John Stark has the story in the Bellingham Herald:
Port of Bellingham commissioners agreed Tuesday, July 7, to spend an additional $332,500 to complete waterfront redevelopment planning by the end of the year.
The money represents the port’s half of the cost of finishing up a master plan, environmental impact statement and development regulations for 220 waterfront acres that include the idle industrial property that was the former site of Georgia-Pacific Corp. pulp and paper manufacturing. The Bellingham City Council approved paying its share of the planning costs by a 4-3 vote on June 29.
Port Environmental Director Mike Stoner told commissioners that a draft master plan should be ready for public review by this fall, with a revised final version hashed out for port and city approval by the first quarter of 2010.
The money includes $100,000 to pay for a closer look at the potential reuse of 11 older buildings on the site. A consulting firm, to be chosen by a joint port-city panel, will provide information meant to resolve the lingering issue of whether to save or demolish some or all of those buildings.
Commissioner Scott Walker noted that a tentative street plan for the site assumes the removal of several buildings that would be in the path of streets. He asked Stoner what would happen if the consultant finds valuable new uses for them.
“Then I think we pause and regroup,” Stoner said. “We’ll listen to that expertise.”
