BELLINGHAM, WA (MyBellinghamNow.com) – A small community on the southside of Bellingham has found themselves in a battle with the city to keep their homes.

The Rainier Avenue Bridge connects nearly a dozen homes to the rest of the city, and its future is uncertain. Bellingham Public Works replaced the bridge after its temporary predecessor failed during the flooding in 2021.

The new bridge is temporary, with a five-year permit expected to expire in two years. The city told residents that it would be more cost effective to buy the properties than it would be to replace the bridge with a more permanent structure.

Resident Rebecca Bunn says that the plan is not thought through, citing problems with scientific methodology and the economic feasibility of their proposed plan. As a WWU environmental science professor along with her husband Andy, Bunn says a new bridge is possible.

Bunn has spearheaded the campaign to stop the sale, saying that her neighbors would be willing to negotiate a new bridge location to make a higher elevation structure possible.

“It just feels like it’s been three years with no solution,” Bunn said.

Public Works announced they removed the decision item from the city council’s Nov. 4 meeting, with plans to postpone further discussion until early 2025 pending further analysis. Despite this, Bunn adds that the problem does not feel settled.

Bunn wants to emphasize the value of the land being where people live, including a neighbor’s multigenerational home built in 1917 and a widow’s cabin she built with her late husband. Bunn moved to her residence across the bridge in 2008 and has raised her family there. Concerns over poor faith negotiation colored Bunn’s words when she spoke about how Public Works handled speaking with residents.

She said the city’s aggressive environmental scenarios have caused anxiety for her neighbors.

While there’s not a lot of concern for road access for Bunn should the bridge fail this winter, she is worried for her wheelchair-bound neighbor that depends on the bridge to get into town.

Bunn is uncertain if the bridge will fail this winter, as a La Niña winter is forecasted. She did mention that while the current bridge is higher than the old one, it is suspended above a higher creek bed following the 2021 flooding that brought on a lot of debris.

Public Works issued the following statement when asked to comment:

“While the initial feasibility study presented several options, including the option to not replace the bridge, we would like to complete further studies to determine the solution that best balances the needs of our whole community, impacted residents, flooding and sea level rise, fish passage and long-term resilience.

We are committed to working closely with our State and Federal government regulatory partners to identify a viable path forward that addresses the challenges posed by the bridge’s condition and the changing environment.

We understand the importance of this bridge for access to certain properties and our assessment will carefully consider these needs. We will continue to keep the affected property owners and public informed as we make progress, including through our project page and a City Council presentation anticipated in early to mid-2025.”

This story will be updated as more information is provided from Bellingham Public Works.