Bellingham, WA vs. Lockport, IL
Welcome to this first round match-up in the sixth annual Strongest Town Contest! In this round, 16 towns are facing off, and eight will advance to the next segment of the contest based on your votes. We invite you to read answers representatives from these two cities provided to our questions about economic resilience, citizen involvement, community response to the pandemic, and more. Then vote for the strongest at the bottom of this page.
Can’t decide? If you’re looking for inspiration, check out how we describe the Strong Towns approach, or take a look at our free ebook, The Local Leader’s Toolkit: A Strong Towns Response to the Pandemic.
You may vote once per match-up.
Round 1 voting closes at 12pm CDT on Thursday, March 18th.
For rules, and to follow along with the contest, visit the Strongest Town Contest page.
Note: All entries are lightly edited for clarity and readability.
Image credit: Kenneth Kearney Photography
BELLINGHAM, WA
Entry submitted by Dean Fearing, Lorraine Wilde
What is your favorite thing about your town?
Our favorite thing about Bellingham is how community-minded we are. According to Governing.com, based on 2018 data, Bellingham has more than 248 locally-focused nonprofits, a rate of 11.0 per 10,000 people. We at Kulshan Community Land Trust (KulshanCLT), a nonprofit focused on providing low- to moderate-income working families with opportunities for homeownership education and permanent homeownership, are nominating The City of Bellingham for this honor because of their long-term commitment to building and fostering the public/private partnerships that continually improve the lives of all of its citizens.
How easy is it to live in your town without regular access to a car? What are some steps your town has taken—or is in the process of taking—to make it safer and easier to walk, bike, or use a wheelchair?
The City of Bellingham has developed a number of programs that focus on continued improvement toward walkability and accessibility in the community. The Mobility for All Program includes an ADA Self-Evaluation & Transition Plan for Pedestrian Facilities in the Public Right-of-Way. The Plan includes an ADA Coordinator on City staff as well as partnering with employers, colleges and Western Washington University to coordinate public transportation efforts.
The City's Climate Protection Action Plan also focuses on sustainable transportation, including continued improvement of bus and specialized transportation (free ADA-accessible transportation for seniors and disabled persons) through Whatcom Transportation Authority (WTA) (ridewta.com). WTA operates our public bus system that serves our neighborhoods and downtown areas, and connects us with neighboring cities, villages, tribes and other communities. Long-term planning includes a transition to hybrid and fully electric buses, bicycle and wheelchair access on all city buses, and reduced and free bus fares that encourage ridership. During the pandemic, fares have been free.
Bellingham is tied for 5th place among all cities in Washington State by WalkScore.com.
Frequently independently voted one of the top retirement cities in the United States, Bellingham's wheelchair, bicycle and walking accessibility is among their top priorities. Their long-term strategic improvements include addition of bike lanes, pedestrian crosswalks, wheelchair accessible sidewalks and curbs, and Greenways that exclude motor vehicles and connect neighborhoods with businesses and work places.
The City also subsidizes Whatcom Smart Trips, an incentive program the tracks and encourages alternative transportation use.
What are some steps your town has taken—or is in the process of taking—to increase housing options and affordability?
Bellingham successfully passed a City Housing levy in 2013 that was renewed by voters in 2018 that imposes a tax of thirty-six cents per thousand dollars of assessed property value, generating $21 million over 7 years for the Bellingham Home Fund. This fund is used to develop affordable housing projects to house veterans and low-income individuals and families.
In addition, the Port of Bellingham has committed to a minimum of 10% affordable housing on its Downtown Waterfront Redevelopment project which focuses on over 100 acres of formerly polluted industrial property once owned by Georgia Pacific Pulp and Paper.
In partnership with Kulshan Community Land Trust, the City of Bellingham also recently donated a surplus property valued at more than $150,000 so that KulshanCLT can build an ADA-accessible affordable home that will be dedicated to families with children with degenerative disabilities.
The City has also supported the development of KulshanCLT's Telegraph Townhomes Project, a phased development now in progress and built by Habitat for Humanity Whatcom County using a revolving construction loan program developed by Whatcom Community Foundation that will eventually provide more than 50 affordable townhomes for purchase by low- to moderate-income working families. The first 8 units were completed in 2020.
