The Insider

While your Neighborhood Association concentrates on matters of high priority for this immediate community, we would be derelict not to pay proper attention to such subjects as Lake Whatcom and the Waterfront Plan. All of Bellingham’s 24 neighborhoods are affected and both subjects are currently getting a lot of media attention. Throw in all the talk over the backyard fence plus blogosphere blather and they take on even more significance. While the Port of Bellingham and COB have had a reasonable relationship the past three years, those days are decidedly by the boards. Each time the two factions clash, another aspect of discord over the central waterfront is revealed. A petulant port, headed by Executive Director Jim Darling, failed to show up for the first in a series of city-hosted forums, then appeared at the second amidst confusion over the redevelopment of the former Georgia-Pacific mill site. The complex situation will be addressed by our December 9 speaker, Mayor Dan Pike who recently embarked on a campaign to explain the City’s Waterfront Plan to Neighborhood Associations. The 7 p.m. meeting is at the Birchwood Presbyterian Church, 400 Meadowbrook Ct. Oh, yes. With the New Year approaching, it’s time to remind you that $10 membership dues are due.

Our Community Garden Project is moving right along thanks to the diligence of a committee headed by Dee and Ben Andrews. Having met a December 1 deadline for a garden plan, the committee and all of us involved in the exciting undertaking are now waiting for a hoped-for announcement on December 15 that could provide a grant of up to $5,000. The grant, covering infrastructure costs including fencing, raised beds, tools, etc., is funded by the Mary Redman Foundations and is administered by the Community First! Gardens arm of Washington State University Whatcom County Extension.

Thus far, individual gardens have been claimed by 12 units whose efforts will be made on land donated by developer Ted Mischaikov and his partners. The land is located at the extreme northern terminus of present day Cordata Parkway. We are greatly indebted to Mischaikov for his enthusiastic involvement.

Our newest member of the GM/CNA Board of directors is Dorothy Smith who comes to us from Corpus Christi, Texas where she lived with husband Bill for more than 30 years. A retired teacher of mathematics, Dorothy was born in Edinburg, county seat of Hidalgo County located 112 miles southwest of Corpus Christi where Bill was a homebuilder. To the surprise of very few, there is a bit of Texas in her speech as she tends to board duties as chair of the Membership Committee. The position is a natural one for her as she keeps tabs on names whose accuracy Bill, as our blogosphere expert, is dependent upon. Commenting about the newness of the Fourth Corner and her Neighborhood Association board responsibilities, Dorothy observed “there is much to learn about this area, so different from South Texas in almost every aspect. I feel privileged to be a member of this board, and look forward to being a contributor to its projects.”

Deadline Dash….The bastardization of spoken language is striking close to home. Two recent mispronunciations of Cordata (Cor-daht’-ah is correct) on Bellingham radio stations have resulted in Cor-date’-ah, a verbal monstrosity making our beloved neighborhood come off as sounding like something consisting of dirt roads in south Georgia. Let’s be vigilant and strong and stomp out such outrageous utterances when we hear them….Land use in Bellingham and Whatcom County will be examined by way of a December 13 bus tour sponsored by Futurewise Whatcom and Sustainable Connections. The four-hour survey, to be undertaken by City and County officials plus Neighborhood activists including GM/CNA representatives, will attempt to demystify growth and development….Dick McKinley, the COB Planning Department’s #1, soon will move to Tacoma in a similar capacity. We’ll attempt to get his as-yet-unnamed successor as a future general meeting speaker….Judging from his outstanding Nov. 17 column (“The Gristle”) in the Cascadia Weekly, editor Tim Johnson is a must read for followers of the ever-changing Waterfront contra temps. The talented writer has insights worth checking out…Whatcom County residents apparently are learning the ABCs of voting. But 477 votes were rejected for a variety of reasons this time around. That compares to 2,177 in 2006 and 1,675 in 2007. The turnout also was impressive. Of 115,314 registered County voters, 88 per cent of them voted…. The COB City Council may establish a Transportation Commission that would replace the City’s Parking Commission and the Bicycle & Pedestrian Committee. If that happens, its major goal will be to reduce car use….At this writing, it looks as though the Whatcom Transit Authority Cordata Station will open January 5. That’s the word from GM/CNA Co-President Julie Guy who knows about such things….Speaker at our January 13 general meeting will be Kathi Hyane-Brown, named President of Whatcom Community College earlier this year. She’ll speak about forming a closer relationship between WCC and our Neighborhood….Speaking of WCC, use of the college library is catching on and saves a lot of time and effort for those who don’t want to drive downtown. Simply order books by phone and indicate you’ll pick them up at the college. The library, by the way, is very user friendly and open to the entire community.

