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Parks and Recreation Advisory Board

BEL-PRB-2025-05-14 May 14, 2025 Parks & Recreation Committee City of Bellingham
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The Parks and Recreation Advisory Board received comprehensive updates on the Parks, Recreation, and Open Space (PROS) Plan development, the Carl Cozier Elementary School site planning process, and several major park projects. The meeting centered around data-driven analysis of park usage patterns and inventory assessments that will guide future park development priorities. Staff presented extensive usage data from Placer AI showing Lake Patton Park as the city's most-visited facility with 838,000 visits in 2024, significantly outpacing other locations. Public comments highlighted ongoing concerns about environmental impacts at Cornwall Park from cyclocross activities, with resident Joel Vannell requesting a moratorium on bicycle use within the park. He argued that despite 750 survey respondents prioritizing forested parks, the city continues to focus on cyclocross development that creates erosion and habitat destruction. The board received updates on budget challenges requiring 3% cuts across city departments, leading to strategic decisions including reducing park irrigation by 25% and allowing some turf areas to go dormant during summer months. Staff reported that two long-term employees, Steve Nordine and Lori Jacobson, will retire on June 6th, prompting reorganization of the grounds management structure. The Carl Cozier Elementary School site planning reached final layout phases, with the Ed Specs Committee narrowing down to preferred building configurations on the 5-acre site. The project remains in deal-making negotiations with no final site boundary or appraisal completed, though staff expects administrative rezoning approval by year-end concurrent with the comprehensive plan adoption.

- **Motion to request fee increase proposal for Lake Patton Golf Course:** Board unanimously approved requesting staff bring back a proposal to increase the current $4 surcharge to $5-6 per round to fund irrigation system replacement. The current fee has raised $180,000 over 18 months toward the estimated $3-3.5 million irrigation system replacement. - **Budget reduction measures approved:** Staff imple…

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**PROS Plan Development and Usage Data Analysis** Staff presented comprehensive park usage data showing significant trends in community behavior patterns. Lake Patton Park leads usage at 838,000 visits annually, followed by Boulevard Park and Whatcom Falls. Neighborhood parks showed 4% increased usage while community parks declined 4% in 2024, suggesting residents may be seeking closer-to-home recreation options. The data reveals peak usage from 11 AM to 6 PM for outdoor facilities, while civic athletic complex usage spikes at 5 PM due to indoor programming. The inventory revealed 26 developed neighborhood parks with a service goal of 10-minute walk access, 10 community parks with 5-minute car ride access, and 85 miles of trails. Staff noted adding 16 open space properties (300 acres) since 2020 and 10 new playgrounds representing significant maintenance obligations. **Cornwall Park Environmental Concerns** Joel Vannell raised serious concerns about environmental degradation at Cornwall Park from cyclocross activities, citing social trail expansion from 1-3 feet to 8-12 feet wide, understory destruction, and wildlife displacement. He noted a photographer couldn't locate great horned owls that previously nested there, and reduced red squirrel populations. Vannell questioned why cyclocross (141 survey supporters) receives development priority over forested parks (750 survey supporters), calling for a bicycle moratorium within the park. **Carl Cozier Elementary School …
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**Joel Vannell (Cornwall Park resident):** Strongly opposes cyclocross activities, citing environmental destruction and requesting bicycle moratorium. Questions board's environmental stewardship commitment given land acknowledgment statements. **Community Garden representative:** Requested updates on Happy Valley easement acquisition negotiations that stalled 5 years ago with property owner Steven McIver, affecting garden access road and parking. **Sonia Max (Walk and Roll Bellingham):** Introduced advocacy organization …
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**Joel Vannell, on cyclocross environmental impacts:** "Cyclocross is the only activity in this county in the city that is designed to destroy nature. We've got pickleball, we've got disc golf. We've got tennis. But Cyclocross is something that is designed to destroy the understory of the environment which affects the trees affects the fauna." **Joel Vannell, on survey priorities:** "I don't see it on the development priorities. I do see Cyclocross which got 141 boxes is one. I see you smiling…
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- **June meeting agenda:** Staff will present recreation budget analysis, cost recovery model, and trail prioritization framework - **May 22 deadline:** Public comment period closes for Bellingham Comprehensive Plan parks chapter - **May 19 public meeting:** School district hosting Carl Cozier site plan presentation at 5:30-6:30 PM at Carl Cozier Elementary - **May 29:** Planning Commission review of comprehensive plan parks chapter - **Golf …

