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Community Newspaper of Blaine and Birch Bay
December 6 - 12, 2018
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IN THIS
ISSUE
Have you seen Billy Joe Darwin? page 5
New coach for Blaine wrestling team, page 6
New doctor in Write a letter to Santa, page 7 Birch Bay, page 11
PRSRT STD U. S. Postage PAID Permit NO. 87 Blaine, WA 98230
Tax exemption Blaine shines bright during Holiday Harbor Lights could spur downtown development B y S t e fa n i e D o n a h u e
(See Tax, page 2)
s G Street Plaza was full with onlookers during the annual Holiday Harbor Lights tree lighting ceremony on December 1. “Everything just went really well,” said Blaine community tourism and development coordinator Debbie Harger. More photos of Holiday Harbor Lights on page 8-9. Photo by Aly Siemion
Ericksen, Van Werven come out ahead in now-certified recount B y S t e fa n i e D o n a h u e Hand recounts for two 42nd legislative district races concluded this week and resulted in victories for incumbent state senator Doug Ericksen (R) and state representative Luanne Van Werven (R). The Whatcom County Canvassing Board certified the results on December 5. Election division staff began the mandatory hand recounts on November 29. In the race for state senate, Ericksen
won with 45 votes over opponent Pinky Vargas (D). Van Werven, who was running for state representative, position 1, won with 81 votes over opponent, Justin Boneau, chief deputy auditor Diana Bradrick said after the meeting. Ericksen and Van Werven will join Sharon Shewmake (D) in representing constituents in the 42nd legislative district. Shewmake won the state representative, position 2 race with 981 votes over her opponent Vincent Buys (R). She received 36,704
Port to get $1.75 million for harbor cleanup in settlement By Oliver Lazenby The Port of Bellingham took a step toward starting a $6 million cleanup project at Blaine Harbor after securing $1.75 million through a settlement with a former tenant. On November 20, Port of Bellingham commissioners approved the settlement with the estate of Carl Westman and its insurance company over contamination at Westman’s boatyard business, Westman Industrial Co., operated at Blaine Harbor from 1976 to 1989 on a property now
known as the Westman Marine Site. Port commissioners touted the settlement as a success at the November 20 commission meeting. The amount, $1.75 million, is the limit of the estate’s insurance, and the most the port was likely to get, officials said. “The port is going to do these cleanups, we’ve got to do these cleanups, but this money helps make it possible so we’re still able to do other things that are economically development focused, that are housing focused,” said port commissioner
Michael Shepard. The port and Washington State Department of Ecology (DOE) began investigating the site in 2013 and identified pollutants at concentrations that require cleanup under the state’s Model Toxics Control Act. Contaminants include arsenic, copper, zinc, tributyltin and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons. The substances are likely from sandblasting, hull painting and other boatyard (See Port, page 3)
votes (50.68 percent), while Buys, an incumbent, received 35,723 votes (49.32 percent). Bradrick said Ericksen received 36,338 votes (49.93 percent), while Vargas received 36,293 votes (49.87 percent) in the race for state senate. Van Werven received 36,242 votes (49.99 percent), while Boneau received 36,161 votes (49.88 percent) in the race for state representative, position 1. The percentages listed above account for write-in candidates. The legislative session begins on January 14.
INSIDE
The city is considering a new property tax exemption to help spur multi-family residential development in the downtown core. “The multi-family tax exemption is something that’s newly available to us here in Whatcom County due to some changes in state law,” said city manager Michael Jones in a presentation to the Port of Bellingham board of commissioners on November 20. The Port of Bellingham retains a portion of the property taxes collected by the city. “It allows cities to designate target areas where they wish to incentivize multi-family residential development.” Per Washington state law (RCW 84.14), certain cities can lift the requirement for property owners to pay property taxes on the added value of a multi-family residential development for up to 12 years within a targeted area. Jones said the city of Blaine intends to target an area within the Central Business District (CBD), which encompasses downtown, residential areas and the harbor. There are several undeveloped and underdeveloped properties in that area, particularly on the west side of Peace Portal Drive. “We’re interested in stimulating multi-family housing [development] because having people living in downtown is integral to having a dynamic and active downtown which supports the businesses and services,” Jones said. If approved by Blaine City Council, the tax exemption would allow for an eight-year exemption for multi-family development or a twelve-year exemption for multi-family development that includes an affordable housing component within the targeted area.
Letters . . . . . . . . . 4 Sports . . . . . . . . . . 6 Classifieds . . . . . 12
Coming Up . . . . . 14
Police . . . . . . . . . 14 Tides . . . . . . . . . . 14
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