Art also showed plans for a second project, the improvement and enlargement of the terminal, which will be done over the next 7 years. The current terminal is operating at 300% of capacity. The terminal project will cost 25 million dollars.
If neighbors have complaints about the Airport or specific aircraft, they should call 425-227-1999. In order to follow up on airplane complaints, the tail number of the offending airplane is usually necessary.
Bellingham Technical College Project: Debra Jones updated the Neighborhood on plans for construction of the Campus Center project. Construction should start in April or May and continue into the fall. Excel Pacific, a local contractor, will do the construction. Some current parking lots around BTC may be disrupted by the project. Additional parking will be built during the construction. More information on the Campus Center is available in the following article: http://www.btc.ctc.edu/welcome/News/BBJ-StudentCenter.pdf
Linda Long noted that there is already a large amount of truck traffic through the Neighborhood, especially on Cedarwood Ave. She asked that BTC have the contractor route the construction traffic down Bennett and Marine Drive to enter BTC in order to lessen the impact on the Neighborhood.
The issue of speeding cars leaving and going to BTC was discussed. It was suggested that signs be placed around the Neighborhood to remind drivers about the speed limits. If BTC is able to make the signs, the neighbors will put them in their yards.
Problems with the intersection at Nome, Lindbergh, and Nequalicum were noted. BTC cannot make any modifications to the intersection. It is a Bellingham Public Works responsibility.
Any questions about the BTC project can be forwarded to:
Debra Jones djones@btc.ctc.edu or Eve Magyar@btc.ctc.edu
Approximate attendance at the meeting: 35
]]>Birchwood Elementary School January 26, 2010, 6:30-8:00pm
Board Members in attendance:
Adrienne Battis, Pres., Barbara Campbell, Sec. , Linda Long, Treas., Sue DenAdel, Rebecca Schlotterback, Stephanie Twiford, Dan Welch, Cameron Garcia, John Coleman
Welcome: Adrienne Battis, BNA President
Announcements: Adrienne Battis reminded people to fill out a membership form. The donation is $15. She also noted that BNA newsletters and announcements would be sent via e-mail. Adrienne introduced Linda Stewart, City of Bellingham Neighborhood Services Coordinator.
Board Member Elections: Becky Schlotterback reviewed the requirements to be a Birchwood Neighborhood Association Board Member. A person must live, have property, or have a business in the Birchwood neighborhood. The term for a Board Member is 3 years. At the time of the meeting, there were seven Board positions open. Six nominees; Barb Campbell, John Coleman, Sue DenAdel, Rebecca Schlotterback, Stephanie Twiford, and Andrew Davis gave personal background information concerning their interest in the Neighborhood and Board. Barb Campbell read an e-mail from the seventh nominee, Cari Duffy, since she was not able to attend the meeting due to illness. It was moved, seconded, and passed that we accept the slate of seven nominees as new Board Members. Officers for vacant positions will be elected at the next Board meeting on Feb. 22nd
Louise Bjornson Recognition: Stephanie Twiford introduced our recently retired City Council person, Louise Bjornson. Louise gave a quick review of her history working on the City Council for Bellingham. She told us about the special things in Birchwood Neighborhood. The City’s recycling program was started in our Neighborhood. Louise was instrumental in preserving the 25mph speed limits on our neighborhood streets. Louise brought a map showing the coalmine tunnels under Birchwood Neighborhood. The mines closed in 1956. Due the existence of the mine tunnels, the area just west of Northwest Ave. might need engineering investigation before heavy development. Birchwood has been known for its good soil. The big lots allowed for Victory Gardens during World War II. It is important that the Neighborhood work to conserve this good soil. In earlier years, the Birchwood Neighborhood was known as a low crime area. Over time there have been changes in the housing density in Birchwood. In 1980, the apartment area zoning density increased. Louise encouraged us to protect against major increases in the density of the Neighborhood. She noted the recent development of parks in Birchwood. The first park was on Maplewood Ave. by Shuksan Middle School. Now we have parks on Cedarwood Ave. and Squalicum Parkway. New parks are planned along Little Squalicum Creek and at the intersection of McLeod and Maplewood. Louise noted that Birchwood still needs more parks and open space for the number of people in our neighborhood. She asked that we watch as parks are developed to be sure they meet the neighborhood needs. She said, “Great neighborhoods do not happen by accident”.
Councilman Jack Weiss Jack thanked Louise Bjornson for her years of Council service. Jack informed us about planned bus service reductions that would affect our Neighborhood. The current plan calls for Routes 3 and 4 to be eliminated. There will be no changes to the Green Go line. There will be no Sunday bus service in the city. There will be a ballot measure in April to increase the sales taxes by .2% to retain the current level of bus service. In answer to a question about the plans for the airport expansion, Jack said the City has little control over the airport. The Port of Bellingham controls airport decisions.
Social Time: People in attendance were given time to chat with Louise Bjornson, Jack Weiss, Board Members, and each other. They were invited to enjoy cake and coffee in celebration of Louise Bjornson’s service to our Neighborhood and City.
A special thanks to Little Caesars Pizza on Northwest for providing pizza for our meeting!
Approximate attendance: 35
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