Inverness developers host community meeting

About 40 residents gathered in Semiahmoo Resort for the May 25 community meeting on Inverness, an upcoming Semiahmoo subdivision set to bring 88 single-family and townhomes. A few others attended by Zoom.

Craig Parkinson, of Cascade Engineering Group, hosted the community conference with Jeff Habersetzer, chief operating officer of Harbor Custom Development (HCD), a Gig Harbor-based company developing the 37-acre area directly north of Semiahmoo Parkway. HCD is also developing the 400-unit Horizon at Semiahmoo subdivision across the parkway from Inverness, and is in contract to purchase Grandis Pond, an upcoming 1,000-unit east Blaine neighborhood.

HCD hosted the meeting to gather community feedback as a beginning stage in the development process. Meeting presenters were faced with less pushback than the Semiahmoo Highlands community meeting on March 30, which brought over 100 residents concerned with the 480-unit development. Parkinson is also Semiahmoo Highlands’ civil engineer.

The development falls within city of Blaine jurisdiction, between Snow Goose Lane and Shintaffer Road. The subdivision will fall within Semiahmoo Resort Association and some homes will back up to the Semiahmoo golf course. Habersetzer said the development will likely have a couple of builders and will follow standard Semiahmoo signage, gates and other branding.

Inverness proposed to have 65 single-family residences in the neighborhood meeting notice, but Parkinson said that number would be closer to 88 and likely include attached townhomes. Habersetzer said he expected homes along the golf course to be larger and around $1-1.5 million, homes in the middle of the subdivision could be $700,000-900,000 and the townhomes could be $600,000-$700,000. Developers expect Inverness to attract older residents.

Once approved, Parkinson said he expects the subdivision to be ready for construction summer of 2023.

Community members questioned adequate traffic assessments for the subdivision that will have one split entrance across from Horizon and one emergency exit. 

North Whatcom Fire and Rescue commissioner Bruce Ansell, an audience member, answered another resident’s question on whether Inverness would create enough revenue to fund Station 62 located on Semiahmoo Parkway. It would not, he said.

Residents asked for more information on stormwater management after the historic flooding last November.

Semiahmoo resident Trevor Hoskins raised concerns on traffic flow, keeping the golf course pristine and ensuring trees will not be stripped if the development fails. Hoskins has also questioned quick, large-scale development at the past two Blaine City Council meetings.

Hoskins said he was pleased how the meeting went and thought the right questions were asked. He said his biggest concerns are with water runoff and city council’s lack of acknowledgement after public comments.

“Blaine and Semiahmoo are superb places to live but they’re probably the only places in the state of Washington to have room for development and I hope it doesn’t happen too much, too quickly,” Hoskins said. “I recognize the council does have a tough job but I believe it’s going to get tougher.”