July 7 - 13, 2016
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Community Newspaper of Blaine and Birch Bay HHHECRWSSHHH Postal Customer
IN THIS
ISSUE
Ferndale farmer dies in parade accident, page 2
Blaine quilter attracts national attention, page 6
PRSRT STD U. S. Postage PAID Permit NO. 87 Blaine, WA 98230
Health and wellness special section, page 8-9
Blaine’s Old-Fashioned Fourth of July Planning commission approves accessory dwellings By Oliver Lazenby
(See ADUs, page 2)
s A highlight of Blaine’s 2016 July 4th parade was the “Proud to Support our Troops” float recognizing active and past service members of the U.S. Armed Forces. Subway sponsored the float. More Independence Day photos on pages 14 and 15.
Photo by Louise Mugar
Few changes made to Blaine transportation plan By Oliver Lazenby Blaine City Council approved an update to the city’s six-year transportation plan with few changes from last year’s update. The plan, called the Transportation Improvement Program (TIP), must be updated yearly to comply with state law. It serves as a planning document for the city and projects on the list are eligible for certain state and
federal funds. Several projects that are under construction or being designed are no longer on the list, Bullock said. Like last year, the highest priority project is a reconfiguration of the I-5 exit 274 interchange. “That’s actually a DOT project, but it’s very important to the city,” said city assistant public works director Bill Bullock. The plan includes about 20 projects, which is way more than the city will get to in the next six years, said city assistant
CBP supervisor arrested after fireworks explosion By Oliver Lazenby A Customs and Border Protection supervisor who works in Blaine went to jail after getting drunk, blowing up a garage, and injuring three people in a fireworks accident at a Fourth of July party. Whatcom County sheriff’s deputies were dispatched to a party on the 3700 block of Spring Coulee Road north of Bellingham on July 4 at 9:47 p.m. after receiv-
ing reports of a fire and injuries at a party. Witnesses at the party reported that Detlef Goellner, 52, was drunk and acting out of control. He was throwing firework “poppers” at people in the yard and then entered the garage where a “neatly stacked collection of fireworks” was set on a table. After throwing more poppers at the ground, Goellner grabbed a mortar-style firework from the stack, according to witnesses interviewed by deputies.
Partygoers told Goellner to “stop” and “calm down,” and someone shouted “Don’t light that!” Goellner lit it and hurled it outside, according to the sheriff’s office. Sparks from the mortar ignited the entire stack, which then exploded before bystanders could get away; about 15 people were within 10 feet of the explosion when it happened, (See CBP, page 3)
public works director Bill Bullock. But having those projects on the TIP allows the city to chase funding for them if new grants become available, Bullock said. “We’ll stick things on the plan that we want to be lined up for, even though they probably won’t be funded in the next six years unless some new pot of money becomes available,” Bullock said. The current draft of the plan is online, (See TIP, page 2)
INSIDE
Opinions were split at a June 23 public hearing on a zoning change that would allow cottages, mother-in-law apartments, and other so-called accessory dwelling units – any kind of attached or detached structure with all essential living quarters, including a kitchen and bathroom, that’s separate from the primary residence – in new areas of Blaine. Some welcomed the possibility to build a secondary dwelling on their property for aging relatives, adult children or to rent out for extra money. An equal number of people, however, worried about an increase in density and traffic, and the effect the amendment would have on property values. After the hearing, the planning commission approved accessory dwelling units as a conditional use, which means each building permit will have to go through review by the planning committee and require a hearing. The amendment would allow secondary dwellings in neighborhoods zoned as residential low-density. That includes the area north of H Street between State Route 543 and 8th Street, parts of the neighborhood east of Peace Portal Drive and Bell Road in the Montfort Park neighborhood, and an area north of Lincoln Park. The matter needs approval by city council, which will likely consider it in the next couple of months, said city community planner Maddie Ottley. Council originally approved these secondary dwellings in some neighborhoods in 2011 in order to promote density in developed areas, encourage diverse housing options in the city and accommodate population growth. They’re currently allowed in neighborhoods zoned single family 1, single family 2 and planned residential. About five have
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