South Bay Suites Construction Builds Hopes and Concerns

The construction of the South Bay Suites building on 10^th Street and Mill Avenue in Fairhaven has some locals excited, but some are concerned about the noise and the building’s potential obstruction of the view of Bellingham Bay.  

Fairhaven’s Colophon Café is across the street from the construction site next to Village Books. Teddy Ahlvin, a 23-year-old employee at the café, said that you can hear the construction going on from inside the restaurant. “Every time someone opens the door all the noise from outside comes in. It’s like a weird bell,” said Teddy.

Susan Whitney, 67, is a volunteer at Paws Awhile, a Whatcom Humane Society gift shop. Whitney lives in a condominium about a block away from the construction site and said that when she closes her windows she can’t hear the noise. “I can’t see why people are getting upset,” said Whitney. “People do work on their houses all the time. Don’t they think their hammering annoys their neighbors?”

Many residents and business owners in the Fairhaven community are concerned about new construction compromising the view of Bellingham Bay. Height restrictions for new buildings have been established so the bay can remain visible for buildings further away from the shore.

According to City Councilmember Michael Lilliquist, the height restriction for new buildings varies between 54 feet and 66 feet tall, depending on its location. If the building is located down the hill, it can be taller than a building on top of the hill to help maintain Fairhaven’s view of the bay.

Due to its location, the new South Bay Suites building will slightly obstruct the view of Bellingham Bay for the businesses up the hill on Mill Avenue.

Ahlvin use to work at the Mount Bakery Café at 1217 Harris Avenue, two blocks above the construction site on Mill Avenue. The bakery currently has a view of the bay from its location, but South Bay Suites will take away part of it. “It’s hard to regulate with something like a view,” said Ahlvin.

The lot that South Bay Suites will reside on has never been developed. Construction began about a month ago and, according to southbaysuites.com, the building is expected to reach completion by the fall of 2014. The building’s website also provides the plans for each floor. According to the plans, the building will be four stories tall and include underground parking, office spaces, commercial spaces, and apartments.

The building’s construction includes improvements to the accessibility of Fairhaven’s South Bay Trail, a path that runs next to the development site. The trail has been a recreational outlet for many locals and starts at the corner of North Forest Street and East Maple Street, runs through Boulevard Park, and ends at the Fairhaven Village Green.

John Servais, the publisher of Fairhaven’s website, Fairhaven.com, believes that the South Bay Suites building is expected to fit in nicely with the rest of the neighborhood. “It’s going to be a pleasant looking building,” said Servais.

Susan Whitney expressed her excitement about the business the building will potentially attract to 10^th Street. “One business feeds another business,” said Whitney. “I hope they keep building more businesses to get 10^th Street developed.”

The developers of South Bay Suites were unavailable when reached for comment.