Birch Bay sign now a nostalgic piece at The Beach at Birch Bay

Longtime Blaine and Birch Bay residents will recognize new décor at The Beach at Birch Bay. The longstanding, yellow arrow “Birch Bay” sign that used to be at Peace Portal Drive just north of the Bell Road intersection is now mounted on the north wall of the bar’s patio area.

Randall Sheriff, co-owner of The Beach at Birch Bay, said he worked out a deal with the Birch Bay Chamber of Commerce for the sign that only required him paying to take it down. Chamber event coordinator Sacha Sanguinetti said the chamber still owns the sign but did not know the reason for it being taken down. 

The Birch Bay Resort Association purchased the sign before the mid-1970s, Sanguinetti said which was when the association effectively became the chamber of commerce. Sheriff said he remembers seeing the sign in the 1960s, when his parents used to take him up to Birch Bay as a kid.

“It’s a piece of nostalgia,” Sheriff said. “As we find things, we like to keep the past of Birch Bay involved [at The Beach].”

Sheriff said he has lived in Birch Bay for nearly 20 years and opened The Beach eight years ago.

Between the chamber and Sheriff, little is known about the sign’s history and origin.

Sheriff said he is trying to find out more information about the sign – like who made it and when – to put on a commemorative plaque at The Beach. The bar hosted around 600 people for live music last weekend, he said, and the sign was a conversation piece.

Sheriff said he might move the sign onto the roof of Beach Cat Brewing, which is also part of The Beach’s building, to make it visible to traffic on Birch Bay Drive.