As a member of the MBNA I am trying to spread the word. It was only through my affiliation of the Barkley Business Association did I learn that I live and work with this neighborhood. The name never lead me to believe they were talking about my neck of the woods!
The name conjures up visions of snowy mountaintops and lush alpine meadows. Actually, the Mount Baker Neighborhood is nowhere near Mount Baker. Perhaps you are among the thousands who live, work, shop, or play in the Barkley District- which just happens to be a part of the Mount Baker Neighborhood (MBN). Bellingham's neighborhood designations were made over 30 years ago, and this area most likely got its name because the Mount Baker Highway that runs right through it. Our neighborhood is one of the largest in the city; bounded by the railroad trail to the south, I-5 to the west, Bakerview to the north, and the top of Barkley Hill to the east. 
The MBN is one of 23 neighborhood areas as designated by the City of Bellingham. Each of these neighborhoods has its own association, or citizen group, that looks out for the interests of its own residents, property owners and businesses. Neighborhood associations are important because the City has increasingly looked to these associations to help chart the course of City planning and policy.
Most Bellingham neighborhoods, such as Downtown, Fairhaven, Edgemoor, York, Alabama Hill, etc. are quite cohesive, and generally engage a good number of their constituents to participate and get involved. The MBN is different, garnering little interest and few participants in its meetings.
The problem with the MBN as it stands now is two-fold:
One, the area is too large and spread out, and will be growing larger with upcoming annexations to the north and continued residential growth. We are working with the City right now to split this monstrous neighborhood in two. Barkley area, and Sunset areas are the proposed thinking at this point.
Two, the name itself has no common historical basis. No one commonly refers to any area called the "Mount Baker Neighborhood".
Recently, many people have proposed renaming and splitting the neighborhood into a "Barkley" area and an "Irongate/King Mountain" area. This would address both of the issues mentioned above.
In a recent letter to the editor of the Bellingham Herald, Elaine Cook, who both lives and works in the MBN's Barkley District, expressed this same sentiment: "How can we create an emergency plan, and effectively implement it with such a large number of people over such a vast area? How can the issues of my (Barkley) neighborhood be the same as those of the Sunset, James Street or Bakerview neighborhoods?"
If you are interested in joining us in helpingthe City of Bellingham to give us a more manageable neighborhood area along with a better name, please attend the next quarterly meeting of theMBNA
So what's new in our neck of the woods.
