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City of Bellingham Parks and Recreation Advisory Board

BEL-PRB-2025-01-08 January 08, 2025 Parks & Recreation Committee City of Bellingham
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Bellingham's Parks and Recreation Advisory Board held its first meeting of 2025, marking both a transition and the launch of ambitious planning work. Board member Maggie was honored in her final meeting after years of dedicated service, while member Brian Williams rejoined the board for another term. The meeting introduced significant changes to board appointment processes under Mayor's direction while launching intensive work on the Parks, Recreation & Open Space (PROS) Plan update. The centerpiece of the meeting was a workshop session on the PROS Plan update, led by planning staff Peter. Board members completed comprehensive surveys about park system priorities and participated in extensive discussion about what they value most in Bellingham's park system. The planning timeline is aggressive, aiming to complete the parks chapter of the comprehensive plan by April 2025 and send recommendations to Planning Commission in May. Two significant public comments highlighted ongoing tensions around park use. Joel Donnell raised concerns about damage to Cornwall Park from cyclocross events, calling for better protection of natural areas and questioning potential conflicts of interest among board members with cycling business connections. Stan Snap, a former board member, announced his candidacy for the upcoming board vacancy. Administrative updates included progress on the Bloedel Donovan boat launch security project, with new gates and fee systems planned to protect Lake Whatcom from invasive species. The Sportsplex lease negotiation is nearing completion with a 4-year extension while the city takes responsibility for the building envelope after investing $3.5 million in facility improvements. The board grappled with Mayor's new policy requiring staff-led interviews for board appointments rather than board-conducted interviews, expressing concerns about maintaining board engagement in the selection process while understanding the goal of system-wide consistency and inc

**Meeting Minutes Approval:** - December 2024 meeting minutes approved unanimously - Vote count: All in favor, none opposed - No amendments or discussion **PROS Plan Workshop Participation:** - All present members completed comprehensive priority surveys - Staff recommendation: Full board engagement in 4-month planning process - Council action: Partici…

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**PROS Plan Update Process:** The board began intensive work on updating the Parks, Recreation & Open Space Plan, which serves as the parks chapter of the comprehensive plan. Planning staff outlined an aggressive timeline requiring completion of goals and policies updates by April 2025. The current plan contains 8 goals covering equity and inclusion, capacity enhancement, health and wellness, nature integration, innovation, connectivity, effective operations, and recreational needs assessment. Board members workshopped their priorities through surveys, with extensive discussion revealing strong support for trail connectivity, indoor recreation facilities, water access, and maintaining ecological integrity. The update must coordinate with both the broader Bellingham Plan comprehensive plan update and the Greenways Strategic Plan refresh. **Lake Whatcom Protection and Boat Launch Management:** Nicole Oliver presented plans for enhanced security at the Bloedel Donovan boat launch to protect Lake Whatcom from quagga mussels, which have reached Washington's Snake River. The project includes installing gates to close the launch during off-season when aquatic invasive species inspectors aren't present, implementing a parking fee system for boat trailers, and requiring inspection of all boats using the facility. The mayor's office strongly supports charging launch fees, which would generate revenue for the general fund and help pay for out-of-jurisdiction fire response costs that the city…
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**Nicole Oliver (Parks Director)** strongly supported the aggressive PROS Plan timeline while emphasizing the need for comprehensive public engagement. She defended the cyclocross events at Cornwall Park, noting substantial public support, while acknowledging concerns about balancing different uses. On board appointments, she expressed willingness to find hybrid approaches that incorporate board feedback while following Mayor's direction for consistency. **Joel Donnell** passionately opposed cyclocross events at Cornwall Park, arguing the neighborhood park cannot absorb intensive tournament use without permanent damage. He called for protection of social trails, questioned board members' potential conflicts of interest with cycling businesses, and advocated for applying "leave no trace" principles to park events. **Stan Snap** announced his candidacy for the board vacancy, highlighting his previous service during the first PROS Plan development and extensive experience on city advisory bodies including six years on City Council. He emphasized his retirement availability and desire to return…
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**Nicole Oliver, on the PROS Plan timeline:** "2025 is now here. So we are doing it for real." **Joel Donnell, on Cornwall Park damage:** "They completely destroyed these little social trails... 4 hours in 4 hours. They've destroyed, you know, years of use of this park." **Joel Donnell, on appropriate park uses:** "I don't ski in Cornwall Park. I don't ride my bike because those are not the designated things for this park." **Maggie, on board functionality:** "I feel so good about leaving …
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**February 2025:** Planning Department presentation on comprehensive plan coordination and detailed outreach plan for PROS Plan update. **March 2025:** Review of public outreach results, park inventory completion, and draft goals and policies for board review. **April 2025:** Full draft Parks chapter review and board recommendation to City Council. **May 2025:** Planning Commission hearing on PROS Plan parks chapter, with…

