Two new properties in the Lake Whatcom watershed will be protected from development in perpetuity Wednesday afternoon.
During Bellingham’s City Council meeting Monday night, council members voted unanimously to purchase the properties, totaling 3.2 acres, for a combined $310,000, with the purchase to close Aug. 31.
The City will pay a total of $250,000 for the Drake Property, a 2-acre stretch located off Lake Whatcom Boulevard, according to council president Hannah Stone. The remaining $60,000 will fund the Templin property, a 1.17-acre piece of land located off Lake Louise Road.
Between the two properties, there are a total of five developable units which will be protected from development in perpetuity, according to a City press release.
The purchases are part of the Lake Whatcom Land Acquisition and Preservation program, a program designed to “acquire properties to preserve the natural landscape that helps filter rainwater and keep pollutants out of the City’s drinking water,” the release stated.
Lake Whatcom is the source of drinking water for about half the county, and protecting it has been a priority for community leadership for more than two decades.
This year, the city has invested significantly in properties around the watershed, with city council members unanimously approving a $351,000 deal for 131 acres in April.
“So far, 2022 has been a fruitful year for acquiring new properties,” Public Works Director Eric Johnston said in the release. “These newest acquisitions add to all the past and future efforts to ensure that this drinking water source will continue to sustain our community for many more generations.”
Since the development of the program in 2001, the Lake Whatcom Land Acquisition and Preservation program has protected more than 2,400 acres of land in the watershed while preventing the development of more than 830 residential units. Throughout its 21 years, the program has invested more than $35.5 million in land and conservation easements in the watershed.
