BELLINGHAM, Wash. --  Bellingham lawmakers have approved new building height requirements for Fairhaven that basically match current building heights in the historic neighborhood.

City Council member Michael Lilliquist says they wanted to allow the tallest buildings possible without overshadowing the existing historic buildings.



The new Fairhaven Neighborhood and Urban Village Plan allows building heights up to 66 feet, with heights capped at 56 feet in Fairhaven's Historic Commercial Core.

The plan also requires design features in Fairhaven's Historic Core to match existing buildings.

The new limits would allow Haggen to build up to 56  feet at its Fairhaven location, which was previously capped at 54 feet.