Waterfront Futures Vision ‘ Connecting Bellingham with the Bay’ May 7, 2004 Waterfront Futures Project

Waterfront Vision Guiding Principles  Improve Waterfront Access  Reinforce the Inherent  Qualities of Each Place  on the Waterfront  Restore the Health of Land  and Water  Promote a Healthy & Dynamic  Waterfront Economy

Improve Waterfront Access Develop strong connections between uplands and water. Provide multiple modes of access to each area of the waterfront. Create and connect large and small parks and open spaces. Enhance opportunities for visual access to waterfront areas.

Reinforce the Inherent Qualities of Each Place on the Waterfront Make the waterfront a regular part of the lives of more people. Respect history, cultures, and the arts. Make the waterfront inviting to people on foot. Reinforce a unique ‘sense of place’ at different waterfront locations.

Restore the health of land and water Enhance or reintroduce natural systems. Create and restore habitat wherever possible. Remediate upland contamination. Protect existing natural shorelines. See opportunities to soften existing hardened shorelines. Tailor environmental cleanup strategies and remediation to planned use. Manage storm water to enhance estuarine habitats.

Promote a Healthy & Dynamic Waterfront Economy Create new mixed-use areas on the waterfront Support water-dependent activities and uses. Create an environment attractive to jobs of the future. Strengthen the tie between local jobs and resources. Provide public amenities and infrastructure to support development. Improve permitting processes

Waterfront Vision Six distinctive areas – Little Squalicum – Squalicum – City Center – South Hill & Boulevard – Fairhaven – Chuckanut and Edgemoor

Little Squalicum En route to Old Fort Bellingham, the Nooksack River, and the Lummi Nation Wild shoreline and bluff overlooking the vast landscape of the Nooksack River delta Habitat and beach restoration the priority with some expanded public access and connections to existing open spaces Industrial campus opportunity on the bluff supplying future technologies jobs New facilities on this site designed and operated as models of sustainability

Squalicum Center for marine related recreation and commerce Area that embraces habitat protection & a thriving maritime economy Places to walk, sit and enjoy water views Significant marine habitat restoration potential at the mouth of Squalicum Creek & along breakwaters Opportunity to improve connection to neighborhoods on bluff at Broadway Overlook with a pedestrian bridge over the railroad

City Center Characterized by working waterfront activities & receding heavy industries Space for new employers, offices and institutional users, support services, retail activities and housing Opportunity to restore the link between our waterfront and downtown Offers expansion of Western Washington University onto the waterfront Public access to marine transportation with public docks Deep-water moorage maintained for commercial and institutional vessels more...

City Center continued.... Potential for public gathering spaces and community facilities Site for a new marina in the Aerated Stabilization Basin Stronger linkages to Old Town as a gateway to the waterfront Redeveloped Cornwall Avenue landfill site to include housing in combination with open space, habitat restoration, public facilities Numerous places for habitat restoration Potential to link Squalicum with Boulevard Park via over water walkway from Cornwall landfill site

South Hill & Boulevard Hillside residential and Sehome Hill provide green backdrop Major contributor to public access with its linear park, open space, and the soon completed Taylor Street Dock connection Strong linkages between the neighborhoods on the bluff, the water, Fairhaven and Downtown Opportunity for improving public access to and along the water to the north and south Additional small boat access Softened shorelines, habitat restoration, beach enhancement

Fairhaven Pedestrian scale, historic brick buildings and a rich mixture of activities Working waterfront including ship and boat repair, fish processing and other marine related activities. Major transportation facilities connect the community with other parts of the region Better connections developed between Fairhaven village, Padden Lagoon, and Bellingham Bay. Opportunity for new mixed-use areas with pedestrian linkages and access to the shore

Chuckanut and Edgemoor South end transition, urban to non urban Rugged natural shoreline, evergreen landscape, craggy bluff Dramatic topography shift from water to mountains An area for retreat and return to nature Priority for conservation, habitat protection and connection to cultural heritage

But look! Here come more crowds, pacing straight for the water, and seemingly bound for a dive. Strange! Nothing will content them but the extremist limit of the land; loitering under the shady lee of yonder warehouses will not suffice. No. They must get just as nigh the water as they possibly can without falling in. And there they stand – miles of them – leagues. Inlanders all, they come from lanes and alleys, streets and avenues – north, east, south, and west. Yet here they all unite. Herman Melville, Moby Dick It’s all about... Connecting Bellingham with the Bay