Galbraith
Mountain, located just south of Bellingham, is popular among hikers and bikers,
but only has one northern entrance point, lacks enough space for parking, and can
be a source of disturbances for nearby residents.
Although
it is not in the Bellingham city limits, Galbraith Mountain attracts many
Bellingham outdoor enthusiasts – mostly bikers – with its large network of
trails. Access to Galbraith from the northern entrance is limited; Birch Street
leads to a small parking lot that quickly fills up, especially on days with
good weather according to biker Patrik Zuest.
“Galbraith
is pretty easy to access,” said Zuest, “Once you find a parking spot. Even
today, when it isn’t such a great day, the parking lot is full.”
According
to the Whatcom Falls Neighborhood Plan, developed by the neighborhood
association, residents would like to see more parking designated for Galbraith
in order to reduce the amount of on-street parking and congestion on the nearby
streets.
The
parking issue is still unresolved. “An idea is to place more signage in to direct
bikers to park at Whatcom Falls Park,” said Moshe Quinn, city planner and
resident of Whatcom Falls Neighborhood. The Whatcom Falls Park parking lot is
about a mile from the Galbraith parking lot.
The neighborhood
plan includes this idea as well, suggesting that signs should be installed at
both the trailhead and park to direct bikers to use the parking lots.
Barry
Landu, an avid biker at Galbraith thought that this solution would be fine for
bikers, but would add a considerable amount of extra walking for hikers. “We
really shouldn’t park on the street. The streets are meant for residents and
their guests, so I already do park at Whatcom Falls if [the Galbraith] lot is
full,” he said.
Bellingham's
Greenway Coordinator Tim Wahl made the point that putting a sign at the
Galbraith parking lot will still bring people up along Birch Street, not
knowing that the lot is full. “Do small parking lots attract even more
vehicles?” he asked, wondering if the signs would continue to bring just as
many cars up the street. Wahl thinks placing a sign at the entrance to Birch Street
may be more effective.
The
City of Bellingham’s Strategic Plan for Land Acquisition states that $1 million
has been allocated for obtaining “forested open space and trail site” that will
connect Galbraith and Whatcom Falls Park in multiple spots. The intent is to
allow access from Lakeway Drive, Yew Street and Whatcom Falls Park to
Galbraith. With more than one access point, traffic could decrease on Birch Street.
At
the northern entrance to Galbraith Mountain, a sign is posted that reads,
“Please respect adjacent property.”
Although
Zuest has never personally experienced a complaint, he said, “People try and
behave, but it wouldn’t surprise me if on a summer day, bikers get rowdy.”
Quinn,
who lives on Birch Falls Drive, said there is a lot of bike traffic, but he
knew Galbraith was near his house when he moved in. He doesn’t have many
complaints about the bikers except that a lot of them bring along their
unleashed dogs. Some of them run through his yard and upset his dog. Quinn
continued on to say, “If you are moving up here, you should do your research
and know that Galbraith is here. There will be a lot of bikers.”
When
asked if Galbraith affected the value of property nearby, Kirk Ghio, a Muljat
Realtor, replied, “It's been a selling point. Most of the homeowners there are
attracted to the trails, so it has helped maintain value.”
Galbraith
is a special place to those who appreciate hiking or biking, according to Landu.
“It’s a really unique set of trails. We are lucky to have this right here in
Bellingham,” he said.
Originally owned by the Trillium Corporation,
Galbraith Mountain is now owned by Polygon Financial Partners as of April 1,
2010. It is 3,125 acres, 1,400 of which are in the Lake Whatcom Watershed. The
area includes a trail system created and maintained by the Whatcom Independent
Mountain Pedalers.
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