A 49-unit multifamily residential project is proposed in this north Bellingham neighborhood

A large, multi-family residential project is proposed for development in one of Bellingham’s northern neighborhoods.

The development is proposed as a 49-unit, four-story building along the 4400 block of James Street in Bellingham’s King Mountain Neighborhood on a 1.3-acre parcel.

The building would be located at the southeast corner of James Street and Dewberry Lane, both of which are currently under construction. The building will be oriented toward James Street with parking accessible from Dewberry Lane.

The project applicant is Bellingham-based Alliance Properties , which developed a five-story mixed-use residential building in Fairhaven with 35 high-end apartments. The company is also developing the Village at King Mountain, a community of residential homes in north Bellingham that is anticipated to include this new multifamily project in Phase 2 of the area’s development.

Project specifics

The building is proposed to include 38 one-bedroom units and 11 two-bedroom units. The first floor of the building is proposed to include secure bike storage facilities, an elevator for the building and a 390-square-foot community room.

The site would include 79 vehicle parking spaces with six of them under the building and the remaining spots in a surface lot to accommodate the residents.

Open space is expected to be included in the design with both private and public facilities. Private yards, private patios and private decks are included in the design. The developer is also proposing a community lawn on the south side of the building and large green spaces next to the parking area, application documents show.

Bellingham housing demands

Over the past 10 years, Bellingham has issued building permits for about 6,800 housing units, or an average of 680 per year. About a quarter of these units were single-family homes and three-quarters were multi-family units. There were 1,286 new units permitted in 2021, which is almost 2x Bellingham’s ten-year annual average, according to the city of Bellingham.

Bellingham needs to build about 210 single-family units and 650 multi-family units — 860 units total — each year for the next five years to keep up with demand and increase the rental vacancy rate in the city. This is a production increase of about 25% compared to the average of the past 10 years, according to the city.

Many of Bellingham’s units need to be affordable to meet state-established targeted goals.

The application documents for this project do not include information about whether the units will be listed at market rate or if any will be prioritized for affordable housing. To be considered affordable, housing costs can’t exceed 30% of a family’s gross income and must serve families making 80% or less of the area median income, according to the city.

Public comments are being accepted for the project proposal until 5 p.m. Aug, 27. Comments can be submitted to the city of Bellingham Planning and Community Development Department.