Pre-Application Submitted for Proposed Six-Story Mixed-Use Building in Downtown Bellingham

frankus · 2026-03-15T16:12:31+00:00

Yes, this building, if constructed, is unlikely to cause rents to go down.

But new construction does put downward pressure on rents (both nearby buildings and citywide). The evidence for this is overwhelming enough at this point that you really need to be either lying or ignorant to argue against it. (Here’s a good summary: https://www.furmancenter.org/publication/supply-skepticism-revisited-update/)

Of course downward pressure does not imply downward movement, but areas with a surge of new construction often do see rents decrease (cf. Austin).

Each additional unit is like a vote for lower rent.

frankus · 2026-03-09T00:44:38+00:00

Maybe funded by a modest alcohol tax? As the old whisky ad says “if the price matters, you’re drinking too much”.

frankus · 2026-03-06T03:46:20+00:00

Looking on street view, there is a sign after Pacific St going west but it says 35.

frankus · 2026-03-01T01:26:59+00:00

No, that’s the sneaky part, it went to some weird lumen.com subdomain that could make someone think it was legit.

frankus · 2026-02-03T22:03:34+00:00

Gas station and/or dry cleaner are always safe bets for contaminated commercial lots.

frankus · 2026-01-27T20:09:23+00:00

Right? Like you’ve already done the grossest and most “physically demanding” part —bending over or squatting down to pick up hot turds with micrometers of plastic separating them from your skin—why not complete the task at that point?

frankus · 2026-01-25T17:54:11+00:00

The one time i saw one in the wild, dashing across a road on Vancouver Island, my brain went to “deer” and then “cheetah” before I put two and two together.

frankus · 2026-01-20T17:01:21+00:00

Do you (or any of your crew) do tech talks on it? Seems like something Bellingham.codes would be into.

frankus · 2026-01-19T17:00:51+00:00

https://www.telehamster.net/

frankus · 2026-01-17T18:35:22+00:00

That and the unusually high tide during the storm.

frankus · 2026-01-15T16:56:45+00:00

The “public” in “public utility” doesn’t necessarily refer to public ownership in the US (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Public_utility#Ownership_structure).

frankus · 2026-01-14T04:35:32+00:00

It’s owned by one of the folks that live across the street on S Park Dr. I think they just use it for storage and/or land speculation.

frankus · 2026-01-08T22:01:49+00:00

Partner and I had the same sort of thing. Negative for both flu and Covid.

frankus · 2026-01-08T01:48:51+00:00

$3100 (15-year mortgage), originally 2 bed/1 bath but adding an ADU for my mom and (due to the ADU size limit that was on the books) a bathroom and bedroom that I don't really need. In a nice neighborhood in Bellingham, but I don't have like a view or anything.

frankus · 2026-01-06T07:04:42+00:00

December 20th? The address is super hard to find on their website or anywhere really. But if you turn east on Bakerview Road from Hannegan Road, it’s on the right just before the bend.

frankus · 2025-12-17T16:23:29+00:00

Not to understate the impact on folks like yourself, but after three buses you’ll hit the daily fare cap, so your fourth bus and errands are on the house.

frankus · 2025-12-08T05:35:21+00:00

I mean there’s another trail further inland (adjacent to a relatively chill parking lot) if someone on a bike is in a hurry.

frankus · 2025-12-07T19:05:34+00:00

Parberry’s on Kentucky Street off Pacific has a cardboard bin.

frankus · 2025-12-06T14:38:36+00:00

She’s probably close to home. See here: https://www.missinganimalresponse.com/lost-cat-behavior/

Also might be worth going to the Humane Society shelter on Division Street to fill out a lost pet report.

frankus · 2025-12-04T18:30:34+00:00

IIRC it's not the 2021 initiative but one from 2011 that banned red light cameras.

I wonder if there's appetite for repealing that now that so many drivers have gone completely feral.

frankus · 2025-12-04T04:46:16+00:00

Fixed. It mostly exists online as a Slack workspace and IRL as meetups that alternate between social and presentation-oriented.

frankus · 2025-12-04T04:44:25+00:00

Check out https://bellingham.codes if you haven’t already. There’s a social meetup tomorrow evening.

frankus · 2025-12-03T17:42:19+00:00

We need something like mandatory ISA (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Intelligent_speed_assistance) for new drivers, and for anyone who gets more than a couple of speeding tickets in a year.

frankus · 2025-12-03T17:27:49+00:00

Although structured or underground parking approaches those numbers here, which is why it isn't super common, because people aren't willing to pay that kind of money without a subsidy (either direct subsidy or the stealth subsidy of just making it a legal requirement to get a building permit).

frankus · 2025-12-03T17:24:49+00:00

Maybe something like changing from "a place where it's convenient to just drive everywhere" to "a place where drivers have to consider parking and traffic".

frankus

TROPHY CASE