Bellingham Select Board Raises Recycling Mattress Fee, Flags Zoning Vacancy

BELLINGHAM — January 12, 2026 — Bellingham Select Board raised the recycling center's soiled-mattress disposal fee and flagged an urgent Zoning Board of Appeals vacancy at its January 12 meeting. The three-member board voted unanimously to increase the drop-off charge for soiled or wet mattresses from $40 to $60, reflecting higher costs from the town's pickup vendor, while noting that curbside alternatives run roughly $100 through private haulers. The board also approved late annual license renewals for a common victualer restaurant and a bulk storage permit at 170 Mechanic Street, submitted the required 2026 ABCC renewal certification after Lucille's Steakhouse declined to renew, and held the town's seasonal population increase estimate at 500. Town Manager Joe Gorman, four months into his tenure, reported the police station addition is in closeout, library attendance has surpassed pre-pandemic levels, and staff are in preliminary talks on two potential town-supported 40B housing projects — one tied to the site currently occupied by Workout World. The board and Gorman jointly issued a public call for a ZBA associate member after the appeals board lost quorum at a recent meeting; applications are due February 20.