Bellingham Parks & Recreation Leisure Guide
Issue link: https://bpr.uberflip.com/i/1544654
We acknowledge that we gather on territory that has been the traditional and ancestral homeland to the Lhaq'temish (the Lummi people), Noxws'áʔaq (the Nooksack people), and other Coast Salish tribes of this region Since Time Immemorial. We honor our shared responsibility to this land and these waters, we commit to learning from Indigenous wisdom, and we strive to repair and deepen our relationships as neighbors and friends. "Spring is the time of plans and projects." – Leo Tolstoy, Anna Karenina Spring is the time to imagine the upcoming warmer months and create plans for projects. Or perhaps, like me, it is the time to pull out plans for last year and finally get started. Either way, it is a time for optimism and renewal, despite the gravity of current world events. For Bellingham Parks & Recreation, this spring brought the completion of several long-term projects and planning efforts. Three major projects were delivered to the community in February and March: Storybrook Park in the Birchwood neighborhood, Sunset Pond Trail connecting Irongate, King Mountain and Barkley neighborhoods, and the new beach at Boulevard Park. Storybrook Park is a unique, whimsical place that includes a log scramble and slide, swings, music and a forest loop trail complete with hidden gnomes, as well as improved pedestrian access. It is the final project of our recently retired landscape architect, Jonathan Schilk. Over his 27-year career in Bellingham, Jonathan managed the design and construction of many parks and trails including Squalicum Creek, Cordata, Harriet Spanel, as well as numerous playgrounds throughout the city. His imagination, design aesthetic and attention to detail are one of the reasons our parks are so fabulous. We will miss him! As far as planning projects go, the Civic Athletic Complex Master Plan is being finalized by City Council in March, setting the stage for priorities, investment, improvements and future expansion within the complex. The major update to the Parks, Recreation and Open Space Plan is also nearing completion. This plan includes core goals and policies, priority projects, updated trail connections and financing plans for the growth of Bellingham's park system over the next 20 years. Lastly, Salish Landing Park, located at the south end of Cornwall Avenue along the water, is finally under construction. After years of complex, agency-led remediation and clean up design, phase one of the park will be constructed in conjunction with the clean up of a former municipal landfill and adjacent industrial site. This project is anticipated to be complete within three years, resulting in a new 17-acre park on Bellingham Bay. Welcome to the springtime, and good luck with your plans and projects! Nicole C. Oliver Director Photo by Patrick Ulinski Director's Letter cob.org/parks • (360) 778-7000 Cover photo by Lauren Woodmansee