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| Welcome
to Larrabee Springs, Bellingham’s newest neighborhood. |
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| Larrabee
Springs is planned as our community’s FIRST “sustainable
neighborhood,” setting the benchmark for Bellingham’s
future land use and livability expectations. Truly designed as a pedestrian and people friendly village, it is set in and among a diversity of places, activities and natural surroundings. People of all kinds and ages will live within walking distance of an abundance of open spaces and trails, an array of recreational choices, a full set of community facilities, jobs and offices, schools, churches, soccer fields and baseball diamonds, shopping – all served by its own neighborhood transit services. |
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| The
proposed neighborhood is located adjacent to Bellingham, surrounding
beautiful North Bellingham Golf Course. The natural
beauty of the site and its unique environment are melded into a carefully
and responsibly conceived mix of commercial districts, gathering
places, parks, trails and family oriented housing. Densities
will be higher than Bellingham’s historic average, but so will
livability. |
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Guiding
Principles |
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| As the
process of creating this new neighborhood unfolds, Larrabee Springs
will rely
on a set of guiding principles that were established via our extensive
visioning effort. (Visions for Larrabee
Springs Design Workshop Series PDF) Developed by neighbors,
community activists, planners and land use professionals, the following
elements
have emerged
as primary goals and objectives: Infrastructure Planning – Transportation and utilities Environmental Considerations – Parks, recreation, stormwater management, energy efficiency, and environmental quality Neighborhood Character – Demographics, housing preferences, and density Community Quality – Public safety, schools, and commercial facilities. |
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| Community
Development Goals |
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| The
City of Bellingham and Whatcom County have found themselves desperately
needing to address
the quality-of-life challenges created by the strong and steady increase
in popularity that our county and region have enjoyed for the last
decade. Their primary challenges; “Where do we put people,
jobs and services and still continue to enjoy the Bellingham we know
and
love?” Larrabee Springs is committed to the creation of a neighborhood that can assist the County and the City in managing their common land use dilemma by helping to reduce sprawl and offset rural blight while setting a new standard for environmental and economic sustainability. Achieved through a dedication to the highest development standards (LEED Neighborhood Certification), Larrabee Springs will partner with the City and the County during the planning process so as to create opportunities for accomplishment of regional land use goals. These include allowing for transfer of rural densities, reduction of buildout in the Lake Whatcom watershed, providing for traffic improvements, creating affordable family housing options, delivering internal transit services and a host of other socially valuable amenities. Importantly, Larrabee Springs will voluntarily be accountable to perform on its guiding principals via contractual obligations with both the City and the County. |
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