6:45 TO 7:00: Introductions: Your Name and what brought you here Tonight?
7:00 TO 7:45:
New Business:
* Update on Board Development (Susan)
Liz Jennings attended the City Neighborhood Academy. The Neighborhood will get a grant for attending and ways to organize and look at our neighborhood plan more concretely.
Members of the SNA met for a visioning process to look at neighborhood potential. SNA-concrete procedures if neighbors come to us with a need. The board talked about the values of neighborhood. Help board articulate their vision. What is our authority as a board to speak for the neighborhood. Part of that process was to identify neighborhood values. Recognition that the board only speaks for the SNA, not the neighborhood. Recognition of what are legal and formal bylaws, neighborhood plan, and articulation of values-n. character, parks, activities, traffic, How do we make decisions more confidently.
* Update on 2007 Meeting Dates
No Dec.mtg, Jan. 23-General, Feb.20-Board, March 20-Board, April 17-general, May 22-Board, June 19-Board, July 17-General, August 21-Board, Sept. 18 –board, Aug. 21-Board, Sept. 18-Board, Oct. 23-General, Nov. 13-Board, No meeting in December. A. Conners moved, P. Gilbert seconded, to accept meeting schedule for 2007. Passed.
* Historical Committee (Carol)
Carol went to workshops sponsored by the city to educate citizens on how to gather history of their homes. Carol used the information from the workshop to create the history of her home.
She said you can also gather information from the neighbors. Carol thought that if everyone finds the history on their home, then we would end up with a history of the Sunnyland Neighborhood. Broadway Park Neighborhood is applying to be on the HIstoric Neighborhood Regisitry. The recognition helps preserve a neighborhood. Motto “Use the past to ensure a better future” Carol is available to help neighbors research the history of their homes. Carol is willing to be listed on SNA website as a resource for researching history of homes. There are resources the Whatcom County Historical Museum. The photos that Carol gathered are from her neighbors that had pictures of her house. Carol said the new S.S. building on Alabama cuts across the old Railroad path. She thinks it would be great to have a little park at that spot.
Combines greenways and historic preservation. S. Adams suggested that C. Lavoie come up a template with projects for the committee. L. Jennings suggested a historic overlay created. Find out pros and cons of being a historic neighborhood designation. Create a short report. That might stimulate interest in and be a good focus to start –T. Tripp suggested have a trail with historic spots on the trail.
* A. Conners-Green Power-Sunnyland Neighborhood are 27 homes away from first place. PSE made door hangers and green shirts to encourage neighbors to sign up. A. Conners and T. Tripp are going to distribute door hangers. The top two neighborhoods get $1000 street trees.
* Community Car Share-Similar to Flex Car in Seattle. It is a non-profit business. A. Conner is trying to get a car in Sunnyland. 20 to 25 people have to commit and subscribe to have a car in Sunnyland Neighborhood. $35 to join. Only appropriate for people who need a car infrequently. A. Conner is going to work on Community Car Share.org. Great article to put in the newsletter.
* A. Conners and M. Lyons will meet in the future about community gardens.
Old Business:
* Planning Academy Review-Liz Jennings. She attended 6 workshops.
Updating Neighborhood plans, City Comprehensive Planning, Zoning
She learned how to read about zoning.
Skills for involving neighborhood residents in process
See report for proposal and budget. A. Connor suggested eliminating the last sentence of proposal. After much debate, T. Tripp proposed we accept the plan and remove the last sentence. Approved. S. Adams said that we would have flexibility to change the plan but we needed to submit by early Dec. 2006. L. Jennings suggested that any changes be sent to her by Wednesday, Nov. 29 and she will submit it by Friday, Dec. 1.
* Committee Updates: Ongoing
* Parks Committee – Sunnyland School/Memorial Park Play equipment
* Traffic, Street Standards, Public Transportation, Bicycle Facilities/Trails Committee
* Industrial Zone and Street Trees Committee
* WSDOT Site (Patrick McKee)-The property is excess property and put up to bid. It was bought by private developer. Patrick said it is still owned by DOT as private developer has not completed the purchase. The planning dept. has not worked on any zoning for the area for when it changes to private. Single family, ¼ acre, so they will have to change the zoning. What is the city going to change the zoning to. The city planners told the developer that they are interested in a high density development-maybe cottage housing. Patrick suggested SNA get involved in the planning now. L. Jennings asked how we can get involved in the conversation with the city regarding the planning and she offered to find out how to get involved and it can be part of our larger planning process.
Patrick said there is such a thing as a Planned Unit Development and he was worried that this tool might be used. Patrick said he would call WSDOT every two weeks to see if the property changed hands. A. Conner wanted to know if the transaction might fail and moved, S. Adams 2nd, to send a letter to the planning department that SNA wanted to be informed about the planning process. Approved.
* MNAC Report
Dec. 14, 7 pm the planning commission hearing on Big Box Store land codes.
Dec. 4-7 pm a public hearing at City Hall, Master plan for St. Joseph’s Hospital
Nov. 30 3 and 5:15 Incusionary Zoning- David Rosen speaking
* Newsletter to be published:
* Deadline for all Articles: by December 10, 2006 Theresa Tripp
* Deadline for Newsletter completion: December 21, 2006
* Deadline to GPAC: December 22, 2006
* Deadline for GPAC Mailing: January 5, 2006, So we can get this out before the January 16, 2006 Meeting
* Insurance Follow-up-
Announcements:
* There is a new Neighborhood Page on the City of Bellingham Site
* Public Outreach on Greenways Levy Implementation November 28th, 7 – 9pm at the Squalicum Boathouse Zuanich Park.
* Green Power Neighborhood Challenge brought to you by Puget Power see your power bill for information – The top two neighborhoods who have the most residents signed up will receive $1,000 for their neighborhood for street trees.
* Reminder to neighborhood residents to help out during the raining season: keep storm drains in your area free of debris…public works does not always get to the neighborhood streets to clean out the drains if a drain is totally blocked call Bellingham Public Works.
* Do Night-Time Train Horns bother you? Gene Shannon is spearheading a Train Horn Quiet Zone here in Bellingham and if interested in helping him out you can phone him at 510-4564 or e-mail him at gvshannon@earthlink.net. He also said that you can e-mail Mayor Douglas and CC The Bellingham City Council in support of a quiet zone.
Thank You’s: Liz Jennings for going to the Academy.
S. Adams said that Hugh and she met and created categories for SNA by-laws and that we will be working on in the January meeting. By-laws will be emailed to members before the January 23 meeting and they will be on the agenda.
A. Conners complied a list of things that we can give to new members when they come to a meeting.
Board should have a list of committees, boards members, etc.
Meeting Adjourned.
SUNNYLAND NEIGHBORHOOD ASSOCIATION
AGENDA FOR BOARD MEETING
NOVEMBER 21, 2006
New Business:
* Review Action Items from Visioning Meeting (Susan, Theresa)
* Confirm Logistics for application for $2500 (Liz)
* Vote on use of $2500
* Review Actions items from visioning meeting
Old Business:
* Confirm Board Meeting dates and time 2007. Side Note: PLACE for 2007 has not been established…Mary Anne are you cool with January at the School? This is also goes along with the insurance that Hugh is looking into…so we are kind of still up in the air as to the place.
* By-laws update (Susan)
Announcements:
*