More later,

Bob Sanders with help from Bill Smith, our Master of Imminent Domain

The Insider

Vol. 3, #38

November 6, 2008

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Newsletter of the Guide Meridian/Cordata Neighborhood Association

An increasingly close relationship has developed between our Neighborhood Association and developer Ted Mischaikov who will speak at Tuesday’s (November 11) general meeting. A major reason has been his inclusionary attitude; he is the first developer to not only deal us in on his vision of Cordata’s future, he has invited our input. In a recent dramatic turn of events, a consortium headed by Mischaikov purchased Whatcom County land of 72 undeveloped acres just north of Tremont Rd. and west of the planned extension of Cordata Parkway. In addition, the Mischaikov group bought 125 ready-to-build home lots east of the Parkway. Dallas-based D.R. Horton, seller of both properties, is the country’s largest home builder. Since 2004, Mischaikov has headed M:KOV Corp. whose current projects include the Fairhaven Harbor Building and Larrabee Springs, a development planned for the northern extension of Cordata and located south of Smith Rd. between Guide Meridian and Aldrich Rd. Those years were preceded by four with highly entrepreneurial international conglomerate Trillium Corp. during which, as president and chief operating officer, he oversaw a wide variety of domestic and international ventures in forestry, agribusiness, manufacturing, carbon sequestration and real estate development. Before that, Mischaikov was in extensive international projects, focusing on Latin America and Southeast Asia, related to infrastructure and port development which included large multinational corporations along with International Finance Corp. Holder of a B.A. in Economics & Mathematics from Western Washington University, Mischaikov lives in Edgemoor with wife Angela.

This is one of our most important meetings and a great opportunity for Q&A as evidenced by Mischaikov’s topic: “I Need Your Input.” See you Tuesday at 7 p.m. at the Birchwood Presbyterian Church, 400 Meadowbrook Ct. Bring a neighbor for what promises to be an outstanding session. In addition to Mischiekov’s presentation, we’ll have a brief one from activist Betsy Pernotto speaking in favor of retaining the current limit on big box size.

Because of your letters about the threat of big box stores leaving Bellingham, a dialogue involving the City and corporate representatives has been initiated. In a letter to Guide Meridian/Cordata neighbors, 1^st Ward Councilmember Jack Weiss described a series of meetings as “a citywide approach to any proposed amendments to the City’s size-limiting ordinance.” Suggesting that “neither the challenges nor issues on either side were insurmountable,” Weiss reported Council staff as ”working closely with big box stores to determine what has worked well in other communities. “ Further meetings to continue the dialogue are anticipated with an eye on possibly amending the ordinance “if appropriate,” according to Weiss whose letter stresses that there is no pending vote or action to reconsider or amend the existing 2007 ordinance that limits new retail to 90,000 sq. ft.. The bottom line of it all is that Cordatans have kept the subject on the front burner through an impressive flurry of letters to our City Council representative.

The Community Garden Project continues to attract Cordatans who are invited to a second organizational meeting to be held Tuesday, November 11, at 2 p.m., at the El Dorado Condominium Club House. We are in the process of obtaining land as volunteers sign up to work the neighborhood site. Further information can be oftained by calling Dee Andrews (738-8787) or Jan Sanders (647-8773).

Fifteen new parks, many of them in north Bellingham, will become a reality if the City Council accepts the latest Park, Recreation and Open Space Plan. If adopted, the $150 million plan would add 639 acres to the current 3,404 acres of parks, open space and trails in the City and surrounding growth area. The entire proposal can be obtained at www.cob.org where you can type the name of the study at the top of the page. The undertaking makes clear that parks on the north side are of the highest priority.

Headline Dash….Not surprising was the recent announcement that Cordata has three of the five most dangerous intersections in Bellingham. The most accident prone is on Telegraph Rd. at the Denny’s turn-in just east of Meridian. Third is (surprise, surprise) the roundabout at Cordata Parkway & Kellogg while fifth place goes to Northwest & W. Bakerview. Factored in is the amount of traffic and the number of accidents….Herald reporter Sam Taylor’s reports about Whatcom County Executive Pete Kremen’s salary windfall (he got a 23 per cent raise boosting his pay to $141,000) is a good example of one story flushing out another of equal or greater importance. An earlier Taylor story had County employees getting increases ranging from 2.75 for support and professional supervisors to 6.6 for County officials including Kremen. Key to the story is that old adage: people will talk. Kremen’s now disclosed two-part raise goes back to earlier non-public meetings of the County Council held before the economy began to tank. When last heard from, the Council was demanding a cancellation of part of the raise plus a return of money Kremen received since July. Timing is everything. As comedic great Oliver Hardy used to observe, “What a fine kettle of fish.”….Speaking of timing, Mayor Dan Pike will speak at the GM/CNA December 9 general meeting. The mayor will present his approach to the Waterfront Project and how it differs from that of the Port of Bellingham. Principle differences are the street layout--the mayor wants to connect planned streets to those already in existence while the Port favors an angled layout--and buildings once the property of Georgia Pacific. The Port’s vision is to raze all but three of the buildings while the mayor’s plan utilizes many of the structures as an historic site. The more the two sides discuss the subject, albeit in respectful fashion, the wider the divide….Dorothy Smith is our newest GM/CNA board member and has taken on the added responsibility of membership chair. More about Dorothy next month….Very appropriate as a help to understanding what is happening to the Lake Whatcom watershed is “The Unforeseen” produced by Robert Redford and Terrance Malick. It’s about the unchecked development of land at Barton Springs near Austin, Texas. It can be rented from Netflix and is worth seeing….Apparently a local taste thrill wasn’t enough to save Burger Me restaurant located near the Lakeway Shopping Center. Doomed to extinction unless a buyer comes forward in two weeks is the eatery where the hamburger patty was occasionally embraced by a Krispy Kreme doughnut.

More next time,

Bob Sanders with thanks to Bill Smith, our new communications enabler.

