Bike Trail along Bellingham High School update. Last chance.

[Tim]

Update. Hearing Examiner recommends "Vacate both!"

1. Bellingham School District doesn't need the bike path for Options High
School. They admit they can build without it.

2. Bellingham School District mostly wants the land for their new Astro
Turf Soccer practice field. According to
City of Bellingham Public Works emails. A simple land grabbed using Options
High sympathy and lies to fool the City Council and public.

3. The Hearing Examiner decided moving all hundreds of daily bike riders
onto busy Franklin Street was just Dandy
because "Parks had no objection".

4. No Traffic Study on how bikes will fare when 719 gym goers get dropped
off or picked up some evenings or how 184 Theater goers will deal with bikes
on the newly narrowed Franklin. Remember Anna?

5. Its OK for kids on bikes to deal with 400 Options students and/or
Mommies dropping them off or picking them up on Franklin every weekday.
Plus the 26 Staff and delivery trucks, etc.

6. Its OK for kids on bikes to learn about high speed construction trucks
coming and backing into Franklin from
Pearson Construction on the 2000 block. Lovely industrial park at the end
of this block too.

7. Even though the City Council Adopted policy is NOT to vacate Primary
Pedestrian Pathways adjacent to Open Space, the Hearing Examiner ignored
this policy.

8. The Vacate Public Notice signs are all in states of repose and lost
notices for the last 6 weeks. No proper notice for users.

9. City of Bellingham claims they are doing this to "improve safety".


The recommendation was made on the 13th. I still have not gotten a copy in
the mail after sending 3 emails requesting it and being a party of record.
This is the policy of the Hearing Examiner Office.

On July 25th, City Council will vote on whether to accept the
recommendation. You can still write or call
them and mayor Linville. ccm...@cob.org and mayors...@cob.org

Last chance. Send or call by the 24th or earlier to get read or heard.

Q: Should the City Council reward the School District's lies and risk lives
and destroy this irreplaceable bike
pathway that is along open space and not on a road?

Q: If this was Central Park in New York, would their Council fall for this
pack of lies and vacate the only safe bike trail for miles around along open
space?