FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Oct. 20, 2006
For Information:
Greg McHenry, 360-676-2500 Port Fairhaven Property Planning Meeting Monday
[Bellingham, Wash.] Just as cities have master plans for neighborhoods and development areas, ports have similar planning documents – called Comprehensive Schemes of Harbor Improvements - for their properties. During the next few months, the Port of Bellingham will be updating its Fairhaven Scheme of Harbor Improvements for port property in Fairhaven.
A community goal-setting meeting will be from 7 p.m. to 9 p.m. Monday at the Bellingham Cruise Terminal, 355 Harris Avenue, to solicit public comments about what the public believes the port should consider in this update. This meeting is happening at the very beginning of the planning effort and it will include a brief presentation about the Fairhaven properties and what earlier goals already have been met.
Everyone is welcome to attend and encouraged to participate.
The current Fairhaven Scheme of Harbor Improvements was adopted in 1991 and nearly all of the goals from that plan have been accomplished. These included development of the rail and bus terminal at Fairhaven Station, expansion of passenger ferry alternatives at the Bellingham Cruise Terminal, expansion of deepwater docks at the industrial shipyard, major improvements to Marine Park, expansion of parking lot at 4th and Harris, improvements to visitor moorage and improvements to the Bellingham Cruise Terminal and surrounding property.
The earlier goal that was not met was development of a Southside marina. Development of an in-water marina in Fairhaven was not pursued because the area is valuable habitat that could be damaged by dredging and would be unlikely to be permitted.
The plan update process is just beginning and will continue into 2007. The Waterfront Advisory Group will discuss this at its November meeting.
The Port’s property in Fairhaven includes: the Fairhaven Marine Industrial Park, the industrial shipyards, the Bellingham Cruise Terminal, Fairhaven Station, Marine Park, the Brenthaven building, the public boat launch and several trails and parking areas.