The Insider

Vol. 3, #37

October 10, 2008

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Newsletter of the Guide Meridian/Cordata Neighborhood Association

In this often confusing world, the subject of international relations is one of the least understood. Your Neighborhood Association is fortunate to have as its October general meeting speaker Nicholas Mele, until recently International Director for Communications of Nonviolent Peaceforce. Born in New York City, Mele joined the Peace Corps serving in South Korea , followed by 25 years in Asia and Africa as a foreign service officer with the United States Information Agency. Retired at the end of 1999, Mele moved to Bellingham early the next year and began working for Nonviolent Peaceforce in 2001. He and wife Mary, whom he met in South Korea, helped found the Whatcom Peace and Justice Center, an organization he served as first president of the board. The subject of Nick Mele’s talk at the October 14 general meeting at the Birchwood Presbyterian Church will be: “Inside a U.S. Embassy.”

A major development about which we have considerable interest is the purchase of D.R. Horton’s remaining Whatcom County land by a consortium headed by local developer Ted Mischaikov. In addition to 72 undeveloped acres west of the planned extension of Cordata Parkway north of Tremont Rd., Horton also sold 125 ready-to-build home lots east of the Parkway at a total cost of $6.5 million. It was a sudden and dramatic withdrawal by this country’s largest home builder. Dallas-based Horton lost $12.3 million alone on the 72 acres having paid Trillium Corp. $17.3 million in mid-2005 when the housing market here was peaking.

Of particular interest is the undeveloped acreage and Mischaikov’s desire to redesign what is now a proposed 428 home project. Call it the tweaking factor with only so much allowed before the City blows the whistle and tells the developer to start over from scratch. That’s called a re-plat. What Horton was planning to build was, in a word, boring with long blocks of identical or similar housing. Mischaikov describes the plan as it now stands as “a lot of square pegs and round holes.” The land includes a lot of wetlands.

Mischaikov, who first made an impressive presentation before the Neighborhood Board of Directors on October 8, will offer details of his plan at our November 11 general meeting. We’re delighted to have become an enthusiastic participant in a development--a first for us. A yet-to-be assigned second speaker from The 360 Hotel Group will make a presentation in favor of a plan to create a Marriott Hotel which, if approved by the City, would be located south of the intersection of West Bakerview & Northwest across from Northwest Imaging. The 360 Hotel Group is associated with Marriott.

Early on in the creation of the GM/C Neighborhood Association, we had the good fortune of getting advice from Richard Maneval who heads up the Association of Bellingham Neighborhoods (ABN). Richard continues to advise us and it is in that same pass along spirit that your Board now finds itself helping the annexation process of the King Mt. UGA area that will become part of the Meridian Neighborhood. King Mt activist Cyndy Anderson made an impressive presentation at our September meeting, then was cheered by the City Council’s 5-2 first time around vote (three are needed) for annexation consideration. That vote was preceded by letters of support from our Neighborhood including one from our board.

Off to a good start is a potential Neighborhood project that could bring a community garden to Cordata. Some 20 neighbors gathered on September 18 at the El Dorado Condominium Club House to hear Master Gardeners of Bellingham explain some of the ins and outs of the proposal. The initial meeting was the first held under the auspices of the American Community Garden Association whose local origins were at Washington State University. Master Gardeners, affiliated with the ACGA, have received a $15,000 grant and are searching for the most deserving neighborhood with a garden site. Temporary co-chairs are Dee Andrews (738-8787) and Jan Sanders (647-8773). They will take calls from the additionally interested as we await forms that must be filled out, then received by December 1.

Covering Bellingham’s waterfront redevelopment plan of 220 acres certainly has a follow-the-money ebb and flow. Recent developments found Mayor Dan Pike suggesting that the angled streets plan, favored by the Port of Bellingham, be changed to save $30 million. In a quixotic moment reported by the Herald, the mayor’s additional published rationale was that the move would solve the problem of drivers and pedestrians getting lost. The subject of lost souls, if, indeed, it ever existed, was not included a few days later in the City’s monthly Neighborhood News. At press time, Port Environmental Director Mike Stoner had challenged Pike’s numbers suggesting they came from preliminary data. Stoner says the savings would be $4.6 million rather than $30 million.

Deadline Dash….Your Neighborhood Association Board members have completed one-on-one meetings with the seven members of the Bellingham City Council. The meetings were conducted to make clear our feelings about four major GM/C problems: possible flight by big box stores, our need for an area library, increasing frustration over Cordata Park development and traffic problems created by rapid growth…The Lynden Planning Board on October 9 recommended that its City Council raise the current big box ceiling from its current 65,000 sq. ft. established eight years ago. No numbers were discussed but the recommendation looks like a first step to meet the Ferndale challenge. Ferndale opened the door two months ago with something less than a veiled invitation to Bellingham big boxes. Lynden has a lot of acreage north of town on the Guide Meridian….Jack in the Box will build at 1020 W. Bakerview near the intersection of Northwest Ave. & Bakerview across from Northwest Imaging. The San Diego-based fast food firm currently has 2,152 restaurants….In addition to developer Ted Mischaikov’s November general meeting presentation plus a representative of The 360 Group, we’ll also hear from community activist Betsy Pernoto. She will respond to Bellis Fair General Manager Dennis Curtis who spoke favorably in September about allowing big box stores expansion beyond the 2,000 feet granted…..Cheryl Stewart, such a GM/CNA stalwart that it will take two people to replace her, soon will once again be RVing it with husband Tom. Cheryl, ever cheerful and full of good ideas, has been my right hand conduit with our members for two years; I know you join me in enthusiastic thanks for her efforts. She will remain a member of the Association. Her able replacements are Bill Smith, who will ride herd on our e-mail communications, and wife Dorothy who becomes Membership Chair….And do not forget to vote. It’s probably the most important Presidential election in your lifetime.

