July 13 - 19, 2017
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Community Newspaper of Blaine and Birch Bay HHHECRWSSHHH Postal Customer
IN THIS
ISSUE
Tourism grant applications are due August 4, page 5
Drayton Harbor development project approved for next step
BHS graduate to host new TV show, page 6
PRSRT STD U. S. Postage PAID Permit NO. 87 Blaine, WA 98230
Blaine school officials talk state budget, page 10
Local music festival strikes a chord with Blaine audiences
B y A ly s s a E va n s
s The Drayton Harbor Music Festival kicked off July 9 and lasts through July 15. To learn more, see page 15.
Conservation group purchases land in Birch Bay, aims to turn it into a park B y S t e fa n i e D o n a h u e After years of work and anticipation, the team at Whatcom Land Trust announced that they’ve purchased 11.5 acres of land in the Drayton Harbor Watershed in Birch Bay. Moving forward, they hope to secure additional grant funding and eventually turn it over to BlaineBirch Bay Park and Recreation District 2 for public use. The land is located at 4656 Drayton Harbor Road and contains a three-bedroom home and two sheds; it’s adjacent to where
California Creek drains into Drayton Harbor and offers access to the shore. The Whatcom Land Trust closed the sale on June 30 and paid $405,000 with a bridge loan from The Conservation Fund through its land conservation loan program, said Whatcom Land Trust conservation director Gabe Epperson. A number of partners also came forward to work with the land trust on the purchase, he said, including the BlaineBirch Bay Park and Recreation District 2 which stepped up as a willing partner and significant funding source. It’s the first time the land trust has lever-
Annual Birch Bay Sandcastle Contest enters its 34th year B y A ly s s a E va n s Mermaids, sea turtles, dragons and a flurry of other exciting sights will soon turn up on Birch Bay’s beach. The 34th annual Birch Bay Sand Sculpture Contest will take place on Saturday and Sunday, July 22–23, at 7930 Birch Bay Drive. On Saturday, participants will be divided into four groups: age 8 and younger, age 9 to 14, high school students and age 19 and above. Participants can work
Photo by Aidrien Wilkins
in teams of four to six people. Community groups such as businesses, churches and neighborhoods as well as families will compete Sunday. Community groups can consist of 10–15 people, while family groups can have seven to 15. Participants in the “little kids” category will receive participation awards. High school students will be eligible for gift cards to Paso del Norte. Additional prizes will be available for the top three sculptures in other categories.
A variety of vendors will also be present at the event. Vendor specialties will range from seafood to body art. Check-in begins at 9 a.m. The sand sculpture construction will follow from 10 a.m. until 3 p.m., when judging will occur; winners are announced at 4:30 p.m. Participation is free for those who pre-register online by July 21. The cost to register after July 21 is $10. More information about the event is available at birchbaychamber.com.
aged conservation funding to finance a land purchase, he said, but partnering with land owners, public agencies and corporations to manage the land once it has been acquired is nothing new for the Bellingham-based organization. Teddy Bear Cove and Point Whitehorn Marine Reserve, for example, were all acquired by Whatcom Land Trust and later transferred to various groups to manage, Epperson said. Whatcom County Land Trust has sought after the property since 2009. At the time, (See Park, page 3)
INSIDE
A proposed 39-lot subdivision located along Drayton Harbor received its first round of approvals from the Blaine City Council during a regular meeting on July 10. Applicant Jim Wong has five years to begin construction of the infrastructure on the project, which goes by the name Drayton Reach II. The land is located at the south end of Dodd Street. Street names, for example, still require approval from the city council and will be presented at a later date in the form of a final plat application. The applicant intends to construct 39 single-family homes on 10.5 acres. Within the subdivision, there will be three cul-de-sacs, along with new sidewalks and updated streets. Beach access, a park on the water and trails are also included in the plan. During the regular meeting, Blaine mayor Harry Robinson voiced concern about the amount of open space within the center of the development and lack of play structures for young residents in the neighborhood. “I’m kind of disappointed that there aren’t more opportunities for children,” Robinson said. “There are going to obviously be homes that have children and it would be nice if they created some space for the future.” Currently, Heron’s Pond Community Park sits in a neighboring lot located at 2435 Baldwin Place. The park includes a basketball park, benches, trails and other equipment. In June, the Blaine Planning Commission unanimously voted to recommend the city approve the applicant’s preliminary plans, which are part of a larger project called Drayton Reach. The original project was approved in 2005 and construction began in 2008 on 54 lots. However, 39 remained undeveloped and the 2005 approval expired in 2015. After Homestead Northwest Development Company, the original property owner, filed for bankruptcy, Whatcom-Skagit Housing purchased the lot and later sold the 39-lot subdivision to Wong. It’s one of the last un-platted pieces of property in central Blaine.
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