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**PROS Plan Update Officially Launched:** The board transitioned from preliminary discussions to active planning work with survey completion and priority identification, establishing the framework for intensive 4-month development process. **Board Appointment Process Restructured:** The Mayor's policy eliminates board-conducted interviews in favor of staff-led selection with board advisory input, representing a significant shift in board autonomy and member selection authority. **Lake Whatcom Protection Enhanced:** The boat launch security project moved from concept to implementation planning, with gates, fee systems, and mandatory inspections designed to prevent invasive species introduction. **Board Membership…
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# Bellingham Parks and Recreation Advisory Board: New Year, New Challenges, New Opportunities ## Meeting Overview On a crisp January morning at Bellingham City Hall, the Parks and Recreation Advisory Board gathered for their first meeting of 2025, bringing together dedicated volunteers around a worn conference table in the mayor's boardroom — soon to undergo renovations, they learned. The meeting carried a bittersweet tone as longtime board member Maggie Kaplan prepared to step down after years of passionate advocacy, while the board welcomed back Williams for another term and began wrestling with significant policy changes from the mayor's office. What started as a routine agenda quickly expanded into substantive discussions about cyclocross controversies at Cornwall Park, boat launch management at Bloedel Donovan, and the ambitious timeline for updating the city's Parks, Recreation, and Open Space (PROS) Plan. The meeting revealed both the collaborative spirit that defines this board and the complex challenges facing Bellingham's park system as the city grows and outdoor recreation demands intensify. ## Cornwall Park Cyclocross Controversy The morning's most contentious moment came during public comment when Joel Donnell, a Cornwall Park neighbor, delivered an impassioned plea about what he sees as the destruction of his beloved neighborhood park. "I'd actually rather be walking in Cornwall Park now, but I was here about 14 months ago after the event, the Cornwall Cross Series, Cyclocross was done in the Park, and they completely destroyed these little social trails," Donnell told the board, his voice tight with emotion. Donnell painted a picture of a park under siege, describing "huge swaths of mud" where delicate walking trails once existed, trees with damaged roots and trunks "ripped by the continual use of these bicycles," and the construction of an unauthorized pump track on what he believed was the disc golf course's seventh fairway. His critique went beyond environmental damage to questions of equity and appropriateness: "We have rules about destruction of park property," he said, arguing that cyclocross events with beer gardens and whiskey shots don't belong in what he characterized as a neighborhood sanctuary. Most pointedly, Donnell raised concerns about potential conflicts of interest, suggesting that board members with business connections to cyclocross should recuse themselves from related decisions. His reference to "Leave No Trace p…
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### Meeting Overview The Bellingham Parks and Recreation Advisory Board met on January 8, 2025, to conduct monthly business and begin major work on updating the Parks, Recreation, Open Space (PROS) Plan. This was also board member Maggie Frank's final meeting after years of service. ### Key Terms and Concepts **PROS Plan:** Parks, Recreation, Open Space Plan - a comprehensive planning document that sets goals, policies, and priorities for Bellingham's parks and recreation system over the next 6-10 years. Required by state law and updated periodically. **Aquatic Invasive Species (AIS):** Non-native species like quagga mussels that can damage aquatic ecosystems. The city conducts boat inspections at Lake Padden to prevent introduction of these species. **Cyclocross:** A form of bicycle racing that typically takes place in parks during fall/winter months, involving riders navigating obstacles and varied terrain. **Social Trails:** Informal trails created by repeated use by animals and people, distinct from officially designated and maintained trails. **Greenways Advisory Committee:** A separate city advisory board focused on trail systems and greenway corridors, working in parallel with the Parks Board on related issues. **Army Corps Jurisdictional Determination:** Federal review process to officially determine wetland boundaries and regulations for development projects. **Fish Window:** The limited time period when construction work near water bodies is allowed to minimize impacts on fish spawning and migration. **Park Stewards:** Volunteers who help maintain parks through activities like litter removal, invasive species control, and general upkeep. ### Key People at This Meeting | Name | Role / Affiliation | |---|---| | Nicole Oliver | Parks and Recreation Director | | Peter | Planning staff member | | Lane | Staff member | | Melissa | Recreation program staff | | Maggie Frank | Outgoing Parks Board member | | Steve Walker | Parks Board member (participating remotely) | | Scott | Parks Board member | | Sarah | Parks Board member | | Holly | Parks Board member (absent, on trip) | | Joel Donnell | Public commenter, Cornwall Park neighbor | | Stan Snapp | Former Parks Board member applying for return | | Bree | Staff member handling communications | ### Background Cont…
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Parks & Recreation Government Operations Army Corps Engineers Bellingham Pickleball Club Greenways Advisory Committee Parks Recreation Advisory Board Whatcom Community College Brian Williams Joel Donnell Lane Sebring Maggie Maggie Lastname Melissa Nicole Oliver Peter Sarah Scott Stan Snap Steve Walker Board Governance Climate Resiliency Comprehensive Planning Cornwall Park Cyclocross Events Indoor Recreation Invasive Species Prevention Lake Whatcom Watershed Parks Recreation Pros Plan Trail Connectivity Water Access