Planning In Progress for New Cornwall Beach Park 

  Plans are being made that would allow South Hill residents to extend their walk, jog or bike ride from Boulevard Park across the bay to a new park near Cornwall avenue.

  On Wednesday, November 20, a meeting was held at the Bellingham City Council Chambers to present three alternative designs for the proposed Cornwall Beach. This park  would be connected to Boulevard Park by a proposed over-water walkway. The planning for the park is currently in a developmental stage and has not been finalized. 

Many of the residents of the South Hill neighborhood have been supportive of both the plan for the walkway and park. 

“Bellingham has the opportunity to do a class act.” Beth Brown, a resident of South Hill, said. Brown liked the idea of having a connection to another park and would like to have a way to walk around the whole bay. 

The meeting on Wednesday was lead by Jonathan Schilk and Peter Hummel, both landscape architects, who have been involved in the planning process for this park. This was the second of three meetings to connect with the public and decide what the park will look like. The first meeting centered around public input, discussion of the location, and the constraints and purposes of the park. This last meeting provided an update on the process and the presentation of three alternative plans constructed to give the public an idea of what the park could look like. 

The third and final meeting will be held in January 2014 when one preferred alternative will be displayed for the public to view and discuss. After that, it will need approval from the Parks and Recreation Advisory Board in February and from the City Council in March.

Schilk also announced at the meeting that they are now accepting suggestions for what to name the park. If you would like to suggest a name, email Jonathan Schilk at jschilk@cob.org with your suggestion. There is currently no deadline for submissions. Proposed names will be posted on the City of Bellingham Website. 

The park would encompass 2.4 acres. For reference, one acre is just smaller than a standard football field. The three plans presented varied the amount and locations of parking areas, access points and structures. All three include a main pathway along the bay but the exact location of the walkway varied between plans.

Alternative One had the most development, including one structure for a restaurant or coffee shop and another for possible outdoor equipment rentals. It also included the most parking stalls—around 300. Boulevard Park currently has around 90. Other features were a play area, an amphitheater facing the islands, two restrooms, and in-car beach viewing.

Alternative Two was the least developed and most natural of the three plans. Instead of buildings, it would include an area set aside for non-permanent activities. It included less parking, a large lawn edged with vegetation, an area for picnicking and an open-water feature such as a wetland area. 

Alternative Three was a balance of the first two, with about 200 parking stalls and two small buildings. 

After the presentation and explanations of the plans, comments were encouraged from the public. Many voiced their concerns about the cleanup in progress and if it would sufficiently prepare the land for a park. Hummel and Schilk explained that the plan for the park was still in the conceptual phase and would depend on the progress and outcome of the cleanup. Others asked questions about the plans and made suggestions about what they would like to see in the park. Beach access was important to many at the meeting and each plan included more or less beach access.

T. Mcdonell, who lives in South Hill, commented that she appreciated “everything they do that allows people to enjoy beach.” She also stated that she would be interested in looking at the plans and making an educated decision on which one she felt would be best.

These plans, as well as the comments made at the meeting will soon be uploaded onto the City of Bellingham website for viewing. For more information, check out the Cornwall Beach Park Master Plan site on the City of Bellingham website.