Real Briefings
- Kelsey Wylie (Chair) - Peter Gill (Parks Director) - Neil Schaner (Committee Member) - David Stalheim (Committee Member) - Derek Ormerod (Committee Member) - Zach Cook (Committee Member - non-voting) - Sarah Gardner (Committee Member) - Kathy Furtado (Committee Member) - Dina Dickerson (Committee Member) - Freya Fradenburgh (Stewardship Coordinator) - Bree (Parks Meetings Coordinator) - Daniel Prost (Bellingham Mount Baker Trail Project Lead) - Alex McLean (Happy Valley Neighborhood Association) - Brian Armstrong (Public Advocate)
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# Trail Maps, Stewardship Cuts, and the Fight for Right-of-Ways
The Bellingham Greenways Advisory Committee met virtually on November 6, 2025, with Chair Kelsey Wylie presiding over a meeting that would reveal both progress and frustration in the city's approach to trail development and volunteer programming. What began as a routine review of updated PROS plan trail mapping evolved into passionate testimony about community engagement, bureaucratic obstacles, and the future of Bellingham's greenway system.
## The Alex McLean Right-of-Way Controversy
The evening's most dramatic moment came during public comment when Alex McLean, a former Greenways committee member and Happy Valley neighborhood advocate, delivered an impassioned critique of the city's approach to unimproved right-of-ways. McLean had recently met with Mayor Kim Lund about converting these neglected corridors into neighborhood trails — an effort he'd been pursuing for five years.
"The mayor sat me down, and she's like, yeah, we're not doing that. We're not gonna be doing these right-of-way things," McLean told the committee, his voice carrying years of frustration. "What you guys did in Happy Valley... what my staff was telling me is those are just unicorns. Those, you know, were just amazing things that you guys did through sheer gumption and grit, and time, and money, and energy to get them to happen."
McLean's work in Happy Valley had successfully transformed unused right-of-ways into functional trail connections, including one that leads directly to the city's largest elementary school. But according to McLean, the mayor indicated this was an anomaly that wouldn't be replicated elsewhere, despite a 2022 citywide inventory …
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### Meeting Overview
The Bellingham Greenways Advisory Committee met on November 6, 2025, focusing primarily on reviewing trail mapping for the PROS (Parks, Recreation & Open Space) Plan. The committee voted to delay their recommendation until December to gather additional public input following the November 19th open house.
### Key Terms and Concepts
**PROS Plan:** Parks, Recreation & Open Space Plan - the city's comprehensive planning document that guides park and trail development over multiple years.
**Proposed Trail Map:** A planning tool showing future trail locations to guide development requirements and city priorities, not a wayfinding map for existing trails.
**Unimproved Right-of-Ways:** City-owned transportation corridors that haven't been developed as streets but could potentially be converted to trails.
**Wetland Mitigation:** Required environmental restoration projects to offset damage caused by new development, typically at a 10-to-1 ratio.
**Trail Corridors:** Main arterial trail routes that connect parks and neighborhoods, as opposed to trails within individual parks.
**Park Stewards:** Volunteer program with 88 active participants who maintain and restore park areas with city support.
**AmeriCorps Partnership:** Federal program that previously provided two full-time positions for the stewardship program, suspended due to federal funding uncertainty.
**One City Mitigation Bank:** Proposed collaborative approach between Parks and Public Works to create larger, more effective wetland restoration sites rather than small scattered projects.
### Key People at This Meeting
| Name | Role / Affiliation |
|---|---|
| Kelsey Wylie | Committee Chair |
| Peter Gill | Parks Staff |
| David Stalheim | Committee Member |
| Neil Schaner | Committee Member (term renewal pending) |
| Zach Cook | Committee Member (new term pending) |
| Derek Ormerod | Committee Member |
| Kathy Furtado | Committee Member |
| Freya Fradenburgh | Stewardship Program Coordinator |
| Daniel Prost | Bellingham Mount Baker Trail project lead |
| Alex McLean | Former Greenways member, Happy Valley resident |
| Brian Armstrong | Regular public commenter |
### Background Context
The committee is reviewing trail maps that will be incorporated into the city's updated PROS Plan, scheduled for Planning Commission review in January and a…
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