Dewey Griffin Plans to Expand

Dewey Griffin Automotive dealership has “out grown” their current building, says sales manager Allen Meyer, and plans to expand on the land behind their dealership at 1800 Iowa St., halting the city’s plan to buy the land and create more Greenway space.

“We have customers saying we’ve out grown it,” says Meyer.  The additional space would be made into more lot space as well as a retention pond to create a barrier between the dealership and Whatcom Creek.

“We would be looking at putting a new building not to close to creek,” says Meyer.

According to Tim Wahl, Greenway program coordinator, the city has approached the owners of the property to see if they are willing to sell without much luck.

“It’s in a good place, it has some good uses,” Wahl says, referring to the Dewey Griffin property that boarders Whatcom Creek.

Wahl says both Bellingham Parks and Recreation and Dewey Griffin have been trying to determine what to do with the land.

“On that property there isn’t a clear staff agreement,” says Wahl.

Although adding that, “We won’t buy unless there is a very compelling need for it, there is a need for north-south trail” to connect the Roosevelt neighborhood Boys and Girls Club with Whatcom Creek Greenway, Wahl says.

The city doesn’t necessarily want to purchase the entire plot that the dealership owns, the north-south trail seems to be the best “bang for the buck,” according to Wahl who says such a trail would only require section the land owned by Dewey Griffin.

According to the Greenway Strategic Plan, $331,000 is identified for this particular area, however Wahl explains that “money tends to get directed and redirected based on opportunity and willingness of the owner to sell.”

“Things are not locked down, projects can be defined very broadly” Wahl states.

Bellingham City Council Member Michael Lilliquist says in an email, “Many of our purchases are opportunistic, waiting for a good piece of land in the right location to become available at a good price.”

When the Whatcom Creek Trail Railroad Avenue Bridge burned on Nov., 23 2012 about $50,000 was taken from the $331,000 identified for the Whatcom Creek Greenway connection and was redirected towards rebuilding the bridge, according to Wahl.

“The truth is that the Greenways committee always has their eye on a few properties,” says Lilliquist.

Meyers says that the dealership simply cannot find a way to make the late 1960’s building work for the companies needs and therefore they plan to “move forward with the addition very soon.”

“We are very aware of the Greenway,” says Meyer, emphasizing that the dealership plans to make the new addition and retention pond “blend with the environment.”

“We’ll make sure we have a dog park back there with the pond,” Meyer adds.

Recently, Dewey Griffin has spoken to the city about the restrictions and rules around how far the additional lot space needs to be from the creek in order to keep it healthy, says Meyer.

“We’ve been forth coming with the city about all of our plans,” Meyer says.

According to Wahl, the retention pond that Dewey Griffin plans to build on the property could function well as a private Greenway.

When referring to private Greenways Wahl says, “There’s value there.”

A private Greenway can benefit the environment in the some of the same functions as a public space in that it acts as a habitat for animals and a barrier between nature and populated areas, according to Wahl.

Plus, Wahl adds, “The city doesn’t have to maintain something.”

As far as future plans, Wahl says the opportunities lie more at the downtown bridge site, with little on the horizon for the Whatcom Creek-Roosevelt connection.

“The vision in the Greenway Strategic Plan is sometimes ahead of the reality. You can have a very good vision and you find you’re the only one supporting it,” Wahl says.