FIRST STEP! March 18 - attend the city meeting to discuss the new high school on South Hill.

Join your neighbors (and bring your questions) on Wednesday, March 18, 6pm, at the Bellingham Cruise Terminal in Fairhaven. Mayor Kim Lund and city leaders will be talking with residents and taking our QUESTIONS. This is our opportunity to raise awareness and get some answers about the proposed private high school on South Hill (see full description below).

If you ask questions of the city council members, here are some issues you may consider raising:

CITY COUNCIL INVOLVEMENT? What is the status of the city’s current involvement in the project by the Archdiocese of Seattle to establish and construct a new private high school in Bellingham. Has the Sacred Heart Church property at 14^th and Knox been presented to or discussed by the council?

SACRED HEART PARKING LOT ZONING? Has the city received any communications from the Archdiocese of Seattle regarding the zoning of the Sacred Heart Church parking lot or other land, or any mention of receiving a variance for new construction? The city currently designates the Sacred Heart parking lot as Commercial Land (on the Current Use Map) and Residential Single (on the recent Land Parcel Report). Which zoning is accurate? Does that allow for the construction of a high school, even if operated by a religious organization? What is the likelihood for granting a zoning variance to allow for such a large building? It has been reported that the 1960 parking lot usage variance issued by the city contains property restrictions and conditions. What are those restrictions?

TRAFFIC ISSUES? A new high school on the corner of 14^th and Knox will vastly alter the traffic load through that intersection and past Lowell Elementary School. This is a secondary arterial route between Boulevard, Garden and downtown Fairhaven. Has the city initiated a traffic study to address congestion and safety issues? Has the city considered the increased risk of combining 5–12 year-old children walking, with limited sidewalks, and young high school drivers on an arterial route with a school-zone speed limit of 20mph?

PEDESTRIAN ISSUES? A high school at 14^th and Knox will greatly increase pedestrian traffic through that intersection and the larger area. At the least, there is an increased need for a city sidewalk on the west side of 14^th, and a possible need for a traffic signal with crossing signals at the school intersection. Has the city or the Archdiocese of Seattle initiated any pedestrian traffic study and formulate mitigation plans?

LOWELL SCHOOL CHILDREN SAFETY? For all the reasons above, what special consideration is the city and the Bellingham School Board giving to approving a new, large private high school immediately adjacent to Lowell School and its 300 K-6 students who will be walking and crossing 14^th street and side streets twice a day at the busiest times?

LIGHT POLLUTION? The Sacred Heart Church has already been the subject of light pollution complaints from the neighborhood. Has the city opened any investigations or done testing, and has the city considered the increase in issues from a high school with day and night activities?

NOISE ISSUES? Lowell School, with 300 students in grades K-6, has limited evening or night activities. A high school involves far more activities and events. Has the city considered the congestion, noise, and parking issues if student capacity grows to 200 or more, as the Archdiocese plans?

PARKING ISSUES? Street and alley parking is already problematic on the blocks around the Sacred Heart property, due to the narrowness of streets around Lowell School, Sacred Heart and St. James Presbyterian Church; and proximity to Fairhaven (events like Ski to Sea). 15^th Street is impassable during Lowell School pick-up times or with the presence of landscaping or delivery trucks. How will the city consider that with the addition of another school?

EMERGENCY AND MAINTENANCE VEHICLE ISSUES? Due to the narrowness of streets around Lowell School, Sacred Heart and St. James Presbyterian Churches, many streets around 14^th and Knox can be impassable by emergency vehicles during Lowell School pick-up times or with the presence of landscaping or delivery trucks. What are the liability issues this presents for the city?

HISTORIC CHARACTER OF NEIGHBORHOOD? South Hill neighborhood is officially recognized as an Historic District, listed on the National Register of Historic Places since 2010. It is known and admired as a largely intact residential area with homes dating from 1886 to 1945, representing architectural styles like Queen Anne, Craftsman, and Tudor Revival. How will this be preserved if a large, modern building like a private school is constructed in a highly visible, central location?

SETTING A DEVELOPMENT PRECEDENT? Following from the previous question: If the school is permitted to be constructed at 14^th and Knox, is that a precedent for further commercial development on South Hill?

PROPERTY VALUES? The historic character of South Hill, which benefits from quiet tree-lined residential streets, well-maintained residences and beautiful bay and island views, would be negatively and irrevocably impacted by a large commercial building (described by the Archdiocese as potentially “three stories with underground parking”). How does the city consider those issues and the inevitable decline in property values it signals?