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November is just around the corner, and most of our neighbors have received their 2020 ballots. There are many ways we can as a community come together to make our wishes known, and one of those ways is with our vote. We hope you will vote this season and support your friends, neighbors, and family in also casting their ballots. Your vote matters!

On the ballot you will find the Columbia Valley Park and Recreation District has a six year limited levy request to help create pocket parks in our community. These parks would be located according to which properties were available within the budget as well as where the community would like to see a park first. The plan is to have 4-5 small parks where community members can easily walk to within 5-10 minutes. You can read more about this in the Columbia Valley Park and Recreation District Comprehensive Plan Draft. It is currently available on our website (click here) and physical copies will be available at the North Fork Library and at the EWRRC after October 26th, 2020.  Here is an excerpt from the Comprehensive Plan Draft:

The Benefits of Parks: The 2006 article, “The Benefits of Parks” by Paul M. Sherer (2006), released by the Trust for Public Land, outlines the many benefits associated with parks. Several of these benefits include:

• Health Benefits: Research shows that people exercise more when they have access to parks. Regular physical activity reduces the risk of obesity, heart disease, hypertension, colon cancer, and diabetes, amongst other physical diseases. Exercise also promotes mental health by relieving symptoms of depression and anxiety, improving mood, and enhancing psychological well-being. Time spent connecting with the natural world improves both physical and mental health.
• Property Value: Evidence suggests that parks and open space increase the value of neighboring residential and commercial property.
• Environmental Benefits: Parks provide many environmental benefits. For example, trees and other landscaping reduce air and water pollution.
• Social Development: Parks provide important social and community development benefits. They make neighborhoods more livable, offer recreational opportunities for all community members, including youth and families, and provide places where people can feel a sense of community.
• Crime Reductions: Research supports that access to public parks and recreational facilities can lead to a reduction in crime. Shared park spaces increase residents’ sense of community ownership and stewardship, provide a focus for neighborhood activities, expose youth to nature, connect community members, and clean up and increase visitation to previously vacant lots.

The levy is 60 cents for every $1000.00 of assessed value of a property in the district according to the Whatcom County Assessor. You can go here to search for your property and discover the assessed value. Assessed value is often quite different from market value. The levy, if approved, would be based on the value assessed by the county. Also on the Whatcom County Assessor you can learn when there is an exemption or tax relief.

The way to calculate the maximum amount which could be added to your property tax by this levy is to divide the assessed value by 1000 then multiply by .6. to discover the annual cost.

Once funding is secured it is estimated the CVPRD will be operating on an approximately $85,000 annual budget with  63,000 going toward building parks and 20,000 going toward two part time local positions with the district. Please note: no compensation is allowed according to the law for the volunteer commissioners and their work.

Dear Community, The Columbia Valley Park and Recreation District (CVPRD) is excited to share their recent work to create a Comprehensive Plan Draft. A Comprehensive Plan lays out important details of the community served as well as the plan for the districts’ work over the next three to six years based on demand and need.

Creating a comprehensive plan is a big project which typically costs forty thousand dollars or more paid to a specialized contractor. But, unfortunately,  this was a problem. The CVPRD, since formation in 2017, has been unfunded. Even so, commissioners knew this was an important step for a newly created district; funding or no funding. By having this document new opportunities would open up including a more engaged community park design.

Unfunded, but also undaunted (OK, maybe a little daunted), the board of commissioners began work on a comprehensive plan draft in 2019 using guiding documents and other comp plans as models. In addition to the internal energy and commitment from these local volunteers, the CVPRD received essential support and technical assistance from the Whatcom County Health Department’s East Whatcom Specialist, Aly Robinson. 

Then, in January 2020, the CVPRD began work with Western Washington University’s Sustainable Communities. The idea, however, began in late 2019 when Lindsey McDonald, office of Sustainability Director, reached out to look toward the future of collaboration with East Whatcom community efforts. Amongst other opportunities, Lindsey learned the board of commissioners had been meeting monthly to work on the Comprehensive Plan Draft. As a staunch believer in community driven work, she saw how WWU support of local volunteers to create this plan could be both a real world learning opportunity for students as well as a way of creating long lasting improved health in the community.

It was determined some seed funding would be needed to help lift this effort and so Lindsey secured a grant from First Federal for the project. The funds supported a graduate student, Sarah Parker, joining the work in the Summer of 2020 alongside a class of students studying with Tammi Laninga in the Fall (more about this in a future post!). And in May, during the first few months of the pandemic, work was done by Lindsey with Aly and CVPRD volunteer commissioners to clarify the scope of the work. 

Now, as we roll towards the end of 2020, arguably, one of the most formidable worldwide in written history, we will soon be sharing the draft CVPRD Comprehensive Plan for our community to offer their essential input. And, while it is true, this work is new and challenging in the best of times (none of us are a specialized contractor) we unreservedly acknowledge it is especially hard against the back drop of many painful losses, current crisis, and an uncertain future.

With years of small steps behind us and many which strive forward into the future, it has never been more true that the CVPRD is here to offer this effort thanks to so many. The CVPRD is incredibly grateful for the work of the community volunteers, neighbors, voters, and our partners who have made this task achievable. This is no small thing.

Please stay tuned for an invitation to a public presentation of the CVPRD Comprehensive Plan draft on Wednesday October 14th at 6PM over Zoom during the Columbia Valley Community Connections Meeting.

Exciting News! Columbia Valley Park and Recreation District has a levy for building and maintaining parks on the Ballot this season. I hope you and all of our neighbors will vote YES for Levy 2018-6.

Parks offer community connection, a fun place to meet neighbors and for kids to play. From BBQs, to dog walking, to swings and slides we all get more fit and connected when parks are part of the community. So when you see your ballot in the mail after October 16th, vote yes on 2018-6 right away!

And too, even with a yes vote on this levy property taxes will still go down. This voting season is our chance to focus tax dollars for community strength, for future generations and health.

REMEMBER: Ballots can be mailed at no cost or dropped at a local ballot box such as at the North Fork Library. Help your neighborhood, VOTE!

First Meeting of CVPRD: 1/12/17 at 5PM. Location: Kendall Chapel 6449 Mt Baker Hwy Maple Falls, WA

We hope you can make it to the meeting!