News - Local News - Waterfront

POSTED: Monday, May. 05, 2008

Port to hear update on waterfront plan

Editor’s note: The Port of Bellingham and city of Bellingham have joined forces to redevelop 137 waterfront acres that the port acquired from Georgia- Pacific West Inc. in 2005 as well as an additional 83 acres of waterfront property. This weekly update is provided by the port.

The Port of Bellingham commissioners will have a special meeting Wednesday to get an update on recent planning and engineering work for the Waterfront District.

Consultants from Collins Woerman will present the latest developments on road engineering, layout and design and ways to create sustainable development strategies for things such as storm water on site. They will review recommendations for the various phases over the full 20- to 30- year build out.

A key goal is to make sure roads and infrastructure for the first phase of development, such as the Marine Trades Area and Western Washington University campus, will work when the site is more fully developed and the railway is relocated.

On June 10, the port hopes to present a proposal for development of a preferred alternative for the final environmental impact statement. That alternative would be further studied, with a public comment period, followed by a resumption of work on the master plan.

The public is welcome at Wednesday’s meeting, at 9 a.m. in the Harbor Center Conference Room, 1801 Roeder Ave.

DEVELOPMENT AUTHORITY

At their regular meeting at 3 p.m. Tuesday, port commissioners will vote on whether to work with WWU to create a development authority to oversee the university’s waterfront development.

If created, the authority would operate independently, in partnership with WWU and the port, and would acquire Waterfront District property from the port and develop it for WWU use.

The proposal would allow staff to work on this effort; formal creation of an authority would require additional commission action.