Edgemoor Neighborhood Association

Monthly Meeting

May 5, 2005

The Monthly Meeting of Edgemoor Neighborhood Association was called to order at 7:05pm on May 5, 2005 at the Fairhaven Park Pavilion. Niall Hackett opened the meeting and presided as Meeting Facilitator. Interim Co-Secretary, Laurie Renne recorded the minutes. A quorum was present.

A motion was introduced by Veronica Douglas to approve the minutes of the ENA March Monthly Meeting as recorded. The motion was seconded by Donna Grasdock and passed by unanimous vote.

Report of Officers

Interim Treasurer, Lois Miles, ENA Treasurer, reported that the current balance of the ENA account is $1447.64.

Interim President, Niall Hackett, reported that he received a request for minutes of a local meeting at Fairhaven Commons attended by Greenbriar Construction. Any ENA members having information about records from this meeting are invited to contact Niall.

Niall also has been receiving requests to further define the vision of the ENA. He felt that the ENA should help “make it [Edgemoor] a welcoming place, a safe place and a fun place” to live. As interim president, he feels that he should represent the opinions of the ENA, but remain impartial, and invites further discussion within the membership.

Committee Reports

The Membership Committee report was presented by Chair, Sandie Koplowitz. She reported that the ENA now has 125 members, including three new members added since the April meeting.

The Communication Committee report was presented by Chair, Kathy Kaiser. She reported the latest ENA newsletter was distributed and invited all members to continue to supply articles and news items.

The Bylaws Committee report was presented by Sandie Koplowitz, since the committee chair, Brien Thane, was unable to attend. She reviewed recent changes to the proposed bylaws. These changes included a restatement of the purpose of the ENA, clarification of the parameters of membership, and the addition of three committee descriptions. In addition, all standing committee chairs are now part of the ENA Board of Directors and are required to be elected. After a brief question and answer session, further discussion and vote were postponed until later in the meeting.

The Growth and Land Use Committee Chair, Brad Rose, was absent and no report was given.

The Neighborhood Safety Committee report was presented by Donna Grasdock and Veronica Douglas. Veronica is working with Mark Young, a Bellingham Crime Prevention Officer to initiate the “block watch” program. There is still a need for more “captains” throughout the neighborhood and all members are encouraged to help by volunteering for this effort. With the recent break-ins and car prowls in mind, the need for a block watch program in this area is even greater.

The ENA has ordered 15 “clings” and 5 yard signs with the message “Keep kids alive, Drive 25”. These will be made available for purchase to anyone in the neighborhood.

Donna is working on local pedestrian issues. There is concern that the development at 12^th Street and Old Fairhaven Parkway will be blocking the east side of 12^th Street for an unlimited period of time. Given the number of pedestrians crossing the bridge, many of them children, this could be a dangerous situation. Donna is working with Raven Whitewolf to increase safety at this intersection and will try to get Raven as a guest speaker at the June ENA meeting.

A traffic counter was placed on Chuckanut Drive to monitor traffic flow on April 21^st. Also a speed watch wagon and traffic officer was stationed in the 500 block of Fieldston Road. Anyone wishing to have additional traffic monitoring in their area should contact Sgt. Richards of the Bellingham Police Department at 676-6677.

Although he was unable to attend the meeting, Riis Hotson, a local surveyor, volunteered his time to measure the distance from the Lairmont Manor entrance to the intersection of Fieldston Road and Willow Road and measured 825 linear feet. This will allow the committee to obtain a more accurate estimate of the cost involved in installing a sidewalk along that section of Fieldston Road.

The Hospitality Committee report was presented by Chair, Laurie Renne. She had received requests before the meeting to provide decaf coffee in the coffee maker, and make instant coffee available for those wishing regular coffee. After a discussion and informal vote, it was decided to make this change at the June meeting. It was also decided that, if the bylaws are approved, refreshments will only be provided at the quarterly general meetings.

The first Friday morning “Walk and Talk” was a lot of fun and good exercise. The walks will continue each Friday morning, weather permitting, and anyone can come and participate. The group meets at the Bayside Swimming Pool at 11 AM and start out at 11:05. The route will be flexible and decided upon by those attending.

Planning continues for the ENA Summer Picnic. Members are encouraged to start setting aside their books for the book swap. To make the book swap more interesting, anyone bringing books to the swap will be given a receipt for the number of books received. That receipt will determine how many books that person can take home, and can include the books the individual brought to the picnic. This might encourage people to bring books that they are not entirely sure they want to part with until they find something better. Any leftover books will be donated.

Issues and Concerns

Niall Hackett thanked all committee people for their efforts, and thanked Bellingham City Council Member Barbara Ryan for attending. The meeting was then opened to discuss new business.

A motion was introduced, and seconded to approve the bylaws and amendments as they stand. After a discussion, the motion passed by unanimous vote.

A motion was then introduced and seconded to disband the Bylaws Committee. After a discussion, the motion passed by unanimous vote.

A general discussion then ensued regarding the position that the ENA should take on the new development in Fairhaven. The discussion focused on how our neighborhood would be impacted by the development of the “Hundred Acre Woods”. Anyone wishing to obtain a yard sign expressing opposition to this development can contact Dana Lyons at 647-8755. The local group Responsible Development! is currently trying to fund an independent traffic study of the impact this development would have on Chuckanut Drive and the Fairhaven Bridge and is requesting donations to fund this effort. It was decided that the ENA will not make a donation to this effort at this time. A motion was introduced and seconded to ask the President of the ENA to support the efforts of Responsible Development! regarding traffic concerns. The motion passed by unanimous vote.

Closing

The next meeting will be on Thursday, June 3, 7:00-9:00 PM at the Fairhaven Park Pavilion.

Meeting adjourned by general consent at 9:20.

Respectfully submitted,

Laurie Renne