The Yorker Online

Upcoming Events

 

Student Tips

 

Trees of York

 

Lights On, Please!

 

Samish Way News

 

Welcome to the York Neighborhood Association Website!

Revised 2024-03-22 1140


  “Welcome to York” sign

Click here for the latest issue of The Yorker newsletter (December 2023).

The York Neighborhood Association (YNA) exists to preserve and enhance the community and engage citizens in civic affairs. We work to promote a safe, comfortable, and thriving urban neighborhood bordering downtown Bellingham, Washington.

As a neighborhood, we are involved in planning for the future, historic preservation, traffic and pedestrian safety, social events, and park improvements. If you live or work in the York Neighborhood, we hope you’ll get involved!

Use our contact page to subscribe to the YNA List and indicate other interests.



 

 

Upcoming Events

YNA Board Meeting: March 27   |   Annual Painted-Rock Hunt: mid-April (TBA)   |   Plant Exchange: April 19–21

 

  • York Neighborhood Board of Directors Meeting

    Date/Time: Fourth Wednesday Each Month (except August & December), 6:30pm meeting
    Next Meeting: Wednesday, March 27, 2024

    Location - In Person: Nelson’s Market—514 Potter Street

      Proposed Agenda:

      1. February General Meeting Recap (Rock Hill Park Update) & Minutes Approval - Colin, Mark, Board feedback
      2. York / Sehome Social - May 16 at Harriet Spanel Park (Guests include the Bellingham Comprehensive Plan representative Greg Hope (Neighborhood Preparedness, and hopefully someone from the Parks) Dept. - Colin
      3. Newsletter Content & Distribution Date - let’s get it out in early April as we have advertising waiting - Mark (+ Megan)
      4. Historical Preservation Update - Whatcom Museum Visit - Chris
      5. Treasurer Update - Opie is unable to attend, update to come in April
      6. Board Nominations and Confirmations - Colin & All
      7. April Meeting Topics

      Questions? Contact: Colin Beazley.

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  • York Spring Painted-Rock Hunt

    Date/Time: mid-April 2024 (date still to be determined)

    Location: all around the neighborhood

    For children from birth to 99; hosted by the .

    We do need volunteers to paint rocks!

  • Photograph of a painted rock.  Photograph of a painted rock.  Photograph of a painted rock.  Photograph of a painted rock.  Photograph of a painted rock. 

    Bring your child on a treasure hunt around the York Neighborhood to find rocks painted with spring themes. Be sure to post your finds on York’s Facebook page.

    How to contribute rocks: Rocks can be painted with acrylics or permanent markers; then seal with any clear sealant. If you need help with this step, email Kim Owen at JK_Owen2@hotmail.com. Add the year and your initials if you want. Once you’re done, hide them before 10:00a.m. on the day of the event, along the sidewalks and in the parks, for kids to find.

     

    Participants at the April 2022 York Plant Exchange at Nelson’s Market.
  • York Plant Exchange

    Date/Time: April 19–21, 2024

    Location - In Person: Nelson’s Market—514 Potter Street

    Hosted by the . Details to be posted nearer the event.

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  • York Neighborhood General Membership Meeting

    Come join us Wednesday, February 28, at Norway Hall for our October General Meeting. The focus will be the upcoming design for the renovation of Rock Hill Park, and our guests will be Parks Department staff.

    Doors open at 6 p.m. - we will have some refreshments, and the meeting will begin promptly at 6:30. We look forward to seeing many of you there!

    Date/Time: Wednesday, October 25, 2023, 6:00pm gather, 6:30pm meeting

    Location - In Person: Norway Hall—1419 North Forest Street
    Parking is available, but the meeting will be held downstairs; it’s ADA-accessible, but assistance will be required so please notify us in advance if possible.

      Agenda TBD
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  • York Neighborhood Historic Preservation Committee Meeting with City representatives

    Date/Time: Tuesday, January 23, 2024, at Noon

    Location - In Person: Nelson’s Market—514 Potter Street

    To discuss the development of the Interactive Walking Map.

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    Student Tips

    Welcome to incoming York student residents!

    Nestled between Downtown Bellingham and the freeway, the York neighborhood is a friendly, green, fun, peaceful haven…an eclectic mix of families and students, homeowners and renters, parks and pets, and a variety of businesses ranging from grocery stores, restaurants, and breweries to healthcare practitioners, social services, and auto shops.

    Every fall, a new group of students arrive who don’t really know where they have landed. Check out the flyer at right for some tips for how you can make your time among us a good one.


    Moving Out? Pack It Out!—Education campaign against refuse in our greenways and alleys

    YNA’s 2020 Dumpster Day and WWU’s 2020 Move Out Madness were unable to be scheduled due to CoViD-19 response & concerns. The first annual “Moving Out? Pack It Out!” campaign is providing alternatives.

    The campaign name/slogan is based on the time-tested Leave No Trace—Pack It In, Pack It Out campaign for our wildernesses.
    Think of this as an Urban Leave No Trace (except memories).

    Those interested in a yard sign or poster for your window, please send
    Signs will be picked up after the campaign.

    This campaign is a partnership between the City of Bellingham, Western Washington University, and the York Neighborhood Association.


     

     

     

    Trees of York

    Break that cabin fever with a walk around York, and check out our neighborhood’s trees!

    Use these maps to explore the historic trees of the York neighborhood as well as the trees of Harriet Spanel Park.

    Historic Trees of the York Neighborhood—February 2019     Trees of Harriet Spanel Park—February 2019

     

     

    Lights On, Please

    Porch lights brighten up the neighborhood and deter unsavory behavior. An LED bulb will save tons of energy ($), alleviating the guilt of leaving outside lights on. And your mail carrier and delivery people will be grateful, too, for safer navigation to and from your door!


     

     

    Samish Way News

    October 2019—Ground Broken! — Take a few minutes to check out the former Aloha Motel site, along Samish Way between Otis, Laurel, Abbott, and Maple streets! At the end of October, the Bellingham Housing Authority hosted the groundbreaking for the new building which will be constructed over the next year and a half, with leasing to start in early 2021.

    This building will house fixed-rent apartments, as well as street-level commercial tenants, and was designed to serve as part of the Samish Way Urban Village Plan (2009). The housing authority will have proprietary interest in this new building, as they will be be among the very first tenants!

    The development will be just across Samish Way from the York Neighborhood’s south leg, so it will be part of our community.

    Regarding the project during the CoViD-19 response period:

    “Governor Inslee’s Stay Home - Stay Healthy Proclamation specifically identifies construction of low-income housing as essential work. As you’ve probably noticed, Dawson Construction has prominently posted “Essential Work Site” banners on the construction fence. They have also implemented an impressively sophisticated set of social distancing/pandemic safety protocols in accordance with Centers for Disease Control guidelines.

    At this point, construction continues to move forward and the City is conducting inspections as required by code. Feel free to keep your fingers crossed for us as we move forward!”

    —Brien Thane, Bellingham & Whatcom County Housing Authorities, April 3, 2020



     

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  • If you desire to present something to Yorkers:

    If you have a presentation you would like to give or a question to place before Yorkers and neighbors, we would love to hear from you. Please contact our or , and we will discuss opportunities. Please note meeting time can be limited, and contacting us well in advance really helps us allocate time for your topic.


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