At Strong Towns, we believe that financial solvency is a prerequisite for long-term prosperity. What steps has your community taken to ensure its financial security? How do local leaders adequately do the math on new investments proposed in your town to ensure that they’ll be able to afford them now and afford their maintenance in the future?
In 2002 the Bellingham-Whatcom Public Facilities District was established with the mission to create a regional center that would enhance economic development in the business core. It is funded by a state rebate of 0.033% of locally-collected sales tax. Both sales and B&O tax revenue has steadily increased since at least 2009.
The City of Bellingham, in partnership with the Port of Bellingham in 2005 established a major initiative, Waterfront Redevelopment/New Whatcom Special Development Area that is in process to redevelop more than 230 acres of heavy industrial property on Bellingham's waterfront that was formerly owned and contaminated by Georgia Pacific Corporation. The master plan was developed by 2013. Construction began in 2017 and is currently in progress in a phased approach. A new award-winning city park, Waypoint Park, opened in 2019.
The Government Finance Officers Association of the United States and Canada (GFOA) awarded a Certificate of Achievement for Excellence in Financial Report to the City of Bellingham for its comprehensive annual financial report. Bellingham has received this prestigious award each year since 2000. In addition, in accordance with state law, all City financial records are audited annually by the State Auditor.
At Strong Towns, we believe that local government is a platform for strong citizens to collaboratively build a prosperous place. How are residents in your town involved in shaping its future? How do residents’ experiences, struggles and concerns directly inform the projects undertaken by local government? Provide one or more examples.
The City of Bellingham Charter and City Ordinance require the development and maintenance of City Advisory Groups whose members are appointed by the Mayor, sometimes requiring approval by the City Council. Most advise the Mayor and City Council. These groups are made up of a diverse array of local citizens, Lummi Nation tribal representatives and business owners who represent their neighbors and local businesses. They meet regularly and provide input to public decision-making.
These groups include at least 25 Advisory Boards and Commissions with diverse membership and interests. Some of these include the Arts Commission, Community Development Advisory Board, Historic Preservation Commission, Shoreline Committee, the Tourism Commission, the Citizen's Transportation Advisory Group, the Greenway Advisory Committee, the Housing Authority Board of Commissioners, Immigration Advisory Board, Lake Whatcom Watershed Advisory board, the Mayor's Neighborhood Advisory Board, Parks and Recreation Advisory Board and the Sister Cities Advisory Board.
Additional tasks forces have been established around specific issues including the Climate Action Plan Task Force, Countywide Housing Affordability Task Force, the Energy Task Force and the Community Solutions Workgroups.
How is your town proactively making it possible for more people to get outdoors safely during the pandemic?
Bellingham established in 1990 a Greenways Program that passed a property tax levy that raises funds for parks and open space acquisition and trail projects. Bellingham's trails, ridgetops and shoreline corridors have been linked with a continuous series of parks, forests and greenbelts.
As a result, Bellingham has more than 20 trails linking 14 community parks with over 113 miles of pedestrian trails and 65 miles of mountain biking and hiking trails on Galbraith Mountain. These resources are the result of strategic long-term planning on a 5-year cycle between the City of Bellingham Parks and Recreation, the Greenways Program and it's Advisory Committee and the Bellingham City Council.
In addition, the City of Bellingham has partnered with the nonprofit Recreation Northwest who has developed the Parkscriptions Program (Parkscriptions.org), which partners with doctors and other health care providers to prescribe time outdoors as a part of a wholistic approach to health care. Parkscriptions uses an online tool they developed, WhatcomParkFinder.org, to connect patients with positive time outdoor experiences for healthier lifestyles and improved mental and physical health. The tool gathers searchable information about City, County, State and National Parks at your fingertips so that anyone can find the right park for their lifestyle and individual needs.
Bellingham Parks and Recreation has an ongoing Fitness Challenge Initiative that offers self-paced challenges that allow you to track your run, walk, swim or paddle journey.
