City Council considers adding bicycle lane to Northwest Avenue

Bellingham City Council will schedule a community meeting in March for the proposal of adding bicycle lanes to Northwest Avenue. Brent ­­­­­Baldwin of the City of Bellingham Planning and Community Department said, the city council chose direct staff to take this action now to see if surrounding properties and neighborhoods are in favor of the proposed bicycle- lane addition. Baldwin said, the meeting will be held at Shuksan Middle School, there is no specific date set in March at this time.

The addition of bicycle lanes to Northwest Avenue is part of a comprehensive plan to add bicycle lanes throughout Whatcom County, Baldwin said. According to Baldwin, there is no current timeframe for the construction of the proposed bicycle lanes.  If the City Council decides to create bicycle lanes on Northwest Avenue, the construction would create sporadic lane closures and detours along Northwest Avenue, he said.

Access to local businesses would be affected by the construction. Arian Henders, owner of The Sugar Shack on Northwest Avenue, said she was not concerned that the construction would affect her flow of business. She said she does not consider herself a bicyclist, but rides her bike occasionally.

“If they want to get here, they’ll get here,” she said. “I think adding bike lanes are great, I encourage healthy living.”

Some community members are not in favor of adding bicycle lanes to Northwest Avenue. Jackie Dexter, a sales associate at Yeager’s Sporting Goods, said it would take away from the street parking. She also said if the sidewalk that faces Northwest Avenue where the bicycle lanes would be added were to be reduced, it would limit their boat displays in the spring. Rianna Earl, a cashier at Yeager’s Sporting goods, said she did not think it is necessary to add bicycle lanes to Northwest Avenue.

“I don’t have a problem without there being a bike lane, I’ll still ride my bike without a bike lane,” Earl said. “I go faster on my bike than most cars.”

                Other cyclists are in favor of adding a bicycle lane to Northwest Avenue. Tara Satushek, a transportation planner for the American Indian Swinomish tribe and avid bicyclist, said she is in favor of adding a bicycle lane to Northwest Avenue. Satushek is not a resident of the Columbia neighborhood, but said she does bicycle in the area often.  She said Bellingham has bicycle lanes in different parts of the city that do not connect, causing bicyclists to use roads without the protection of a bicycle lane.

                “Bellingham prides itself on being bicycling friendly; creating a bike lane would increase connectivity for bicyclers,” Satushek said.

                Satushek went on to say that the addition of bicycle lanes on Norwest Avenue would create an invisible barrier between the sidewalk and road. She said, it would encourage more people to walk and would give pedestrians a sense of safety with the additional space between the sidewalk and the road.

                Satushek said, it is important that all major roads eventually have bicycle components added to them.

                The City Council will hold a community meeting in March at Shuksan high school where potentially affected neighborhoods will have the opportunity to voice their opinions and concerns.

Columbia Resident Introduces Neighborhood to Sustainable Farming

            Neighborhood Harvest, a farming program that will begin selling and delivering organic vegetables to the Columbia neighborhood and surrounding Whatcom county neighborhoods  for the first time starting the end of May, and will continue until October. Community members have the opportunity to purchase a half share that will cost $275, and provide about $13.75 worth of vegetables a week, or a full share that will cost $550, and provide about $27.50 worth of vegetables a week  to be picked up by the customer or delivered for an additional weekly charge of $3. Purchased shares will provide 20 weeks of boxed vegetables.

Columbia neighborhood resident Mary von Krusenstiern owns and operates Neighborhood Harvest, a community supported agriculture. Community supported agriculture works as a farm that is supported by community members who purchase an annual membership, a share, in exchange for produce throughout the vegetable and herb growing season. Community members who have purchased shares will receive fresh vegetables, “at their peak of ripeness,” she said.  Shares are available to anyone in Bellingham she said, with the hopes of selling 50 to 60 shares.  Von Krusenstiern said most of the shares already purchased are from the Columbia neighborhood where she lives.

Neighborhood Harvest will use three separate plots of land to grow vegetables and herbs on. One acre is being leased on Rural Avenue where the majority of the vegetables will be grown. The garden in the Columbia neighborhood on Henry Street has a seed germination house and will be used to grow some annual vegetables. The third garden is on Logan Street in the Broadway Park neighborhood and will be used to grow perennial herbs.

Von Krusenstiern grew up in the Columbia neighborhood, and gained her farming experience from working on farms in Alaska, New Hampshire and Washington. Von Krusenstiern said she wanted to return to her home town and is looking forward to her first year of harvesting. Not only is von Krusenstiern harvesting organic vegetables, but she has also been using some recycled materials to build her greenhouses according to Dan Gilmer, a customer at Carlson Steel Work and community member. “I think it’s great what she is doing, and would love to help,” he said.

At this time Krusenstiern is the only farmer heading Neighborhood Harvest. She said when she needs she will hire part time help.

The Columbia neighborhood is community that likes to support local projects. Mike Mulcahy, the son of locally owned Supreme Bean Coffee Café, said “We are big on community; we like to support those kind of things.”