Edgemoor Neighborhood Plan Update Draft

Chapter 1

4. Strengths and Weaknesses

Edgemoor is affected by a variety of forces. The characteristics of the land, the existing improvements, the actions of the residents, and government strictures all shape life in the neighborhood. Theses features of the Edgemoor Neighborhood are the source of its strengths and weaknesses.

· Zoning For instance, the uniformity of the Neighborhood due to Single Family Zoning throughout leads to consistency of housing types, common interests among the residents, and low density. The low density results in generally low volumes of traffic on the street system which is optimum for pedestrian and bicycle usage which the residents enjoy and a degree of safety. The lack of zoning diversity may appear to be a drawback since it does not address “affordable housing” but it greatly enhances the liveability of our Neighborhood.

· Topography The topography, which includes a ridge of hills running through the middle of the neighborhood, allows spectacular views to the North and West of Bellingham Bay. On the South side, steep slopes create panoramic views of Chuckanut Bay and the waterway toward Anacortes. Views to the East include Mount Baker and undeveloped forest. The steep streets that result in some cases are a small price to pay for the attractive home sites.

· Natural Features Natural features other than the topography frame the quality of life of Edgemoor. Wildlife abounds in harmony with the nature of the land use. Deer, raccoons, squirrels, possum and elusive coyotes are among the residents. Eagles and Great Blue heron nest in the trees of Area 8 on the North end of Edgemoor. As a result, nuisances for some are a price paid to allow other species to exist. Gardens are affected by the deer reducing the species of plants which can thrive. The remaining stands of Douglas Fir, Poplar and Aspen as well as plantings lend character to the Subdivisions, clean the air, delineate boundaries and shelter homes from each other. However, trees and plantings also interrupt the views of significant vistas from some houses.

· Waterfront Bellingham Bay and its coves are valuable to Edgemoor. Water surrounds the Neighborhood on three sides although direct contact with the Bellingham Bay is restricted to the North by the West end of the Fairhaven Neighborhood. Unfortunately, the railroad is a formidable barrier to access to the Bay which is unmitigated by any safe pedestrian overpass. As a result, housing close to the railroad on the West side comes at the price of noise and vibration, not to speak of the disruption of the natural features displaced by the railroad. Where there would be beach marine life, there are large rocks placed to prevent erosion (riprap), a high embankment and the railroad bed. Access to Post Point is constrained by the “No Trespassing” signs at access points to the railroad right-of-way intended to stop public access.

· Chuckanut Drive A state highway, Route #11, named Chuckanut Drive forms the Eastern boundary of the Edgemoor neighborhood. Chuckanut Drive is a scenic route along the cliffs west of Chuckanutmountain enjoyed by residents and many others. In order to get to Fairhaven Park or the sidewalk on east side of Chuckanut Drive from Edgemoor one must cross this highway which acts as a barrier. Access to the park is important to the residents of Edgemoor since there is no park in the neighborhood, Also, the sidewalk on Chuckanut does not extend beyond ------ to the South and so it is not useful to the residents of Briza subdivision.

· 12^th Street Bridge Of more general concern, the 12^th Street bridge and its south terminus at the intersection of 12^th Street, Chuckanut, Parkridge, Hawthorn and Cowgill roadways presents a significant challenge. The 12^th Street bridge is the major accessway to Edgemoor. As a result, it is the way that busses and pedestrians access Fairhaven Middle School from the north. As the north end of Chuckanut Drive, it is a major City conduit to all the recreational facilities and residences on Chuckanut to the south. The design life of this facility is long past, it is neither earthquake proof nor maintainable to adequate standards. Utilities vital to life in Edgemoor are attached to the bridge. As a result, the importance of the bridge to Edgemoor cannot be overstressed.

· Intersection The intersection of 12^th, Chuckanut, Hawthorn et al (refered to later as the 12^th Street intersection) has a variety of problems, not the least of which is that there are too many roadways intersecting at one point. The lack of left-turn lanes, the awkward geometrics and the complications of signal timing at this intersection are of concern. As traffic volumes increase, a breakdown in traffic flow is inevitable with an increase in the resulting problems including accidents and wasted travel time. With virtually all the neighborhood’s access needs focused on the 12^th Street bridge and the 12^th Street intersection, improvement of these items is important to Edgemoor.

· House size The zoning feature which is distinctive about the Edgemoor Neighborhood is that it is entirely Single Family Residential. Adding to the beauty of the area, the benefit of the zoning classification is that is that it allows for a quiet residential setting. Unit cost of dwellings is high and the quality of building, especially new building, is also high. Unfortunately, several new houses are larger than the plan allows without variances and the variances seem to be routinely granted. As a result, parts of Edgemoor have dramatically changed in character.

· Park Without a park of its own, Edgemoor does have a pool available to a limited number of members. For those who have access, it is a valuable recreational asset although complaints have occured from neighbors about the noise and traffic which it generates.

· Flora One of the salient features of Edgemoor is the quality of the natural and planted vegetation, the gardens and remaining forest units which serve a variety of purposes. They are a home to wildlife and an enjoyable buffer between houses. The flora tends to improve the air quality of the neighborhood, besides providing protection from wind and shade. There does not appear to be any consistent program to clear sight distance triangles at intersections for the benefit of drivers. Furthermore, Bellingham has no Urban Forest Plan, so complaints about trees are of concern. As a result, neighbors are forced to reach resolution of conflicting goals on their own which is not always satisfactory.

· Sidewalks The neighborhood has a high percentage of residents who enjoy walking and biking. The local street system has a high percentage of people walking their dogs, jogging, bike riding and all sorts of interaction between adults and children with and without strollers. Some of this occurs in areas where there are no sidewalks, so the residents are forced to use the streets and share them with motor vehicles. This may be tolerable in some cases where the motor traffic volumes are low and particularly during the day in good weather. The lack of sidewalks poses a problem on arterial streets and particularly in the dark and during bad weather when visibility is restricted.

· Public Building Fairhaven Middle School located at the north end of the neighborhood is the only public building in Edgemoor. It is a valuable resource and source of pride and attention. Meetings are held in the school by a variety of groups, the athletic fields are used by residents for recreation and the open area north of the buildings is an excellent introduction to the neighborhood. The narrowness of Hawthorn Road and the proclivity of parents to pick up their youngsters by car causes congestion on Hawthorn at the start and end of the school day.

· Rentals With the conversion of some housing to rentals, Edgemoor is beginning to suffer the same problem of absentee landlords and lot quality deterioration as many other neighborhoods. There does not appear to be any program to monitor the number of renters in a house or any limitation preventing the renting of a house to ameliorate the resulting ill effects.