More next time,

Bob Sanders with thanks to Cheryl Stewart. May the wind be ever at your back.

The Insider

Vol. 3, #36

September 5, 2008

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Newsletter of the Guide Meridian/Cordata Neighborhood Association

These are exciting times as your Neighborhood moves forward with programs of improvement. Of timely importance as Bellingham deals with the Big Box Controversy is our speaker at Tuesday’s (September 9 at 7 p.m.) general meeting. He is Bellis Fair Manager Dennis Curtis and we are most appreciative of his willingness to pinch hit for Costco Warehouse Manager Carter Witham, called out of town by his company. Costco, at the heart of the controversy, is in the process of being approved for a 2,000 square foot increase--far short of the 27,000 requested by the big box giant including 1,500 for refrigeration it says it needs to increase stock on hand and cut down on trucking. Costco is one of nine big box operations here defined as being 90,000 square ft. or more. Costco (133,000) and Walmart (160,000) are the largest of the nine whose City of Bellingham taxes total around $2.7 million. Overtures have been made by Ferndale that could attract big box moves north. Tuesday’s meeting will be held at Birchwood Presbyterian Church, 400 Meadowbrook Ct. See you there for this important meeting.

This is the time of year when people of the Fourth Corner are inclined to be smug about our good fortune in not sustaining disasters. Approaching the fourth quarter of the year, we again have not suffered tornadoes, floods, hurricanes and other calamities so persistent elsewhere.

In truth, anyone who thinks we’re immune here is a fool. The Big One, a euphemism for an earthquake, is in our future. The only question is when. Another verity involves the first three days. That’s the time frame officials say we won’t be able to depend upon emergency services because of priorities. Those three days of enormous importance mean it’s up to us to care for ourselves.

Basic training skills, vital in a disaster, are being taught by the Community Emergency Response Team (CERT). The CERT concept was developed and implemented by the City of Los Angeles Fire Department in 1985. The program proved to be so beneficial that FEMA felt it should be made available to communities nationwide. CERT was selected as one of the primary programs offered the public to meet the challenge.

Nine three-hour classes include: Disaster Preparedness, Fire Safety, Disaster Medical Operations Search and Rescue plus Disaster Psychology. Those interested in taking a class call Lead Instructor Bob Jacobson at 398-9707 or 527-1441 for details.

Your Neighborhood Board has gained additional cachet with the addition of Nicholas Mele. Nick, until recently International Director for Communications of Nonviolent Peaceforce, is a New Yorker whose background includes a rich history in foreign policy issues. After Peace Corps service in South Korea, Nick joined the United States Information Agency (USIA) as a foreign service officer.

With over 25 years service in Asia and Africa, Nick retired at the end of 1999, moved here in early 2000, and began working for Peaceforce in 2001. He and his wife Mary (they met in Korea) helped found the Whatcom Peace and Justice Center and he served as the first president of the Center board. Nick also is a local organizer for Bread for the World, an ecumenical group that lobbies Congress on legislation affecting hungry people here and abroad. Writer and speaker about foreign policy issues, nonviolent intervention and cross-cultural topics in this country and abroad, Nick is a grandparent once with two more on the way. Nick Mele will be our guest speaker at the October 14 Neighborhood general meeting.

Any WTA Cordata Station update has to start with a completion date just moved back to well into December. As of now, 52 potential construction change items have arisen with 44 resolved at a cost of $276,000. Eight are pending or under negotiation and expected to be in the $100,000 range. The construction bid awarded last January to Vertical, Inc. came in at $3,390,000 and included a contingency of $340,000 and an allowance of $75,000 for an early completion—now “inoperable,” as the late White House press secretary Ron Ziegler would put it. Meanwhile, the WTA reports a Nation leading 29.7% ridership increase the first six months of this year and 38% the past three years. Spokeswoman Maureen McCarthy says a big factor is our do-the-right-thing culture.

Deadline Dash….Bellingham may be the City of Subdued Excitement, but it’s reassuring to report that there is something called HAMFLAP doing business here. What’s that, you ask? You don’t know about HAMFLAP? Ah, gentle reader, HAMFLAP stands for Have As Much Fun And Laughter As Possible. A subsidiary of Evergreen Team Concepts, the firm is dedicated to “bringing fun, laughter and their benefits to the public.” One wonders about staff meetings and the role of whoopee cushions in them?.....More than a bit disquieting was the announcement accompanied by little press attention that the ground rules for the Basic Food Program (also known as Food Stamps) have been changed. Income limits for the program were just set at 200% of the Federal Poverty Rate as compared to 130% initiated 10 months earlier. Is this further acknowledgment of the worsening economy?....One local economic bright spot is Whatcom County’s export success. With two major refineries in the area, the petroleum and coal products category are very healthy. Downside of the good news is the continued plunge of the U.S. dollar…. While the Idiom Theater will be dark until August of next year, a new installment of the Cody Rivers Show will take to the boards in January. If you haven’t seen Cody Rivers, do yourself one big favor and catch some comedy of Off Broadway quality….With Jim Zander having moved on to the Greenways Committee, Adrienne Lederer has stepped forward to chair the Parks & Trails Committee whose members include Mary & Nick Mele, Caroline Youde, Linda Langey and Bob Sanders. Possessor of an impressive work ethic, Adrienne also heads up a new committee dealing with Neighborhood Borders. Members are Ralph Wenning and Bob Sanders. The Insider will provide additional information next month about the distinct possibility that our neighborhood parameters will be changed in the near future…..Our Neighborhood’s high profile was a factor in GM/C being chosen as a possible recipient of a grant that would inspire a community garden. The carrot being dangled is the result of a $15,000 award given Master Gardeners of Bellingham with GM/C among the candidates. The mayor is very much behind the project and who knows? An opening ceremony of a neighborhood garden might find the mayor throwing out the first trowel. Those interested are invited to attend a September 18 assessment meeting from 2-4 p.m. at the El Dorado Condo Clubhouse. Master Gardener Jill Cotton will be there to check us out and determine how we stack up with other Neighborhoods thus prompting an afterthought:

A Jill from a family of Cottons

May put trowel to earth for Condatans

With jack from Master Gardeners

And digging from local pardners

Further proof we’re not The Forgottens

More next time,

Bob Sanders with help from Cheryl Stewart

The Insider

Vol. 3, #35

August 4, 2008

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Neighborhood of the Guide Meridian/Cordata Neighborhood Association

Perhaps it’s time for a summation of where your Association stands in terms of problems demanding immediate concern.

With buildout of Cordata Park (not, yet its official name) scheduled to begin in 2009, there is no road access. Our challenge is to find a way to fund a partial buildout of Horton Rd. in order that access is made available to our park. Without it, the park remains decidedly short of what we want. A meeting with a Public Works representative late last month disclosed that Horton’s very damp development to Aldrich Rd. is considered both very expensive and “not presently on the list for early construction.” Public Works says it will meet shortly with Parks & Recreation to discuss a possible solution.

Our objection is strong. We finally have a park, a plan and a budget to get started. We find the possibility of the entire project being stopped for years totally unacceptable. Should our objections be met by words of discouragement, other avenues of entreaty will be explored.

We have concerns about “big box” stores such as Costco and Wal-Mart leaving Bellingham. We feel they should be able to expand to meet their growing needs. Each departure means the loss of a major member of the tax base and citizens will be underserved.

Beset by Neighborhood traffic problems, we continue to wonder about not only a never released traffic study underwritten by Trillium Corp. but, also, the possibility of a second one whose details might impact upon problem solutions. Our concerns focus upon the intersection of Cordata and Stuart where pedestrian and driving challenges have found the WTA threatening elimination of Stuart Rd. from the #24 bus route.

The bottom line of the Stuart & Parkway situation is that the traffic count (currently 9,300 daily) is not yet heavy enough to warrant a roundabout. Further, the City does not want to put in stop signs on Cordata because that slows the flow of traffic. That leaves, according to Public Works, the possibility of a yellow blinking light for pedestrian crossing of the Parkway.

A small branch library remains a major goal as children and adults are forced to travel downtown. While the downtown library situation remains fluid with a number of possible solutions, we do not feel it necessary to wait years until the main library issue is resolved. We continue to search for donated space (a Bellis Fair location is a likely solution) and will ask the City to work with us if we find it.

We seek a dialog regarding our Neighborhood Plan. With the Plan not scheduled to work this year following last year’s many signs of encouragement, we have met with the Planning Department twice during recent months with promises of further meetings. Those looking for a word to describe such disappointments could easily conclude: stonewalling.

The very real threat by Costco to leave Bellingham will be our exciting program at the September general meeting of the Guide Meridian/Cordata Neighborhood Association. Speaker at the Tuesday, September 9 session, to be held at Birchwood Presbyterian Church, 400 Meadowbrook Ct., will be Costco Warehouse Manager Carter Witham. Born in Seattle, Witham has been with the firm 22 years after being hired in Portland. He moved to Bellingham two years ago after stints in such communities as Bend and Medford, OR and Vancouver, WA. He and his wife live in South Bellingham with two children. Come to this highly important 7 p.m. meeting to gain added insight into Costco’s threat to move to Ferndale and why your association is in favor of keeping big box stores here.

Costco is one of several large retailers who have expressed interest in building near Slater Rd.

at I-5. Owner of the land is Ralph Black, co-owner of Alliance Properties and twice a speaker at our general meetings. The essence of the problem for Costco is that the Bellingham City Council has banned big box stores from making major expansions while Ferndale officials have given initial approval to annex Alliance Properties acreage.

Deadline Dash….Whatcom Plaza, being constructed across from Whatcom Community College at the Kellogg St. roundabout, will consist of three buildings—two of one story and one of two stories. Principle service will be for the college and its students with the inevitable coffee shop

