Virtual H Street annexation public hearing scheduled Monday, January 10

 Blaine City Council is set to hold a virtual public hearing on the H Street Road annexation 6 p.m. Monday, January 10. The public hearing will discuss the proposed annexation of 3.2 acres in east Blaine comprised of two properties located at 4455 H Street Road and 2221 Cedarwood Lane.

In November 2020, landowner Patrick Rooney submitted an annexation request to the city for his 4455 H Street property. Along with Rooney’s request, the city included a neighboring property at 2221 Cedarwood Lane where the landowner had given the city permission to annex the property in a 2002 utility agreement. 

The H Street Road annexation was brought before city council in January 2021 and quickly received harsh push back from the Cedarwood Lane property owner and neighbors. Critics have argued in public meetings that an annexed property could lead way to future development, but city staff have said that concern is beyond the purview of the annexation request. 

In May, council unanimously approved moving forward in the annexation process. But in mid-August, council directed city staff to fix procedural irregularities in the H Street annexation proposal that might have led to it being rejected by the Whatcom County boundary review board, which will ultimately decide whether to approve it. If city council decides to approve the annexation request following the public hearing, the request will then go before the board. 

Comment at the public hearing may not exceed five minutes.

Written comments will also be accepted for the public hearing. Written comments should be emailed to community development director Stacie Pratschner with the subject line “H Street Road Annexation” before 4:30 p.m. Monday, January 10. The message should be included in the email and not as an attachment. 

The public hearing will be streamed online. To access the virtual public hearing, visit cityofblaine.com. The meeting link will be posted three days before the meeting.

For more information, email Pratschner at spratschner@cityofblaine.com or call 360/332-8311.