Design Review Board

## Meeting Overview On the afternoon of November 5, 2024, the City of Bellingham Design Review Board convened for what would prove to be a landmark moment in Old Town's redevelopment. For the first time since establishing their new early design guidance process, the board was conducting a second-round review — the final opportunity to shape a project before it moves forward. Board Chair Ryan Van Straten, joined by members David Heck and Coby Jones, reviewed the proposed 84-unit mixed-use building at the corner of Holly and D Streets. This six-story development represents the first major residential project in Old Town's emerging transformation, with developers planning eight more buildings over the next six to eight years. The meeting carried particular significance as the applicant team had thoroughly responded to the board's June feedback, demonstrating how the city's design review process can genuinely improve projects through constructive collaboration. The session unfolded with an unusual spirit of satisfaction — here was a development team that had truly listened, made meaningful changes, and returned with a significantly improved design that honored both the board's vision and the neighborhood's character. ## The Refined Design Response Ali Taysi, the project's lead representative, walked the board through a comprehensive set of revisions addressing every major concern raised during the June early design guidance meeting. The most dramatic transformation occurred along the Holly Street frontage, where the team had eliminated a chaotic arrangement of three staggered awnings at different heights. In its place stood a clean, single awning providing weather protection over the two commercial entrances — a move that both simplified the facade and better complemented the adjacent historic building. "We had three different awnings, and they were kind of at different heights and it was busy," Taysi explained, sharing before-and-after renderings that clearly demonstrated the improvement. The board had specifically referenced the simple, elegant lines of the neighboring 704 West Holly building, and the design team had taken that feedback to heart. The masonry treatment received equally thoughtful attention. Acting on the board's recommendation to give the Holly frontage more "strength and attention," architect Colin Fuller had extended the brick cladding up to the fourth floor on the corner of Holly and D Street, and to the fifth floor on the opposite…