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The meeting established several new strategic directions moving forward. The board formally requested a Lake Patton Golf Course fee increase proposal, moving from discussion to action on funding the irrigation system replacement. Budget constraints shifted park maintenance philosophy toward selective dormancy rather than full irrigation coverage, representing a significant operational change. Staff restructuring will decentralize grounds management from one supervisor overseeing 31 employees to three specialized field supervisors, fundamentally changing operational hierarchy. The Carl Cozier Elementary project advanced from site feasibility to specific bui…
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## Meeting Overview The Bellingham Parks and Recreation Advisory Board convened on the morning of May 14, 2025, for what would prove to be a data-rich meeting focused on the ongoing Parks, Recreation, and Open Space (PROS) Plan development. The meeting began with a land acknowledgment recognizing the traditional homelands of the Lummi, Nooksack, and other Coast Salish peoples. Board members were present to hear public comments, receive detailed inventory data from the PROS Plan process, and discuss various operational updates including budget challenges and facility planning. The session was notable for its emphasis on data-driven decision making and community input as the city prepares for significant population growth over the next two decades. ## Public Concerns About Cornwall Park and Cyclocross The meeting's most passionate moments came during public comment when Joel Vannell, a Cornwall Park neighbor, delivered an impassioned plea for protection of the park's natural environment. Vannell expressed deep concern about what he characterized as environmental destruction caused by cyclocross activities, saying, "ever since Cyclocross has been introduced, I've noticed more and more destruction. There's these social trails that started out as one to 3 feet wide. Now they're 8 to 12 feet wide." Vannell highlighted a striking discrepancy between community priorities expressed in surveys versus development priorities in the PROS Plan. "The number one response was forested parks. 750 people out of 1,500 people responded. That was the number one thing. I don't see it on the development priorities. I do see Cyclocross, which got 141 boxes," he said. He described observing erosion, destruction of understory vegetation, and impacts on wildlife, noting that a photographer who visits annually to photograph great horned owls "couldn't find any this year." The speaker called for a moratorium on bicycle use within Cornwall Park, ar…
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### Meeting Overview The Parks and Recreation Advisory Board met on May 14, 2025, to review comprehensive data from the Parks Recreation Open Space (PROS) plan inventory and assessment. The meeting focused heavily on park usage statistics, facility conditions, and planning for future growth to accommodate 30,000 new residents by 2045. ### Key Terms and Concepts **PROS Plan:** Parks Recreation Open Space Plan - a comprehensive planning document that inventories existing parks, assesses community needs, and guides future park development and improvements. **Placer AI Data:** Foot traffic data collected from mobile phone apps that tracks how many people visit parks and when, providing usage patterns and trends over time. **Level of Service:** Standards used to measure how well the park system serves the community, such as having a neighborhood park within a 10-minute walk of every resident. **Community Parks vs. Neighborhood Parks:** Community parks are larger regional destinations (like Whatcom Falls Park) accessible by a 5-minute car ride, while neighborhood parks are smaller, close-to-home recreation options within a 10-minute walk. **Urban Growth Area (UGA):** The boundary defining where urban development can occur, which may expand through the comprehensive planning process to accommodate projected population growth. **Carl Cozier Elementary Site:** A proposed new elementary school location that involves a complex land exchange between the school district and city, potentially providing additional recreation facilities. **General Fund vs. Greenways Fund:** The city's general operating budget versus dedicated funding from a voter-approved levy specifically for park improvements and acquisitions. **Cost Recovery Model:** A framework for determining what percentage of program costs should be covered by user fees versus tax dollars, based on who benefits from different types of services. ### Key People at This Meeting | Name | Role / Affiliation | |---|---| | Room Monitor/Holly | Parks Department Staff (primary presenter) | | Peter | Parks Department Staff | | Gina Austin | Parks Department Staff | | Joel Vannell | Public Commenter (Cornwall Park neighbor) | | Sonia Max | Walk and Roll Bellingham Board Member |…
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Parks & Recreation Budget & Finance Government Operations Cornwall Crossways Walk Roll Bellingham Whatcom Rowers Association Gina Austin Holly Parks Joel Vannell Lori Jacobson Peter Parks Sonia Max Steve Nordine Steven Mciver Place Boulevard Park Place Civic Athletic Complex Place Cornwall Park Place Elizabeth Park Place Fairhaven Marine Park Place Happy Valley Community Garden Place Lake Patton Park Place South Bay Trail Place Wharf Street Place Whatcom Falls Budget Cuts Carl Cozier Elementary Civic Athletic Complex Comprehensive Plan Cornwall Park Cyclocross Environmental Impact Golf Course Fees Irrigation Reduction Lake Patton Golf Course Park Usage Data Pros Plan South Bay Trail Staff Restructuring Trail Development Water Quality Wharf Street