Chapter 4 CCountyounty WWideide IInventory*nventory* * EExcerptsxcerpts ffromrom AAprilpril 22008008 WWhatcomhatcom CCountyounty PParks,arks, RRecreationecreation & OOpenpen SSpacepace PPlanlan wwithith PPortort ooff BBellinghamellingham ffacilityacility rrevisions.evisions. 4.0 County Wide Inventory Whatcom County, Port of Bellingham, Washington State Parks & Recreation Commission and Departments of Natural Resources and Fish & Wildlife (DFW), Lummi Indian Nation, Bellingham, Lynden, Blaine, Sumas, and other public and private agencies have assembled a significant amount of land within the county. These lands provide a variety of park, recreation, and open space activities including wildlife conservancies, waterfront beaches, picnic facilities, multipurpose trailcorridors,athleticfieldsandplaygrounds,communitycenters,andrelatedpark supporting administrative and maintenance facilities. 4.1 Parks, Recreation & Open Space Whatcom County The Whatcom County Parks & Recreation Department own the following properties for public parks, recreation, and open space use. Parks 1 Alderwood Park property located off Hollywood Avenue 2.9 Property and McLeod Road near Alderwood Elementary School adjacent to north Bellingham city limits. The undeveloped property is primarily a wetland complex. 2 Bay Horizon Park Decommissioned military radar base and 68.2 57,500 square feet of surplus usable facilities are located on Alderson Road in Birch Bay. The property was acquired through Federal surplus and is currently leased to the Lions Foundation for a summer camp and the Birch Bay Lions Club for a hostel. The site has a commercial kitchen, dining hall, and gymnasium. Other improvements include a small playground, walking trail, and ball field. The property does not include the former base single family housing area, a communications building, and Washington State archives building. 3BayviewMarine Waterfront property located on Bellingham 1.4 (Boulevard Park) Bay in downtown Bellingham including portions of the former Bellingham Bay & British Columbia (BBBC) Railroad corridor that have been developed into the South Bay Trail. The property is leased to Bellingham for a waterfront park connecting with Taylor Dock.Theparkhasbeenimprovedwitha trail, interpretive exhibit, benches, picnic tables, and a ceramics studio. 4BirchBayShorelineCollection of shoreline or near shore 56.4 Properties, properties located along Birch Bay Drive at Tideland, and Cedar Avenue and Beach Way, Cottonwood Conservancy Area Drive, Alderson Road, Jackson Road, and along Terrell Creek. Includes an undeveloped 45.0 acre wildlife conservancy area located 33 along Point Whitehorn Road. The various parcels provide 909 linear feet of shoreline with hand-carry boat access and picnic tables. 5 Birch Bay Collection of tidelands located along Birch na Tidelands Bay Drive and providing (9,539,640) linear feet of saltwater shoreline on Birch Bay. Major parcels include properties located north of Cottonwood Drive, north of the intersection of Harborview and Birch Bay Drive, Evergreen Lane south past Cedar Lane, and north of Alderson Road. 6 Camp Road 2 Portion of an abandoned and undeveloped 2.3 Railroad Property logging railroad right-of-way extending from the southeastern shoreline of Lake Whatcom (Lake Whatcom County Park – South) along Camp Road towards Squires Lake and Anderson Mountain in Skagit County. 7Canyon Lake Conservancy site includes 45 acres of water 2266.0 Community Forest surface on Canyon Lake jointly owned with Western Washington University. The forested site has been improved with a trailhead, 8.7 miles of hiking trails around the lake to overlooks and an old growth forest. 8 Chuckanut Whatcom County’s portion of the Chuckanut 999.8 Mountain Park Mountain Recreational area located between Chuckanut Drive and Old Samish Highway. The total 7,000.0-acre landholding includes the Departments of Natural Resources (DNR), Fish & Wildlife (DFW), Washington State Parks & Recreation Commission (P&RC), and City of Bellingham properties. County lands include Pine & Cedar Lakes trailhead and access, Teddy Bear Cove, and the easement from Puget Sound Energy (PSE) for the Interurban Trail. Pine/Cedar Lakes Unit (a DFW improvement) includes 147.0 acres and provides 20 acres of water surface with 5,000 linear feet of shoreline on the 2 lakes with fishing access, primitive campsites, and 2.0 miles of hiking trails. Teddy Bear Cove includes 9.5 acres and includes 1,250 linear feet of shoreline on Chuckanut Bay accessed off Chuckanut Drive. 9Deming Conservancy property located along the 33.0 Homestead Eagle shoreline of the North Fork of the Nooksack Park River accessed from Truck Road. The site has 2,500 linear feet of shoreline and has been improved with a trailhead, picnic tables, covered bench, walking path for wildlife viewing and river access. 