The Bellingham City Council has approved an ordinance adopting a plan for redevelopment of Samish Way that will be finalized Nov. 23.  

The ordinance, which was passed unanimously Nov. 9, includes changes to the zoning of the Samish Way district as well as development regulations that will allow the heavily trafficked area to be converted into a community-friendly public space.  

“It’s what the neighborhood wants to do with the area they live in,” councilman Gene Knutson said. “And the city supports that.”

This is the second time the ordinance has been presented to the council. The ordinance was first approved at a public hearing Oct. 5 on the condition certain revisions be made.

Council members asked staff to include specified zoning and design standard provisions in the next draft.

These provisions will dictate how commercial spaces and single-family homes are to be developed on and near Samish Way in the future.

If the final proposal is accepted, the city will begin drafting a master plan for redevelopment.

Eric Ericsson, team sales manager for ProStock Athletic Supply, located at 110 N. Samish Way, has attended several public forums about the proposed rezoning and development of Samish Way.

He said redevelopment of Samish Way would be good for the community, especially for the Western students who live on Sehome Hill but have little desire to stop on Samish Way because of the lack of retail or housing.

Ericsson said one of the issues that could be addressed through redevelopment is the high-density traffic on Samish Way.

“If I could cross Samish Way without having to dodge cars across five lanes of traffic, I think it would be a good thing,” Ericsson said.

The city and the Sehome Neighborhood Association have been working together on gathering information and drafting proposals for the redevelopment of Samish Way for approximately two-and-a-half years, Knutson said.

The council’s unanimous decision to approve the ordinance is a result of the continued cooperation between the city and the neighborhood, Knutson said.

Currently, most of Samish Way is zoned as auto-commercial. Areas zoned in this way do not allow for residential building, said Tara Sundin, the special projects manager for the city’s Planning and Community Development Department.

In 2006, councilwoman Barbara Ryan chaired a series of Bellingham Community Growth forums designed to address the forecasted growth of 31,600 new residents in the Bellingham urban area and 62,000 new residents in the county by the year 2022, Ryan said.

The forums helped city officials plan growth within the city limits, rather than elsewhere in the county, through the creation of urban villages, Ryan said. 

An urban village is a type of urban planning that mixes commercial and residential space, implements strong public transit systems and enhances accessibility to public spaces for pedestrians.

Councilwoman Louise Bjornson said the city has plans to incorporate several urban villages within city limits over the next decade.

Bjornson said Samish Way is currently in sore need of redevelopment.

“It doesn’t look good and it’s a waste of land,” Bjornson said. “[Redevelopment] could get us a nice urban village where people could live.”

The proposed urban village sub-area plan incorporates wider sidewalks, a diverse mix of retail and professional services, tree-lined streetscapes, increased parking and expanded residential neighborhoods.

Currently, Samish Way has a low density of residential living, Ryan said.

Ryan also said most of the businesses in the area are franchises based out of other states, fast food restaurants and motels.

Ryan said the rezoning and redevelopment of Samish Way will allow more local businesses to be accessible to the community.

This would benefit the economy because profit from local businesses remains in Bellingham.

“In my opinion the [Samish Way] area is somewhat blighted,” Ryan said.

Knutson said the actual redevelopment of Samish, as permitted by the re-zoning ordinance passed Nov. 9, is projected to take at least 20 years.

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