How is your town proactively helping local businesses and entrepreneurs during the pandemic? Describe how you are providing flexibility for small businesses and entrepreneurs to adapt and innovate.
Since 2000, The City of Bellingham has subsidized the nonprofit, Downtown Bellingham Partnership, whose mission is to unite diverse interests that define the city center. The organization fosters relationships and support for downtown business owners, stakeholders and citizens. During the pandemic, the DBP and Bellingham Whatcom Tourism have partnered to educate and support local businesses to help them stay abreast of changing restrictions, financial assistance such as PPP loans, and other partner programs to keep businesses alive and thriving during the pandemic.
In coordination, the City Council voted to temporarily vacate street parking in front of downtown businesses to enable them to build covered outdoor seating areas that allow the service of more customers than they could previously serve due to state-wide indoor seating restrictions. In addition, downtown metered parking fees were waived for most of 2020.
Bellingham Whatcom County Tourism Bureau has also created and maintained a list of businesses with outdoor seating and takeout and delivery options to help businesses survive this difficult time.
How are you measuring success and progress during this pandemic? What metrics tell you that your community is thriving and what metrics have helped you see where people are struggling?
Bellingham monitors a number of metrics to determine the status of the community. Western Washington University conducts a periodic Bellingham Residential Survey that monitors housing and quality of life. They monitor population growth, which in Bellingham has grown by more than 11% since 2010 as well as home construction which increased by only 10% over the same period. They also monitor the residential vacancy rate to make decisions that affect zoning, taxes and fees, incentives, annexation, permitting and affordable housing construction.
They've adopted and monitor urban village plans along with development incentives to encourage dense, mixed-use development.
The City also monitors alternative transportation and energy use as part of their long-term strategic planning to increase community sustainability. Their Whatcom Smart Trips program tracks and incentivizes alternative transportation options like busing, walking and bicycling.
The Whatcom County Health Department created a COVID-19 Data Dashboard that includes easy access to epidemiological curves and trends, daily testing numbers, positivity rate and hospitalization data.
The City also monitors employment and homelessness rates, maintains an inventory of public land, and a GIS utility mapping system to provide information to the public.
And the City monitors and annually reports on the quality of drinking water resources to name just a few.
Image credit: Neil Wheeler
LOCKPORT, IL
Entry submitted by: Ben Benson, Lance Thies, Lisa Heglund, Brent Cann, Brittni Calderon
What is your favorite thing about your town?
The Illinois and Michigan (I&M) canal history is the backbone of Lockport and is our favorite thing about the city. Lockport’s history as an I&M Canal town is rich and set the course for the development of the community over 190 years ago. The community grew along the canal, becoming the “Public Landing” for goods from around the county to be loaded onto mule-pulled barges as well as the location for what is referred to as the Canal Commissioner’s house where the canal’s construction logistics were executed and property for miles around the city was platted, including our downtown and Heritage Residential district. Today, many of the historic buildings are still in place, have been restored, and have led the resurgence of the heart of the community over the past ten years. The canal is now a recreational destination with bike trails, parks and plazas along its path and the Gaylord and Norton buildings, formerly a general store and grain mill respectively, anchor the still visible Landing, now a park celebrating Lincoln’s legacy and his role in the formation of the canal.
How easy is it to live in your town without regular access to a car? What are some steps your town has taken—or is in the process of taking—to make it safer and easier to walk, bike, or use a wheelchair?
The increase in biking and mobility interest nationwide spurred the community to take steps to resolve some of our most challenging connections and issues related to accessibility. Starting at Lockport’s stretch of the 82-mile-long I&M Canal trail, the City, in cooperation with the Park District, has been seeking common synergies between park trails, sidewalks and city trails (on-street and off-street). Lockport completed a Bicycle Master Plan in 2019 that lays out an ambitious strategy for linking our northern and eastern edges with our downtown heart and the I&M. The City has played a key role in the development and implementation of the growing regional Veterans Memorial trail that forms a north/south connection on the eastern side of town. In between, City and Park District construction and private development have consistently prioritized including bike and pedestrian connections through developments, in parks and along City streets. Recent public improvements extended a half-mile of dedicated new bike trails, resurfaced over three miles of trails and installed over two miles of sidewalks. With over 75% of our population within 1.5 miles of the 4,000-student high school and all of our historic core residents within one mile of the central city grade schools, these improvements are critical for our kids. Private improvements, as a requirement of their development projects, are planning construction of over two miles of off-street bike trails and six miles of additional sidewalk in the next few years. An intensive downtown streetscape project and neighborhood street reconstructions have connected decades-long missing sidewalk links and resolved significant ADA barriers in our most visible locations along State Street (aka Main Street).