all but a certainty. Bet it won’t be a Starbucks….That proposed joint management structure of a combined Bellingham and Whatcom County direction of Lake Whatcom may not require a director. The announcement by County Executive Pete Kremen comes a few months after the acceptance of Mayor Dan Pike’s suggestion that a building housing decision makers and costing more than $6 million building was not necessary. It’s remarkable how savings can be achieved--particularly when the economy is in a swoon…. Speaking of money, how about that grand gesture by the City Council to accept a $200,000 mistake in favor of a Blaine construction firm?....”Poppa” Andrews turns 96 August 30. If you don’t know Poppa, you should. He’s that delightful man who walks Ted, his seven year-old Greater Swiss Mountain dog, twice daily from his Heronwood home where he lives with son Ben Andrews and Ben’s wife Dee. Happy birthday, when it rolls around, Poppa….The Parks and Recreation Department will vote on a name for out park on August 13 and forward it to the City Council. Odds-on favorite is Cordata Park. The transfer of an adjoining 7.5 acres will be voted upon by the County Council on September 9….The written word took another beating with the August 1 closing of The Newsstand on Magnolia. Owner Ira Stohl was force out of business when his main supplier refused to bring periodicals numbering 3,400 to market. That’s a remarkable number for a city the size of Bellingham. A tip-off on Stohl’s character was his placement of free publications at the front of his shop. The Newsstand joins the recently folded Whatcom Independent in the communications industry graveyard here….Due diligence by co-founder Julie Guy has revealed that heaters will definitely be installed at the Cordata WTA Station due for completion in November.

More next time,

Bob Sanders with thanks to Cheryl Stewart

The Insider

Vol. 3, #34

July 3, 2008

Newsletter of the Guide/Meridian Cordata Neighborhood Association

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Judging from attendee comments, the Second Annual Guide Meridian/Cordata Neighborhood Picnic was a roaring success. Summer’s final arrival (a bit toasty, but we managed to absorb its effects) set the stage for music, food, exhibits and the chance to chat with neighbors as we reflected upon the delights of our surroundings and the opportunity to make Cordata even better. The music was both recorded (Benny Goodman’s small groups never sounded better thanks to Bill Smith’s superb equipment) and live with the Bellingham Youth Jazz Band under the direction of Mike Kelly. The food included charcoal grilled hot dogs, strawberry shortcake, coffee, potato chips and bottled water—the latter a well-timed refresher along with the Trillium-loaned tent as the temperature hit 81 in the shade, four degrees short of the record for the date. Present to help us celebrate the acquisition of a yet-to-be-named Cordata park were Mayor Dan Pike, County Executive Pete Kremen, lst Ward Councilman Jack Weiss and Whatcom County Superior Court Judge Charles Snyder. All spoke enthusiastically of our Neighborhood Association and a seemingly innate ability to get things done. Twenty door prizes were awarded by emcee Ben Andrews while Cordatans checked out 17 exhibition booths plus Police, Fire Department and WTA displays. Considerable thanks also go to GM/CNA board member Adrienne Lederer who made a great many things happen, all the enthusiastic volunteers and to sponsors Community Food Co-Op and Wal-Mart. See you next year.

That decision by the City Council to take parking away from Cornwall for a bicycle lane was, indeed, strange. It begs questions regarding the Council’s professed concern for parking and represents something of a farcical contrast to the Council’s earlier slavering for underground library parking before that project turned into an embarrassing fiasco. Those longed-for 89 library parking stalls at $39,000 a pop are a fascinating comparison to giving up parking along the west side of Cornwall from Ohio to Illinois. Of course, there are no meters on that Cornwall stretch, adjacent to downtown but close enough to cause the scratching of heads. Thank goodness a Stan Snapp (Third Ward) suggestion prevailed retaining 21 parking spaces between York and Ohio. The pro-bicycle decision, among other things, is being regarded by many as anti-business and that’s another interesting consideration since the Council is in the process of sticking it to big box stores (Costco & Wal-Mart) that want to expand. Such thinking, once again, suggests the Council is anti-business and the bicycle vote significant. O.K. You’re a bicyclist and a future ride will take you down Cornwall. You get to Ohio and what do you do then and under what circumstances?

Local news junkies, even more underserved with the Whatcom Independent out of business, can now check in with the City of Bellingham Neighborhood News, a monthly straight out of City Hall. Yes, as one might expect, the monthly is highly laundered with little starch and contains a broad look at City programs and challenges. It can be reached on the City’s website: http://www.cob.org/news/neighborhoods.aspx. The July issue, for example, is heavy on neighborhood parks information. Mayor Dan Pike, who writes a column each month, calls attention to this being Parks and Recreation Month suggesting it’s “a great time to get off the couch, stay active, and seek every opportunity to enjoy the range of park and recreation opportunities available throughout the City and our region.” The fifth of six public meetings regarding master planning and naming of our park property is scheduled for July 10 at 7 p.m. The location, again, will be the Birchwood Presbyterian Church Chapel, 400 Meadowbrook Lane. We continue to observe our indebtedness to the church for all its help.

Our newest board member is Caroline Yaude, a B’hamster since 1976 when she moved from the Virgin Islands along with her husband and three of five children. She began working as an Elementary Guidance Counselor for the Bellingham School District in the fall of that year. She returned to the classroom at Parkview School where she taught fifth, then fourth grades until retirement in 1988. With acreage in the county, the Yaudes enjoyed raising Scotch Highland cattle while keeping riding horses. They also enjoyed traveling extensively through North America, Europe and the South Pacific.

A long-time member of The Academy of Lifelong Learning and a professional artist, Caroline for many years introduced Northwest Native Arts to area third graders through Allied Arts Educational Programs. Interested in Bellingham’s growth and politics, she became curious about the GM/C Neighborhood; that curiosity led to a desire to join the Association and work alongside an energetic group of concerned citizens.

