Bellingham City Council

The Bellingham City Council convened a special meeting on May 18, 2026, for a single agenda item: a closed record hearing on Agenda Bill 24940, an ordinance to vacate the eastern half (15 feet) of Fir Street abutting the western 110 feet of Block 13, Silver Heights Addition to Whatcom, in Bellingham, Whatcom County, Washington. The meeting lasted approximately eight minutes and concluded with a unanimous 5-0 vote (two members excused) to approve the ordinance on first and second reading. Deputy City Attorney James Erb presented the item, confirming that all procedural prerequisites under the Bellingham Municipal Code had been satisfied. The Technical Review Committee (TRC) had previously forwarded a favorable recommendation to the Hearing Examiner, who held a hybrid public hearing on April 15, 2026, at 6:00 p.m. in City Council Chambers. The Hearing Examiner received public testimony, found that all five criteria in the Bellingham Municipal Code were satisfied, and recommended approval. The petitioner — identified by Council President Hannah Stone as Miriam Stone — remitted the full fair market appraised value of the right-of-way on March 13, 2026. The agenda bill identifies that amount as $44,000. Council President Stone noted on the record that the petitioner shares her last name but is not a known relation. The only outstanding condition attached to the Hearing Examiner's approval recommendation involves the negotiation of an easement to preserve city access to a stormwater cleanout located approximately mid-block within the portion of the right-of-way proposed for vacation. Public Works confirmed the cleanout is a small, pedestrian-access-only facility (approximately 3 feet by 5 feet) requiring no vehicle access. The parties had not yet finalized easement language at the time of this meeting. Because the easement language remains unresolved, staff indicated the third and final reading of the ordinance would be held at a subsequent meeting, pending agreement