What are some steps your town has taken—or is in the process of taking—to increase housing options and affordability?
Lockport is blessed with having a wide range of housing stock available for the community that serves a variety of demographics and we have been intentional in identifying additional diversification opportunities where possible. We recently approved the community’s first single-story-attached single-family rental community and a new multi-story apartment community has gone from 25% leased when it opened in late 2019 to 93% as of March 1, 2021 even with the pandemic impacting the ability to physically show the units. Our existing housing stock spans price points from $130,000 to $600,000 and, in our core downtown areas, single-family homes are able to house two units by-right. Integrated into the fabric of our downtown area are multi-family structures next to single family homes, all walkable to key downtown amenities.
Currently, the City is updating our zoning code and have made it a point of focus to provide flexibility in our residential development patterns. We are considering average rather than minimum lot sizes for larger developments as well as increases in location-specific densities (lot size and width) with agreements to increase open space reserves, concurrently lowering street and utility investments. We are pursuing increased lot coverage opportunities close to the downtown and potentially allowing the flexibility of a higher density all-residential product with or without first floor business in our neighborhood commercial zones proximate to downtown to better focus commercial uses at key intersections and nodes. Lastly, the Council has intentionally slowed the number of large-scale, community-edge annexations being pursued to limit the extension of utilities and roads into undeveloped areas.
At Strong Towns, we believe that financial solvency is a prerequisite for long-term prosperity. What steps has your community taken to ensure its financial security? How do local leaders adequately do the math on new investments proposed in your town to ensure that they’ll be able to afford them now and afford their maintenance in the future?
Primarily funded via property taxes, the City intentionally sought diversification and a better balance between residential, commercial and industrial development and redevelopment beginning in the mid-2000s. Our building permit and tap on fees are considered one-time revenues, even though they occur annually, and we accumulate them in an excess fund balance to execute future infrastructure improvements. The State allows for a gaming tax for machines in local businesses, for which the City gets a portion of the revenue. We strategically assign those dollars to the downtown area by funding façade improvements, installing fire alarm and sprinkler systems in our historic buildings, performing maintenance, and enhancing the public realm, leveraging those dollars to increase the value of the land that has the highest value per acre in the community. With the significant amount of rehabilitation the City has undertaken over the past five years on the downtown residential streets, we have developed a clear understanding for pricing related to resurfacing, new construction and utilities in new and existing development areas. This allows us to project future costs on developments as they are reviewed. As a standard part of any development, the developer is responsible for the first cost installation of all streets and utilities, eliminating that cost to the City. Our required construction details provide a long lifespan through additional structural support for roads and pipe and we seek to limit “private public streets” by eliminating cul-de-sac design. For six years the City has been able to lower our tax rate for the community while creating wealth in our highest value areas through impactful investments.
At Strong Towns, we believe that local government is a platform for strong citizens to collaboratively build a prosperous place. How are residents in your town involved in shaping its future? How do residents’ experiences, struggles and concerns directly inform the projects undertaken by local government? Provide one or more examples.
The COVID-19 pandemic has challenged public engagement more than at any other time in recent history. The City has worked through Zoom for public engagement and to broadcast Plan Commission and City Council meetings, hosted socially distanced workshops and met with school leaders to utilize their voices as representatives of their school communities. For a recent controversial development project, our Mayor hosted open Zoom meetings with concerned citizens as well as in-person discussions with capacity limits, all in an effort to take in comments, refine the plans and respond to community concerns. The City has a significant Facebook presence and actively posts information about upcoming activities, events and projects, providing timely responses to issues identified in comments. In addition, the Mayor is active on Facebook, providing transparent information about key issues such as state lockdowns, development activity, our rental registration program, Eat Lockport, Lockport Shield, the Summer Arts Series, Car Shows and responding to resident issues related to semi-truck traffic, flooding, and other hot topics. He and our Council members invite individual emails and phone calls to respond to specific issues and staff works directly with the residents to resolve their issues once identified. During construction projects, we engage local home or business owners related to specific decisions about their driveways, stop signs, on-street parking and sidewalks to gain feedback about important installation details.
