BELLINGHAM, WA (MyBellinghamNow.com) – Two potential landing spots have emerged for a beloved Bellingham landmark that needs to hit the road.
The Washington State Department of Transportation (WSDOT) says the rock needs to be moved because it’s in the way of a fish passage construction project.
But according to Keith Cook, administrator of the “Bellingham Rock” Facebook group, two private property owners have expressed interest in acquiring the I-5 graffiti rock
One of the potential spots is at the lawn of the Timberline Apartments complex on Bill MacDonald Parkway near Western Washington University.
The property owner, Frank Youngblood, tells My Bellingham Now that he’s in talks with the City of Bellingham (COB) and WSDOT about the acquisition, adding that he feels “very positive” about where things are at.
“It’s a very iconic piece of Bellingham history and the present,” Youngblood said. “Let’s see what happens.”
According to Youngblood, if COB gives the go ahead on moving the rock, he says WSDOT will move it to whatever location is chosen.
The other proposed location is at NorthStar Stone and Landscape Supply near the Slater Road exit of I-5 south of Ferndale.
WSDOT is hosting a stakeholder meeting about the graffiti rock on Thursday, June 5, which is expected to provide more clarity on the situation. The agency has stated that it would entertain moving the rock to a private property if it were to retain its original status as a “publicly accessible community billboard.”
Even though the deadline to find a new home for the rock has passed, WSDOT says it won’t take any action until it reviews the proposed relocation plans.
