Lynden is open for business
Reduced fees for incoming industrial businesses, downtown renovation bodes well for the city’s business community
by John Kinmonth

Away from Interstate 5, sandwiched between the Canadian border and the Nooksack River, sits a pocket of Dutch culture known for its abundance of churches and berry farms. As the second largest city in Whatcom County, Lynden’s current population is 10,419 and growing. Well-manicured lawns, high school basketball and family values are all defining characteristics of this unique community, which is expected to grow to 18,200 in the next 20 years.
While a full lineup of events such as Holland Days and the gigantic Northwest Washington Fair boosts the city’s tourism each year, the city is currently taking steps to attract more primary businesses to the area. Traditionally thriving off of a strong agricultural segment, Lynden is looking to strengthen other areas of its business climate relating to heavy commercial and industrial development, as well as renovating the downtown’s Historic Business District.

Laying out the welcome mat
In an effort to attract more industrial development, the Lynden City Council unanimously approved a resolution earlier this year that reduces certain fees for incoming businesses. Proposed by Mayor Jack Louws, the plan waives half of the current transportation and park impact fees related to business development on property zoned for heavy commercial and industrial uses.
“I felt they were a little bit too high to keep us competitive with the rest of the county,” Louws said.
City Planning Director Amy Harksell said the action affects roughly 275 acres in Lynden, with the largest portions of property located just west of Guide Meridian.
“Because of rules in the state of Washington we can’t give tax breaks, but we can reduce impact fees,” Harksell said. “It’s a way for us to be able to say, ‘We’re interested in your business, build your building and run your business here.’”
Louws, who also owns Louws Truss Inc. in Lynden, saw the fee breaks as a way to kick start interest in some of the city’s industrial-zoned land that has sat undeveloped for years.
“We have that land in the West Lynden Industrial Area that’s been annexed for 10 years or so,” Louws said. “We haven’t been able to get much development going in that area.”
Because fees are assessed for expansion as well as new development, city officials hope the action will help retain businesses rather than see them move closer to the I-5 corridor. Although the city estimates a loss of approximately $440,000 while the land is developed, Harksell said city officials plan to make it up through various grants such as Whatcom County’s Economic Development Investment program. EDI distributes rural sales tax funds to local governments for projects that help stimulate private investment and employment opportunities.
“If we’ve got a company coming out and locating in west Lynden, we can go and give a much stronger case to get those different funding sources,” Harksell said. “It gives a strong rationale for those grants.”
Along with the fee cuts, Harksell said the city is currently working to extend city infrastructure to those industrial sites west of the Guide Meridian.
“Most of the area in the city will be shovel ready by 2006,” Harksell said. “We’ve got land in sizes that a lot of folks are looking for. We’re looking forward to finding ways for those areas to get developed.”
Renee Reimer, executive director of the Lynden Chamber of Commerce, agrees.
“I think they’re sending a clear message that we’re open for business for companies who want to locate here,” Reimer said.

Downtown gets a facelift
On the opposite end of the commercial spectrum, Lynden is currently working on a plan that would spell major improvements for its Historic Business District along Front and Grover streets. With an assortment of small retail shops, restaurants and professional services, the five-block area serves as the focal point of the community, despite being one of Lynden’s five retail clusters.
After adopting a downtown development plan in 2002, city planners are currently looking to implement some of the conceptual recommendations that were meant to revitalize the commercial core.
Harksell said the preliminary plans include making the area more pedestrian friendly through potential streetscape improvements. The city is currently working with Lynden-based Reichhardt & Ebe Engineering and Tom Beckwith of Beckwith Consulting to complete the final plans by the end of this summer.
“It would include potential changes to trees and landscape,” Harksell said. One highlight, she said, would be the continued development of Judson Plaza, a public gathering place on Sixth and Front streets.
“That would include a location for small events such as a farmers market,” Harksell said. She said the city is also looking at building a larger commons area on Fourth Street to help link Front Street to Grover Street for pedestrians.
“We’re finding ways to make the downtown an exciting place for repeat visitors,” Harksell said. “Anything that makes the downtown more accessible, the better off economically the downtown businesses will be.”
City officials expect construction for some of the phases to begin in 2006.
Downtown Lynden might get more than just a facelift as city officials and developers are currently looking into expanding the downtown into the area south of Front Street. Harksell said they’re looking to implement a mixed-use area, providing residents easy pedestrian access to downtown.
“It may allow us to expand some of the retail uses in the area,” she said.
Several developers have expressed interest in the properties.

