Real Briefings
- 16-unit cluster subdivision with 15 infill toolkit townhouse units plus 1 existing home to be retained - Density bonus of 5 units requested under cluster provisions (from 11 allowed to 16 total) - Land division variance requested to avoid improving portion of Mill Avenue right-of-way through critical areas - Off-site sidewalk improvements proposed: 200 feet on Mill Avenue and 350 feet on 27th Street - Property consists of two tax parcels totaling one consolidated property
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# City of Bellingham Hearing Examiner Review: Mill Reserve Development Sparks Safety Debate
The City of Bellingham Hearing Examiner chamber filled with residents on the evening of September 10th, 2025, for what would become a three-hour marathon session addressing three separate land use matters. While two routine right-of-way vacation requests proceeded without controversy, it was the third item—the Mill Reserve Cluster Preliminary Plat and Land Division Variance—that drew neighborhood concerns and impassioned testimony about pedestrian safety on Mill Avenue.
Hearing Examiner Sharon Rice presided over the hybrid in-person and virtual hearing, with the Mill Reserve project commanding the most attention from Happy Valley neighborhood residents who traveled to City Hall to voice their concerns about a 16-unit townhouse development proposed for 2706 Mill Avenue.
## The Mill Reserve Development Proposal
The Mill Reserve project represents a significant infill development on a 4.5-acre site in the Happy Valley neighborhood, one of Bellingham's densest residential areas. ABT Consulting's Ali Taishi, representing the applicant, presented the proposal for 16 individual lots—15 featuring new infill townhouse units and one retaining the existing single-family home in the property's northwest corner.
The development leverages the city's cluster bonus provision, which allows up to 50% additional density when at least half the units qualify as infill housing. While the site's underlying zoning would typically permit only 11 units, the cluster bonus enables the proposed 16 units because 15 of them meet infill housing criteria.
"The project is proposed on the western one-third of the property," Taishi explained, showing aerial imagery to the hearing examiner. "Townhouse units, which means they're attached on one or more walls in groups of 2, 3, and 4 units." The development features a one-way loop road providing fire and garbage access, with a central common open space area that includes underground stormwater detention infrastructure.
The project's design reflects careful consideration of the site's environmental constraints. The eastern two-thirds of the property contains wetlands and buffers associated with the adjacent Conley Creek Nature Area, requiring the developer to navigate complex critical areas regulations. A 150-foot wetland buffer typically applies, but the project proposes a 25% buffer reduction to accommodate the development footprint, with extensi…
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### Meeting Overview
The Bellingham Hearing Examiner conducted a public hearing on September 10, 2025, to review the Mill Reserve Cluster Preliminary Plat and Land Division Variance applications. The proposed development would create 16 residential lots on a 2.75-acre property at 2706 Mill Avenue, utilizing density bonuses for infill housing while requesting a variance to avoid extending street improvements into sensitive wetland areas.
### Key Terms and Concepts
**Cluster Development:** A subdivision design that groups homes on smaller lots while preserving larger areas of open space, allowing for density bonuses when certain criteria are met.
**Infill Housing:** New residential units built within existing developed areas, designed to increase density while maintaining neighborhood character and utilizing existing infrastructure.
**Land Division Variance:** A legal exception to standard subdivision requirements, in this case allowing the developer to avoid extending Mill Avenue improvements through wetland areas.
**Buffer Reduction:** The legally permitted decrease in the standard protective distance between development and sensitive environmental areas like wetlands.
**Density Bonus:** Additional housing units allowed beyond base zoning when projects include specific benefits like affordable housing or infill design.
**Transportation Concurrency:** A requirement ensuring adequate transportation infrastructure exists to serve new development without creating safety hazards or unacceptable service levels.
**SEPA (State Environmental Policy Act):** The environmental review process required for development projects to assess potential impacts on air, water, land, and wildlife.
### Key People at This Meeting
| Name | Role / Affiliation |
|---|---|
| Sharon Rice | Hearing Examiner (Contract Attorney) |
| Kathy Bell | Senior Planner, City of Bellingham |
| Ali Taishi | Applicant Agent, ABT Consulting |
| Sarah Longman | Mill Avenue Resident, Public Commentor |
| Jennifer Tennyson | Mill Avenue Resident, Public Commentor |
| Wendy Scherer | Neighborhood Advocate, Public Commentor |
| Alex McLean | Happy Valley Neighborhood Association President |
### Background Context
This hearing represents a complex balancing act between housing density goals and neighborhood safety concerns in Happy Valley, Bellingham's most densely populated area. The proposed development sits at the intersection of multiple community needs: addressing housing shortages through infill development, protecting critical wetland areas, and providing safe pedestrian infrastructure in a neighborhood that serves several schools and thousands of residents.
The controversy centers on competing visions for infrastructure improvements. While the developer proposes building sidewalks on 27th Street to connect to Happy Valley Elementary School, neighbors argue that safety improvements are desperately needed on Mill Avenue itself,…
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