Search toggle
Contact toggle
Contact toggle
Search toggle
Say hello.
Focus Str. 5th Ave, 98/2 34746 Manhattan, New York
+1 222 44 55
hello@acme.com
What are you looking for?
Real Briefings

City Council Special Meeting

BEL-CON-SPC-2025-02-24 February 24, 2025 Committee of the Whole City of Bellingham 8 min
← Back to All Briefings
Feb
Month
24
Day
8
Min
Published
Status

The Bellingham City Council held an 8-minute special meeting to consider a street vacation petition from Morris and Deborah Arthur for an unimproved alleyway at their property on 1601 4th Street in Fairhaven. The Council unanimously approved the vacation with compensation set at the appraised value of $46,400, following a recommendation from the Hearing Examiner who conducted a public hearing in August 2024. The petitioners own property on both sides of the 20-foot-wide, 100-foot-long north-south alley and want to vacate it to facilitate construction of a dwelling unit on their smaller eastern parcel. The city will retain utility easements for existing water and sewer mains in the right-of-way, with any future relocation costs to be borne by the petitioners. This was a closed-record hearing, meaning Council could only consider the Hearing Examiner's record from the August public hearing. The streamlined nature of the proceeding allowed Council to complete both first and second reading of the ordinance in the same special meeting, making the vacation immediately effective upon Council President Huthman's evening report.

**AB 24461 - Street Vacation Petition:** APPROVED 7-0 - **Staff Recommendation:** Approve vacation with $46,400 compensation and utility easement retention - **Council Action:** Adopted Hearing Examiner recommendation, approved vacation, set compensation at appraised value of $46,400 - **Key Specifics:** Vacates 20ft x 100ft unimproved alley; retains city …

About 49% shown — sign up free to read the rest Sign up free →
The street vacation followed standard city process with Technical Review Committee initial approval in January 2020, followed by Hearing Examiner public hearing on August 14, 2024. The Hearing Examiner concluded the alleyway meets both city and state vacation criteria, determining it's not necessary for future circulation or other public benefits. Council Member Lilliquist sought clarification on utility infrastructure, with staff confirming water and sewer mains exist in the alleyway. The city's approach retains easements over the entire right-of-way initially…
About 50% shown — sign up free to read the rest Sign up free →
**Morris and Deborah Arthur (Petitioners):** Seek alley vacation to enable dwelling construction on smaller eastern parcel of their property. **City Staff:** Recommended approval based on Technical Review Committee and Hearing…
About 49% shown — sign up free to read the rest Sign up free →
**Alan Marriner, on the vacation area:** "This special meeting, you'll be deciding whether to vacate the unimproved alleyway shown in outlined in red. It's near the corner of fourth Street and Donovan Avenue in Fairhaven." **Alan Marriner, on utility infrastructure:** "Yes, and correct me if I'm wrong, but I think we have water and sewer mains in the alleyway." **Alan Marriner, on procedural evolution:** …
About 50% shown — sign up free to read the rest Sign up free →

- Council President Huthman will report the vacation approval and ordinance passage at the evening regular meeting - Ordinance will be recorded with Whatcom County - Prior to any development permit issuance,…

About 49% shown — sign up free to read the rest Sign up free →
- 2,000 square feet of public right-of-way (20ft x 100ft alley) converted to private ownership - City treasury increased by $46,400 in street vacation compensation - Morris and Deborah Arthur can now …
About 55% shown — sign up free to read the rest Sign up free →
The Bellingham City Council gathered on a quiet Monday afternoon for one of the most routine yet procedurally interesting types of meetings they hold: a closed record hearing for a street vacation petition. At 1:00 PM in the council chambers, all seven council members were present for what would be an eight-minute discussion about whether to permanently close a small alley in Fairhaven so a property owner could build a house. But while the outcome was never really in doubt, the meeting illuminated how local government works when citizens want to alter the public right-of-way — a process that involves hearing examiners, public hearings, appraisals, utility easements, and careful legal procedure. ## The Arthur Family's Alley The petition before the council came from Maurice and Deborah Arthur, who own property on both sides of a narrow, unimproved alley near the corner of Fourth Street and Donovan Avenue in Fairhaven. The 20-foot-wide, 100-foot-long alley runs north to south between their properties, and they wanted the city to vacate it — essentially selling them the public right-of-way — so they could construct a dwelling unit on the smaller parcel to the east of the alley. City Attorn…
About 14% shown — sign up free to read the rest Sign up free →
### Meeting Overview The Bellingham City Council held a special meeting on February 24, 2025, to conduct a closed record hearing on a street vacation petition. The petitioners, Maurice and Deborah Arthur, sought to vacate a portion of an unimproved alleyway near their property at 1601 4th Street in Fairhaven to facilitate construction of a dwelling unit. ### Key Terms and Concepts **Street Vacation:** The legal process by which a city permanently abandons its public claim to a street or alley right-of-way, transferring ownership to adjacent property owners. **Closed Record Hearing:** A hearing where council members can only consider the evidence and testimony that was presented at the original public hearing before the hearing examiner, with no new evidence allowed. **Right-of-Way:** A legal corridor owned by the city for public use, typically for streets, alleys, or utilities, even if not currently improved or in active use. **Hearing Examiner:** An independent official who conducts public hearings and makes recommendations to the city council on land use matters, including street vacations. **Utility Easement:** A legal right retained by the city to maintain access to water and sewer lines within vacated property, even after ownership transfers to private parties. **Appraised Fair Market Value:** The estimated monetary value of the right-of-way as determined by a professional appraiser, which becomes the compensation required from petitioners. ### Key People at This Meeting | Name | Role / Affiliation | |---|---| | Hollie Huthman | Council President, Chair | | Hannah Stone | Council Member, First Ward | | Daniel Hammill | Council Member, Third Ward | | Edwin H. "Skip" Williams | Council Member, Fourth Ward | | Lisa Anderson | Council Member, Fifth Ward | | Michael Lilliquist | Council Member, Sixth Ward | | Jace Cotton | Council Member, At-Large | |…
About 49% shown — premium members only Upgrade to premium →

Share This Briefing

Tags & Connections

Land Use & Planning Government Operations Hearing Examiner Planning Community Development Technical Review Committee Alan Marriner Daniel Hammill Deborah Arthur Edwin Williams Hannah Stone Hollie Huthman Michael Lilliquist Morris Arthur Steve Sundin Fairhaven Hearing Examiner Land Use Policy Ordinance Property Development Street Vacation Utility Easements