10 Dittrich Park (East Undeveloped park property (formerly known 25.2 Lake Samish) as East Lake Samish Park) located on East Lake Samish Drive on Lake Samish south of 34 Bellingham city limits. The site includes 1,600 linear feet of shoreline along the eastern shore of the lake. Other site improvements include a 1,200 square foot home and shed built in 1855, and 2 homes dating from the 1930’s measuring 1,100 and 1,800 square feet, and a barn. 11 Euclid Park Conservancy parcel on Lake Whatcom and 2.2 (Lakeside Street) adjoining Bellingham conservancy property on the northwest shore of Lake Whatcom off Euclid Avenue. 12 Halverson Park A wooded undeveloped park in the Birch Bay 4.7 area. 13 Haxton Way Undeveloped forested property located in 20.0 Property the Lummi Indian Reservation off Haxton Way and leased to the Lummi Indian Tribe for park use. 14 Haynie Community Undeveloped property located on Haynie and 1.9 Club Site Custer School Roads. 15 Hovander Conservancy, historic farmstead, and park 333.4 Homestead property located on Neilson Avenue and Park/Tennant Lake Hovander Road on the Nooksack River Interpretive Center adjacent to Ferndale city limits. The property includes 11,450 linear feet of shoreline on the west shore dike of the Nooksack River. The site conserves the 6,800 square foot historic Hovander home, 576 square foot observation tower, 340 square foot milking parlor, 384 square foot drying shed, 1,375 square foot blacksmith shop, and 10,900 square foot barn. The homestead is listed on the National Register of Historic Places. The barnyard is furnished with antique farm implements and equipment, and a collection of livestock and fowl. Other structures include a 2,000 square foot open picnic shelter, playground, demonstration gardens, 112 square foot restroom building, 324 square foot office and visitor information building, and a 1,225 square foot shop and service building. The site also houses a 1,200 square foot rental housing, and 1,650 square foot manager’s residence. The Tennant Lake conservancy area (former Nielsen Farm) has been improved with a 780 square foot 2-story observation tower, 11,500 square foot boardwalk into the wetlands, and 4,600 square foot interpretive center and meeting facility. Year-round interpretive programs are presented in the center. Adjoining the site is the Fragrance Garden – an award-winning garden for the visually impaired featuring fragrant flowers and herbs. 35 16 Jensen Family Located near Custer at the intersection of 22.7 Forest Park Birch Bay-Lynden and Stein Roads. The site has a small parking area and a 0.75 mile walking trail through the forested portion of the property. 17 Kickerville Road – Undeveloped property of the former Pleasant 2.6 Pleasant Valley Valley School site located on Kickerville Road School site south of Bay Street. The site straddles the railroad spur to the Cherry Point facilities. 18 Lake Whatcom Park property located on the northeast 218.0 Park - North shoreline of Lake Whatcom and accessed from North Shore Drive. The park site includes 10,990 linear feet of shoreline along the route of the historic Bellingham Bay & Eastern Railroad (BBE) right-of-way (3.0-mile Hertz Trail). Improvements include an interpretive kiosk, vault toilet, and 3.5 miles of multi-use trail. The property includes 2 homes measuring 1,000 and 1,386 square feet located on North Shore Drive. 19 Lake Whatcom Undeveloped park property located on the 80.3 Park – South (Hegg southeast shoreline of Lake Whatcom Park and Zobrist accessed from South Bay Drive. The site and Richards includes 6,141 linear feet of shoreline on Properties) Lake Whatcom. 20 Lighthouse Marine Park site located on the southwest point of 20.5 Park Point Roberts on Marine and Edwards Drive with 2,320 linear feet of shoreline on the Strait of Georgia. The park has been improved with a 52,000 square foot boardwalk and performing stage, 870 square feet of restroom, interpretive center, and concession stand, 18 covered picnic sites providing 3,262 square feet of covered space, a 1,200 square foot park office and managers residence, 300 square foot restroom and showers. The site also provides a 2-lane boat launch ramp with a 140-foot long seasonal pier into the Georgia Strait for day use. The park has 25 recreational vehicle campsites, a combination group camp and picnic area, playground, shoreline walk, kitchen shelter, observation tower, and picnic areas. 21 Little Squalicum Conservancy properties located in Little 12.8 Beach Properties Squalicum Creek ravine and Bellingham Bay shoreline. The property is located adjacent to the railroad spur to the Cement Plant Pier recently acquired for park use by Bellingham. The site is currently leased to Bellingham Parks for park development. 22 Lookout Mountain Future park site located off Yew Street on 20.0 Park Lookout Mountain. 36 23 Lummi Island Park property located on Nugent Road 0.2 Beach Access providing an overlook and trail access to the Lummi Point shoreline on Hales Passage. 24 Lummi View Drive Undeveloped property located off Lummi 24.9 Property View Drive in the commercial district in the Lummi Indian Reservation and leased to the Lummi Tribe. 25 Maple Beach Second class tidelands property with 2,000 na Tidelands linear feet of shoreline located in Point Roberts on Bay View Drive on Boundary Bay.