Blaine development skyrockets in 2022

If 2022 has shaped up to be one thing, it’s a successful year in terms of development within the city of Blaine. So much so, in fact, that the city had reached six months of budgeted revenue from building permit fees by the end of February. 

Stacie Pratschner, community development director for the city of Blaine, attributed much of the success to the city council and city manager for policy decisions such as code amendments that support growth.

“We’re way ahead,” Blaine city manager Michael Jones said during the last city council meeting. “That goes to show we’re seeing a lot more development activity than we anticipated.” 

This means the city received $300,000 so far in building permit fees, half of the city’s budgeted permit fee revenue to go into the 2022 general fund that supports city services such as police and parks. Anticipated construction is valued at nearly $5 million. 

“Let’s say we keep this pace and we have six times what we expected in this year, the general fund will have greater revenue and will give city council options for how they might budget for using that revenue in the future,” Jones said.

City councilmember Eric Davidson cautioned council to not take the unanticipated revenue as a greenlight for unnecessary spending. Just because 2022 is an anomaly for development doesn’t mean the trend will keep up the pace in future years, he said.

There’s plenty to track. McDonald’s and Taco Bell are on target with the city permitting process to open for business in the fall, although Pratschner said this could be delayed because of supply chain and labor challenges. Harbor Hills, formerly known as East Maple Ridge, broke ground on construction on what will eventually bring 350 units between Jerome Street and North Harvey Road.

Construction has also started in Woodberry, which will bring 29 homes to Semiahmoo, and phase two of Drayton Reach’s 39-unit Montfort Park neighborhood. Grandis Pond has its preliminary plat approved and needs to submit its construction plan application before it can get started on almost 400 homes in its first phase, Pratschner said.

Semiahmoo can expect more homes and retail spaces as well. A 480-unit neighborhood called Semiahmoo Highlands is in the preliminary development planning stage. The 353-acre project will be split almost evenly between city of Blaine and Whatcom County land with single-family lots, townhomes and multi-family buildings creating a cohesive design between both the city and county areas, according to a city of Blaine public notice on the project. Retail and commercial spaces are planned as well as open space and trails through forested areas and wetlands. Schools and health-related facilities could also be developed on the county land, which is an R-5 zoning district.

Semiahmoo Highlands will be across from Semiahmoo Parkway, northwest of Horizon at Semiahmoo, west of Bay Ridge Estates and north of Birch Bay Village. The first phase of development on city land will be 40 single-family homes and retail space across from the Semiahmoo Golf and Country Club, according to the city’s public notice.

The city of Blaine will hold a community conference to go over the Semiahmoo Highlands’ preliminary development plan at 7 p.m. Wednesday, March 30 in the Semiahmoo Resort’s Blakely room, 9565 Semiahmoo Parkway.

A 53-unit multifamily townhome project called Lincoln Mews will soon provide additional housing directly behind the Cost Cutter plaza, between Ludwick Avenue and Odell Road on H Street. Lincoln Mews developers submitted conditional use permit requests to the city in February for the 4.7-acre site that will mostly be duplexes and a few triplexes. There will be road access to Ludwick Avenue and Odell Road as well as a sidewalk along Ludwick Avenue and H Street.

Blaine Food Bank submitted a conditional use permit request to the city for an addition to the food bank at 500 C Street.

Construction has started for Ferndale-based Pioneer Post Frame’s new industrial building that will have four live-work units at 2900 Peace Portal Drive. The project comes after city council approved zoning changes last August that allowed live-work units in the manufacturing zoning district subzone B, located in the southern end of the city.

An additional 408 new housing units and a downtown boutique hotel could also come to Blaine, as indicated from pre-application meetings the city had with prospective developers this month, Pratschner said.

Anticipated construction from the building permit is valued at $5 million, Pratschner said.

“It’s always challenging because we can’t predict every factor,” she said. “I anticipate the level of interest will remain the same.”