Blaine Planning Commission waits to vote on building height recommendation

Blaine Planning Commission has pushed a vote on whether to recommend increasing downtown building heights by one story on the west side of Peace Portal Drive for the second time, due to low commissioner attendance.

Several planning commissioners said during their September 12 meeting they felt the vote was too important to do with three of the seven commissioners not there.

Commissioner Kevin Owens asked Blaine Community Development Services director Alex Wenger to ensure everyone could make the next meeting, and if not, if they could schedule a special meeting to vote. Wenger said he would do his best to ensure all commissioners would be at the Thursday, October 10 meeting.

The proposal would allow building heights to increase 12 feet, from 36 to 48 feet, with building appurtenances and recreational amenities, such as elevator towers, allowed to exceed that limit. The increase would be in the waterview subdistrict on the west side of Peace Portal Drive, running south of F Street to north of Clark Street.

Planning commission held its second public hearing on the building heights at the meeting, with three people speaking and seven people total in the audience. The commission then formally closed the hearing.

Commissioner Jennifer Plombon said she was against increasing building heights because of feedback from residents and she believed Blaine needed to focus on affordable housing. She said she was concerned there would be empty storefronts because building luxury condominiums would make rent too high for businesses.

Owens said he didn’t think the commission was equipped to predict the real estate market and that if a developer was willing to invest millions, they’d be confident that they’d have financial success. He added commission was nitpicking because the increase was only one floor and that it was unrealistic to think affordable housing would go on the west side of Peace Portal Drive.

Commissioner Donald Kruse said when he was growing up the water view wasn’t visible as most of the west side of Peace Portal Drive was built up. He said people have become accustomed to having a view after those buildings came down, including him, but also questioned if the one story increase to the current city code made much of a difference.

Commissioner Jerry Marczynski said the commission wasn’t being asked to vote on affordable housing, and increasing building heights could potentially create affordable housing in other areas.

Commissioners James Bring and Colin Hawkins were excused and commission chair Calvin Armerding was absent at the September meeting.

After planning commission votes, its recommendation will go onto Blaine City Council for a final vote.