Recent Developments

Sacred Heart Parish site plan submitted by the Archdiocese of Seattle.

July 5, 2026

Here are recent developments concerning the establishment of the North Deanery Catholic High School (NDCHS) on the Sacred Heart Parish property at 14th Street and Knox Avenue.

The school is now expected to open in the fall of 2027, hosting up to 24 students from a five-county catchment area. Initially housed in the church community hall, the project could possibly expand to constructing a new school building on the church parking lot.

We are not opposed to the temporary housing of the school in the parish hall, although we are urging the city to require a new Conditional Use Permit subject to a public hearing, allowing residents to ask questions and raise concerns involving public safety. We want to be sure it is not the camel’s nose under the tent.

Timeline of Recent Developments

• April 3, 2026 — 14thStreetVoices sends a letter to The Most Reverend Paul D. Etienne, Archbishop of Seattle, requesting that the Archdiocese "exclude the Sacred Heart parking lot from potential school plans and formally share this decision publicly."

• April 14, 2026 — Archbishop Etienne responds. His answer is polite but definitive: "we are not yet in a position to remove any particular site from consideration while planning remains at such an early stage." In other words, the Sacred Heart parking lot at 14th Street and Knox Avenue remains a potential building site. (photo)

• April 14, 2026 — The Archdiocese submits a Land Use Application to the City of Bellingham (COB) Permit Center, requesting that the NDCHS temporary school project be exempted from the public hearing normally required to grant a Conditional Use Permit (CUP) — effectively excluding the public from providing input.

• May 5, 2026 — 14thStreetVoices sends a letter to COB Planning and Community Development opposing the exemption request, citing potential negative community impacts.

• May 22, 2026 — The City of Bellingham issues a formal Request for Information, giving the archdiocese 120 days to locate the original 1960 CUP. If it can't be found, NDCHS must apply for a new/amended CUP — triggering the Hearing Examiner process. If the Archdiocese fails to respond at all within 120 days, the application expires (though extensions can be requested).

What's next: If a public hearing is scheduled, we will need you there.

Scott

P.S. As one neighbor voiced, “We’re not worried about a temporary high school in the Sacred Heart parish hall, but it’s like the camel’s nose under the tent—it could open the door to much larger development later.” In the story, a camel sticks its nose into a tent during a cold night. The owner, feeling sympathy, allows it to stay just for warmth. But once the camel gets its nose inside, it gradually pushes further in—eventually occupying the entire tent and forcing the owner out.