20 jul 10 newsletter

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http://alabamahillasswwwociation.com/

July 20, 2010

Volume 3, Issue 3 Alabama Hill

Special Interest

Articles:

May Neighborhoodmeeting

Highland HeightsPark Update

Individual Highlights:

MNAC Report

City Info

AHA Membership Form

AssociationNewsletter

Meet us at St. Clair Park on Tuesday,August 3rd at 6 PM for our AnnualPicnic. We supply the Salmon, HotDogs, burgers and drinks! All you needto bring is your table service (plate andsilverware) and a salad or dessert itemis you wish.

Linda Stewart, City NeighborhoodServices Coordinator, will be on handto give us an update of the WaterfrontDevelopment Project a presentationyou wont want to miss.

We also hope to have a speaker from theBellingham Police to talk about theirannual crime awareness campaign,National Night Out Against Crime

Enjoy the great company of fellowneighbors. Certainly our most popularmeeting of the year come over andenjoy the evening out with friends.Volunteers are needed to help set up at5pm and breakdown around 8pmFor more information call Doug Bestle or

Jeff Braimes (733-3014)

Chairman:Larry Nicholas

647-2315Vice Chair:

Dean Haskins733-2800

Secretary:- vacant -

Treasurer:Jim McLeod

734-5127Past Chairman:

Doug Bestle734-2272

MNAC Rep:Jimmy Kelsey

715-3053AHA Area A (NW) Rep

Brian Walker671-8258

AHA Area B (NE) RepMichael Eisenberg

734-3615AHA Area C (SW) Rep

Steve Potvin

734-5384AHA Area D (SE) Rep

Nancy Allen922-0256

Next AHA QtlyMeeting is Tues

August 3rd6 PM St. Clair

Park

Annual Picnic Bar-B-Que MeetingTuesday August 3rd 2010 St. Clair Park - 6PM

alabamahillassociation.com

Kids cut the ribbon at Highland Heights Park Grand Opening June 6th

Many of the Alabama Hill neighbors celebrated the grand re-opening of the newly completeHighland Heights Park playground renovation in early June. We had about 100 folks attenthe event and enjoy a picnic lunch. All the kids helped with the ribbon cutting ceremony officially open the new playground.

City Parks did a great job in providing new playground equipment with something for kids of aages, including new swings, slides, climbing structures, and a lot more. The basketball cougot an update with new stripping, and the additional of a four-square court, hop scotch, and marble ring. There is now a sidewalk providing an accessible route connecting the park Illinois lane.

If you have not already done so, please stop by and enjoy our new park. I hope to see you outhere. Brian Walker - AHA NW Area Rep

More pictures on Pa e 2


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6 June 2010Park Playground Grand Re-OpeningMore pics

Alabama Hill Association Page 2

This upgrade of playground equipment is the first since

the park was originally installed in the 1970s. This park

was built right at the time the City Council was

considering requiring developers to set aside sections forpocket parks and was gratiously donated to the city by

the Highland Heights building developer.


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City+ BeatCity officials encourage residents to limit outdoorwatering each year June 1 through September 15to help reduce stress on our water supply during thewarm, dry summer months.

Although June was cool and moist, the averagedaily water consumption often doubles during Julyand August when outdoor water use is highest.

Residents are asked to limit watering to thefollowing schedule: Odd numbered street addresses water only on

Wednesdays, Fridays, or Sundays Even numbered street addresses water only on

Tuesdays, Thursdays, or Saturdays No outdoor watering on Mondays in order to

allow the water supply to recharge.

Lawn watering and other outdoor water use canaccount for up to 30% of residential water

consumption. If residents choose to water lawns,we remind them that most grasses only need oneinch of water per week to stay green.

MNAC News

Last Meeting held 6/9/10

Jimmy Kelsey, our Rep

This report starts with my apology for missing the June meetingof MNAC. The news I pass on comes from the meeting minutesrather than through personal observation of proceedings.

Greg Aucutt, Senior Planner, Bellingham Planning & CommunityDevelopment Department presented information on the CitysComprehensive Plan Update Process. The current Plan, adoptedin June 2006 is available online at

http://www.cob.org/services/neighborhoods/community-planning/comprehensive-plan.aspx

Neighborhood Plans are part of the Comprehensive Plan andthere are specific rules in Bellingham Municipal Code (BMC)regarding changes to those plans. Interested parties may find thedetails as shown in the following from the City website:

To apply for an amendment to the Comprehensive Plan orNeighborhood Plans, applicants must follow the rules outlined in

BMC 21.10.040 and BMC 21.10.150. Criteria for approval iscontained in BMC 20.20.060. Contact the Planning Division formore information.

There was much discussion at the June 16th

MNAC meeting onfees for Neighborhood Plan changes. The South Hill Associationhad been told they would be charged about $14,000 for staff timerequired to review the zoning change in their neighborhood planamendment. Greg Aucutt advised there had been a policychange but that he would research the change and adviseMNAC. Members expressed concern about fees for rezoneproposals and their expected dramatic effects on the smallbudgets of neighborhood associations. A motion was approvedurging the Mayor and Interim Planning Director to rescind the

paying of fees by neighborhood associations.The subject fees were considered large enough to effectivelydeter any future neighborhood proposals, the opposite of thepurpose of neighborhood participation in land use planning.There were a number of emails over the days following theMNAC meeting on that perceived impact and how it discourageneighborhood association involvement in the planning process.Good news arrived in a message from Linda Stewart saying thePlanning Department had advised that there will be no changeto past policy, meaning no fees will be charged to recognizedBellingham neighborhood associations for code change orrezone proposals (Quote from email message sent by LindaStewart, Neighborhoods & Special Projects Coordinator,Mayor's

Office, City of Bellingham to Neighborhood AssociationPresidents and MNAC Representatives).

Other discussion from the June meeting included review of twodifferent Guide Meridian/Cordata neighborhood plan changes.One is for a property along north side of Bakerview West nearNorthwest Avenue to change from industrial to mixed commercialand industrial, a designation more consistent with surroundingarea. The other is more comprehensive addressing a number ofboundary changes and three housing projects now indevelopment phase. Both proposals will be considered togetherand MNACrecommended approval of both.Please inquire should you have any question on MNAC issues.


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The Alabama Hill Association is a neighborhood association open to all residents within the boundaries of Alabama Hill.

If you are receiving this newsletter, you are a member. An annual ten-dollar donation per family is suggested. The yearof your last donation appears after your name on your address label. The monies collected are used to pay for mailings andthe entre at the annual picnic held in August. Those of you who have attended know it is a good deal!

Meetings are held quarterly starting at 7:00 PM. (1st

Tuesday - Feb, May, Aug, Nov) Come join us and meet your neighbors.

ALABAMA HILL ASSOCIATION

YEARLY MEMBERSHIP $10/FAMILY

NAME:__________________________________________________E-MAIL: ________________________________

MAILING ADDRESS:______________________________________________________ ZIPCODE_______________

Home PHONE: _______________________________ Cell PHONE: _______________________________________

VOLUNTEER? ___________ ISSUES OF INTEREST: __________________________________________________

______________________________________________________________________________________________

Make checks payable to:ALABAMA HILL ASSOCIATION

PO Box 29902, Bellingham, 98228

PRSRT STDUS Postage PaidBellingham, WAPermit No. 122

ALABAMA HILL ASSOCIATIONPO Box 29902

Bellingham, 98228

NEXT MeetingTues, Aug 3rd6:00 PM

St. Clair ParkBring a neighbor &

join us!

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20 jul 10 newsletter

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