How is your town proactively making it possible for more people to get outdoors safely during the pandemic?
The Lockport community has rallied around our residents and businesses during this challenging time. We opened our parks for private dining, worked with shopping center owners to allow businesses to open outdoor sales areas and the park district began hosting their workout classes outdoors in the parks. The Mayor started the “Lockport Shield” program that brought together over 50 volunteers who were able to help those most impacted or susceptible to the virus by grocery shopping, cutting lawns, raking leaves, making wellness checks and doing whatever else was necessary to protect those who needed help the most. Our Lockport Love program had the largest donation period ever to assist underserved families with their most pressing needs. Our police arrived in neighborhoods for birthday parades to allow families to participate along their sidewalks and, similarly, Santa made his annual trip into town on a fire truck that wove its way through all of the neighborhoods, waving to kids and parents alike as they stood outside to see the jolly old man ride by. Our Monday night Cruise Nights were successfully held in a new location that allowed for the maximum amount of space per person and restaurants and businesses supported the effort by serving food and selling goods outdoors rather than requiring patrons to come inside.
How is your town proactively helping local businesses and entrepreneurs during the pandemic? Describe how you are providing flexibility for small businesses and entrepreneurs to adapt and innovate.
The community has taken a multi-prong approach to assisting our businesses just like we have with our residents (see previous answer). When we realized that indoor dining was going to be compromised, we transitioned all of our outdoor dining permits to fast-tracks and coordinated inspections with next day appointments. The City delivered picnic tables to restaurants, reimbursed owners for open-sided tents and overhangs and, as the weather got colder, reimbursed owners for portable heaters that were purchased. We allowed for reserved carryout spaces in the right-of-way for restaurants and, recognizing that beer, wine and drinks are the most profitable product our restaurants offer, changed our liquor licenses to allow for carryout of their specialty drinks. To assist our businesses at the height of the pandemic, we barricaded off public areas to expand their outdoor dining capacity and started the “Eat Lockport” website to advertise hours, locations and specials for our restaurants throughout town. Since many of the federal grants that were easy for businesses to apply for were specific to payroll and utilities, we utilized CARES dollars allocated to the City to support any locally owned business in their needs for pandemic-related equipment. In addition, we offered a no-interest loan and grant program to bridge the first period in March-May when dining was not allowed. The City has opened a new “Makers Park” with the vision of using retrofitted cargo containers as office or maker spaces. Our first business is a hydroponic container farm providing CSAs and leafy greens to local restaurants. Currently, to free up dining space, we have started a downtown valet service as a low-cost alternative to expand our available parking supply.
How are you measuring success and progress during this pandemic? What metrics tell you that your community is thriving and what metrics have helped you see where people are struggling?
There are a variety of ways the City measures success, not only during a pandemic, but also during “normal” years. Objectively, the Building Department annually tracks our building permits, new housing starts (infill and new neighborhood), new businesses and the number of downtown buildings seeking façade and fire alarm/sprinkler grants. Subjectively, we track development interest in the community, engagement at events and activities and awards that the City receives such as financial accounting (six years as a GFOA Distinguished Budget Award winner), community improvements and the quality of our activities. When people struggle, the City typically sees that first occurring in their payment of water bills. These notifications allow us to contact the resident and identify issues that may be causing problems as well as do wellness checks with our community service officers. We track crime within the community, where it is occurring and how our officers can help. Business closings give us an indicator of the business environment and a close alliance with the Chamber of Commerce helps better understand the business community’s needs. The City works closely with our school districts, food pantries and other community service organizations to find ways to assist those groups in helping our neighbors.