Deadline Dash….Hard-working Adrienne Lederer, who did such a great job directing much of our Second Annual GM/C Neighborhood Association picnic, has taken on another challenge. She joins fellow board member Judy VanWoudenberg as members of the Mayor’s Neighborhood Advisory Commission (MNAC)….Some major July dates to keep in mind: July 17 when the City Planning Commission discusses making the acquisition of our park semi-official and July 21 when the City Council holds a public meeting that will make it official….The folding of the Whatcom Independent was a sad development as is always the case when a publication shuts down. The Indy did a fine job of presenting the kinds of stories all too often neglected by The Herald. Some of the Indy’s stories dealt with our Neighborhood’s problems, often on page one. An unfortunate development was the paper’s inability to pick up any significant advertising from late December of 2005 when the Bellingham Weekly (now called the Cascadia Weekly) ceased publication before resuming three months later. The Indy was instrumental in getting the word out that the Guide Meridian/Cordata Neighborhood has all too often suffered from benign neglect accompanied by winks and nudges that occur in a City with a decided southern tilt…..Trillium Corp. will return to a downtown location in September after 13 years at 4350 Cordata Parkway. Their temporary digs on N. State St. will precede work on a new office building on Holly in Old Town….Madrona Medical is no more. As of July 1, it became part of PeaceHealth Medical Group (St. Joseph Hospital) as a result of approval by 95% of doctors and more than 75% of other medical professionals. Little change in services is promised….Mayor Dan Pike, present at a recent WTA presentation at the Senior Center, indicated he will push for stop signs at the intersection of Stuart Rd. & Cordata Parkway. The WTA originally suggested the Stuart Rd. phase of its Route 24 be eliminated. Stay tuned.

More next time,

Bob Sanders with great thanks to Cheryl Stewart

The Insider

Vol. 3 #33

June 5, 2008

Newsletter of the Guide Meridian/Cordata Neighborhood Association

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Ist Ward Councilman Jack Weiss will address the Guide Meridian/Cordata Neighborhood Association’s June 10 general meeting. Weiss, elected last November, is one of the vital forces of improvement in Bellingham government. Weiss’s impressive interest in upgrading quality of life in neighborhoods has found him drawing upon a variety of experiences both pro-business and environmental. Those experiences include being Whatcom County Recycling Coordinator, executive director of an affordable housing non-profit business for 550 people with 25 employees, and Administrator (principal) for Whatcom Hills Waldorf School.

Primary architect of the successful 2005-2006 Greenways III Levy, Weiss also has been the president of the Birchwood Neighborhood Association, a three-term member of the Greenways Advisory Committee and Executive Director for Oeser Cedar Cleanup Coalition, a neighborhood oversight organization monitoring clean-up of the County’s only Federal Superfund Toxic Site.

Weiss’s announced focus involves: protecting the community’s health through better management of Lake Whatcom; creating urban center vitality while conserving aesthetics and character; making certain of community input in the Waterfront Redevelopment Master Plan; solutions to affordable housing issues; expanding small and medium-sized business opportunities that are environmentally and socially sustainable as well as profitable; and the creation of better opportunities for City government transparency.

Jack Weiss’s talk in the Birchwood Presbyterian Church Chapel, 400 Meadowbrook Ct., will start at 7 p.m. There will be no general meetings in July and August.

Not to be missed is our Second Annual GM/C Neighborhood Picnic to be held Saturday, June 28 at Whatcom Community College beginning at noon and running to 4 p.m. There’ll be free food, fun and live music featuring the Bellingham Youth Jazz Band directed by Mark Kelly as we celebrate the acquisition of Cordata Park. Come join the fun sponsored by the Community Food Co-op and WalMart. Food includes hot dogs, chips, coffee, popcorn and strawberry shortcake. There will be appearances by Mayor Dan Pike and County Executive Pete Kremen. Emcee of the event will be Ben Andrews of Heronwood. Come meet your neighbors on the lawn adjacent to Kulshan Hall. Unless you’re walking, the best way to get there is by way of the central drive off Stuart at the north end of the campus where signage will help guide you to plenty of parking close to the venue.

It wasn’t long ago that something like a dozen or so high rises were being planned with nearly all to be built in downtown Bellingham. As tall as 20 stories, the multi-use buildings appeared to be answer to the cry for infill with the kind of core density needed to create urban villages. One rather fanciful published story had penthouses already sold out to wealthy Hong Kongers. Here we are two years later with but one high rise being built to our all-too-often cloudy skies. We keep being reminded that the stumbling economy has not affected Bellingham, but developers obviously have a different take on the situation. Meanwhile, four Planning Academy II workshops have come and gone in attempts to examine housing types in an eventual infill search for new residential locations without arousing ire among Neighborhoods in a City where ire arousal is not difficult to find. Participants (there were about 100) in the last workshop) have been characterized as both hopeful and wary.

Public comment will be encouraged as early as August and Neighborhood Associations can offer location ideas when their Neighborhood Plans are updated. One encouraging aspect of the Planning Academy sessions was the emphasis on a hoped-for use of housing types of little use here. Included are carriage houses, cottages and accessory dwelling units also known as “mother-in-law houses.” Not everyone agrees with the City’s approach to infill. Richard Conoboy, otherwise known as The Zone Maven, can be read at: www.zonemaven.blogspot.com

While most of us find the concept of urban villages intriguing, it does get a bit complicated when density is brought into play. At present, there are few areas that appear to qualify. They include Fairhaven and Barkley Village although more condos are needed in the latter. Add to them down the road likelihoods including Old Town, Central Waterfront and neighbor-to-be King Mountain. Then, there’s North Samish Way which is to Sehome what the Guide Meridian north of Costco is to even folks whose eyes are not easily offended. The idea of 23 Bellingham urban villages simply won’t fly at this juncture because of a lack of density. It’s quite possible, however, that the core of a GM/C urban village is beginning to emerge around the entrance to Whatcom Community College where early entities will include the now under construction WTA Sub-Station and the Community Food Co-op. Within short walks are Kellogg St. shops plus Costco and its mall mates. The City wants one-third of its growth housed in urban villages with another third in existing neighborhoods and the rest in fringe areas.

