A developer applied for a permit to demolish Richmond Resort, an RV and manufactured home park at 8086 Birch Bay Drive, and build three apartment buildings with 37-39 total units. Photo by Oliver Lazenby
By Oliver Lazenby
A developer plans to demolish Richmond Resort, an RV and manufactured home park at 8086 Birch Bay Drive in order to build three apartment buildings with up to 39 units. Whatcom County is accepting comments on the proposed project, called Sunset Bay Apartments, until Friday, July 20.
The 2.54-acre property, which is just north of Birch Bay Drive’s intersection with Harborview Road, currently has a total of 52 trailers and manufactured homes, according to the conditional use application submitted to Whatcom County.
Plans for the property call for 37-39 units in three separate buildings, 69 parking spaces in first floor garages and outside, and a looped access driveway and parking lot. A three-story building along Birch Bay Drive would have 27 units and be 30-feet tall, a building in the northern corner of the property would be 35-feet tall with 10 units, and a building in the eastern corner would be 30-feet tall with two units, according to the site plan submitted to Whatcom County.
Property owner Steve Taberner couldn’t be reached for comment by press time. Tony Freeland of Bellingham engineering firm Tony Freeland & Associates submitted the applications for the project.
According to the application, “the proposed buildings will be modern in design with windows, balconies, and perimeter landscaping to improve aesthetic impacts.”
The owner hopes to finish permitting this summer and start construction in fall or early 2019, according to the shoreline substantial development application.
To learn more about the proposed project and to see the application documents, visit
Submit comments to Whatcom County senior planner Amy Keenan at AKeenan@co.whatcom.wa.us.
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