State project to improve access
With the two-lane Guide Meridian as the most direct route from Lynden to Bellingham and the I-5 corridor, traffic access has been an issue for both businesses and commuting residents looking to relocate to the community. The state route serves as a commonly used border crossing into Canada because of its easy access to the Trans-Canada 1 Highway. With an increasing number of Lynden residents commuting south everyday for work, the Guide Meridian’s traffic congestion has also increased.
Recognizing this, the Washington State Department of Transportation has scheduled an improvement project that will widen the route from two to four lanes, divide the northbound and southbound traffic and add roundabouts at key intersections north and south of Lynden’s city limits. While residents have questioned the practicality of the European-style roundabouts, DOT officials maintain that they will increase safety and traffic flow.
“I think the transportation infrastructure in Whatcom County is critical to Lynden’s future,” Louws said. Because of the city’s location away from the I-5 corridor, Louws recognizes what could be a challenge for certain businesses looking to move in.
“It takes a lot of time to take a business that has a regional presence to get your people on the I-5 and get them down the corridor,” Louws said.
Lynden Door Inc., the largest private employer in Lynden, is one exception to the rule, having a strong regional presence throughout the Northwest.
The $85 million DOT improvement project is scheduled for completion in 2009, with construction starting in spring of 2008.

Movers and shakers
Last month saw the spirited opening of a new Whatcom Educational Credit Union at West Front Street and Duffner Drive. From May 2 to May 6, the credit union celebrated its new branch with food, music and prizes.
In other banking news, The Bank of the Pacific, formerly known as Bank Northwest, is currently awaiting the construction of their new Lynden location on Front Street across from the Northwest Fair grounds. While the bank currently has a Lynden branch, its services were split between an agricultural loan center in Bender Plaza and a full-service branch and mortgage department on the Guide Meridian.
“It’s always been the bank’s strategy to go in there,” said Philippe Swaab, the bank’s executive vice president. “I think that the facility we’re in now has proven that we have the support of the community.”
Swaab said they were looking for a bigger space with a drive-up facility. The bank is hoping to open the doors to its new location sometime in August.
Jeff Johnson, one of four partners in the Bellingham-based Pacific Crest Partners, said they bought and developed the bank’s Front Street site to be used for three commercial lots and one residential lot. While their office is in Bellingham, Johnson said three of the partners live in Lynden.
“We thought it would be fun to do the development,” he said.
Johnson sees Lynden as a potential hotspot for new businesses, particularly those in the service industry.
“I think the town’s growing, there’s a lot of opportunity there,” he said. “The city is investing in the infrastructure. “For what I’d call service related businesses, I think it’s a real interesting opportunity.”
Johnson cites the quality of life in Lynden above all else as a reason for its growth.
“It’s a real attractive place for people to live,” he said. “It’s not that far to get to Bellingham.”
Among other projects in the region, Pacific Crest Partners is also developing “Bradley Fields,” a 56-lot subdivision at the southeast corner of Line and Bradley roads.
One business that recently elected to stay in Lynden rather than relocate is the 37-year-old Brim Tractor Co. The company sold its property along the Guide Meridian to Rite Aid last January. With several options for a new outlet, the store recently bought property on the west side of Duffner Drive, Reimer said.

Taking tourism to the next level
While more than 200,000 people flock to the Northwest Washington Fair for a week in August each year, Lynden also has a steady train of events that includes last month’s popular Holland Days and the Washington State Chess Championships in April, which drew about 4,000 people to the area.
“The city itself attracts its share of visitors,” Reimer said. She said that most people visit Lynden for daytrips and stay in nearby Bellingham or across the border, but the addition of 30 rooms at the Homestead Farms Golf Resort & Convention Center could help change that.
The “Farmhouse Hotel” opened in June and will accommodate large group gatherings for weddings and other events. In a town where the only other options are the Lynden Dutch Village Inn, the Windmill Inn or camping, 30 premium rooms is a big deal.
“I see the effect of tourism in not just the small retail shops, but that money also gets spent in our gas stations, restaurants and grocery stores,” Reimer said.
Besides the abundance of events and Canadians crossing the border to fill up their gas tanks, Lynden is also drawing visitors because of agricultural tourism options.
“It’s a neat extra component that Lynden has to offer,” Reimer said.
As the agricultural hub of Whatcom County and one of the leading raspberry producers in the world, Lynden offers many “u-pick” options for visitors seeking a fresh experience. Farms such as Edaleen Dairy on the Guide Meridian offer cheese, ice cream, milk and other dairy products from their on-site milking facilities. Many other smaller farms are recognizing this niche and offering a wide variety of farm-fresh products from Alpaca fiber to hazelnuts.

Looking to the future
With the new fee breaks for commercial and industrial development, strong dairy and berry prices, a booming residential real estate market and forthcoming downtown renovations, Lynden has a healthy foreseeable economic future. Because much of the commercial space is currently filled, the city’s move to increase commercial infrastructure could prove vital to the area’s employment base, further distancing it from becoming a bedroom community for Bellingham.
“We’re on a really aggressive push toward getting the city established,” Reimer said.
As the city approved its 20-year comprehensive plan update in April, it was in the rare position of actually having enough space within city limits to accommodate the projected growth numbers. But because the community is so closely tied to their agricultural lands, the city will continue to face the challenge of preserving farmland while accommodating growth.
“We’re more than an agricultural community, although it’s a very large and needed part of Lynden,” Louws said.