Deadline Dash….Although recent events might suggest otherwise, Bellingham just ranked high on a list of most secure places in the U.S. According to a 2007 insurance company survey, we were fifth among mid-size communities and 16^th out of 379 small, medium and large metro areas. Corvallis, Oregon received the highest overall ranking in the survey….Many local agencies are currently working to grow fresh food for hungry people in our community and there are many ways to become involved including sharing home-grown produce. For more info contact Barbara Montoya at beemon@comcast.net or 738-0690….Anyone taking the math one step further had to come up with an astonishing assessment of what was reported by the Herald when “more than 300” Lake Whatcom watershed residents turned in 11 tons of household hazardous waste at a recent and most worthy collection event. One wonders how many more than 300--a figure that produces 140 lbs. per family. That’s a lot of paint and turpentine…..At the risk of suggesting Cordata is Partytime U.S.A., your attention is called to the Cordata Block Party Friday, June 13 at the end of Cordata Parkway. Presented from 11-2 p.m. by Evergreen North Cascades, the old fashioned fun will include free hotdogs, pie throwing, face painting, a dunk tank and a raffle. See you at both the block party on the 13^th and the Neighborhood picnic on the 28^th.

More next time,

Bob Sanders with help from Cheryl Stewart

The Insider

Vol. 3, #32

May 9, 2008

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Neighborhood of the Guide Meridian/Cordata Neighborhood Association

“Growth Management for Dummies” is the provocative title of a talk by writer/critic Greg Kirsch at the Tuesday, May 13 GM/C Neighborhood Association general meeting. A strong proponent of protection for resource lands and the industries that rely on them, Kirsch and his wife Susan have volunteered their time and energy to numerous efforts to encourage City and County governments to respect the philosophy of the Growth Management Act and preserve the rural character of the county. Kirsch’s background in the seafood business has taken him from Alaska to Mexico, Asia and Europe over the past 40 years. His pronounced interest in western water law and Washington cases that have a bearing on growth management includes such associated subjects as groundwater and surface water allocation, and habitat protection and restoration necessary for recovery of our salmon stocks. His 7 p.m. appearance will be at the Birchwood Presbyterian Church Chapel, 400 Meadowbrook Ct.

Effective leadership, seemingly a lost political endeavor these days, appears to be having a renaissance in Bellingham. Witness, for example, Mayor Dan Pike’s willingness to play hardball

with Lake Whatcom Water and Sewer District, the City Council’s decision to turn down a big box grocery store in our side yard across from Fred Meyer, and 1^st Ward Councilman Jack Weiss whose recently introduced resolution will incorporate our Neighborhood Association into the development process. The resolution demands developer application fees accompany initial letters of intent. If developers choose not to work with the Neighborhood Association, they not only get denied but have to pay staff time utilized during the process. The Council is awaiting suggested fees from the Planning Department. The lack of Neighborhood input has long been a problem in Cordata where good old boy tactics have included intense inclinations to look the other way at propitious moments.

Anyone attending a City Council meeting these days--particularly those who recall the

inertia that characterized sessions prior to the November election--has to be pleasantly startled. Principle reasons for the transformation are Jack Weiss and Stan Snapp (Ward 4).

With transparency a byword of his administration, Mayor Pike seemingly has thwarted the proposed construction of a new Lake Whatcom Water and Sewer District administration and operations building with a $6.4 million price tag. Pike contends the City will not need the 12,700 square-foot structure whose creation makes about as much sense as the now fully discredited $64.5 million downtown library. Pike wants to merge the District with the City to protect water quality. Another project capturing the mayor’s attention these days is the waterfront where Port Commissioners have agreed to spend another $400,000 with a Seattle firm bringing to $1.8 million master planning costs. That last expenditure caused the mayor to cease splitting such overhead with the Port believing that City engineers can meet street planning challenges. Another point of anxiety is the size of the development. The commissioners envision one of 6 million sq. ft. while the mayor prefers 4 million done gradually leaving the door open for what could become 6 million. The master plan has a June 10 deadline. Keep an eye on this one. Such subjects as the Waterfront Project and Lake Whatcom are of vital concern to all B’hamsters.

Be sure to mark Saturday, June 28 on your calendar for the Second Annual Guide Meridian/Cordata Neighborhood Picnic. The event, to be held from Noon to 4 p.m. on the beautiful grounds of Whatcom Community College, will have twin themes: Neighborhood Safety and a Cordata Park Celebration. Featured will be local merchant booths, hot dogs and strawberry shortcake, door prizes, a play area for kids and guest appearances by Mayor Pike and County Executive Pete Kremen. The event is free. See next month’s Insider for further details.

Deadline Dash….Board Member Norbert Petsch, who threatens to be to walking what Lance Armstrong is to the bicycle, reports a satisfying saunter along the Division Street Trail highlighted by the discovery of wha