FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
January 22, 2007 Contact: Carolyn Casey,
Port of Bellingham
360-676-2500
Community Encouraged to Attend Fairhaven Planning Meeting
[Bellingham, Wash.] The citizen-led Waterfront Advisory Group (WAG) will host a community meeting about the Port of Bellingham’s long-range planning in Fairhaven at 6 p.m., Wednesday, Jan. 31, at the Bellingham Cruise Terminal.
The port began working on its update for its Fairhaven Comprehensive Scheme of Harbor Improvements last year. The port uses this long-range planning document to make decisions about land use, new developments and improvements on port property.
Last fall the port met with Fairhaven neighbors, business groups, port tenants and other members of the community to gather ideas from people about the future needs in Fairhaven. At those meetings, staff heard suggestions and ideas about new trail construction, habitat restoration, boat ramp and moorage needs, building heights and preservation of marine-related industrial uses. There also has been discussion about whether the Fairhaven Marine Industrial Park should continue as a marine industrial area or change to another use in the future.
Since then, the port has been compiling those suggestions into a variety of alternatives, has completed a study of the waterfront industrial land supply and has worked with its consultants to develop some preliminary plan alternatives for the public to review at the Jan. 31 meeting. Earlier this month, the preliminary alternatives were discussed at a public Port Commission work session.
The Waterfront Advisory Group is a 10-member community advisory board appointed by the port and the city of Bellingham to give input about waterfront development and planning along all 11 miles of city waterfront. In addition to ensuring public involvement in waterfront planning and redevelopment, WAG also is charged with advocating for the Waterfront Futures Group vision and goals.
The Jan. 31 meeting will include a brief presentation by port staff and consultants about the alternatives being considered for the various port properties in Fairhaven. This presentation will be followed by an informal meeting opportunity for the community to ask questions and offer opinions about the preliminary options under consideration. The next phase of the Fairhaven planning process will include a more detailed financial analysis of each alternative that will assist the port in selecting a preferred alternative. This alternative will provide the framework for writing the Fairhaven Comprehensive Improvement Plan. More public meetings will be scheduled to take place later in the spring and will include a public hearing.
In Fairhaven, in addition to the Marine Industrial Park, the port also operates: the Bellingham Cruise Terminal, the Fairhaven Transportation Station, Marine Park and the Fairhaven Shipyard, the public boat launch and several properties that are leased to private businesses.
Countywide, the Port of Bellingham operates the Bellingham Airport, provides about 2,000 moorage slips and has about 300 businesses operating on Port properties. The Port of Bellingham is a countywide, independent, special-purpose government.
-30-
