Drayton Harbor development project approved for next step

By Alyssa Evans

A proposed 39-lot subdivision located along Drayton Harbor received its first round of approvals from the Blaine City Council during a regular meeting on July 10.

Applicant Jim Wong has five years to begin construction of the infrastructure on the project, which goes by the name Drayton Reach II. The land is located at the south end of Dodd Street. Street names, for example, still require approval from the city council and will be presented at a later date in the form of a final plat application.

The applicant intends to construct 39 single-family homes on 10.5 acres. Within the subdivision, there will be three cul-de-sacs, along with new sidewalks and updated streets. Beach access, a park on the water and trails are also included in the plan.

During the regular meeting, Blaine mayor Harry Robinson voiced concern about the amount of open space within the center of the development and lack of play structures for young residents in the neighborhood.

“I’m kind of disappointed that there aren’t more opportunities for children,” Robinson said. “There are going to obviously be homes that have children and it would be nice if they created some space for the future.”

Currently, Heron’s Pond Community Park sits in a neighboring lot located at 2435 Baldwin Place. The park includes a basketball park, benches, trails and other equipment.

In June, the Blaine Planning Commission unanimously voted to recommend the city approve the applicant’s preliminary plans, which are part of a larger project called Drayton Reach. The original project was approved in 2005 and construction began in 2008 on 54 lots. However, 39 remained undeveloped and the 2005 approval expired in 2015.

After Homestead Northwest Development Company, the original property owner, filed for bankruptcy, Whatcom-Skagit Housing purchased the lot and later sold the 39-lot subdivision to Wong. It’s one of the last un-platted pieces of property in central Blaine.