City of Blaine residents will soon decide whether they would like to de-annex a chunk of east Blaine, which would likely lead to the city overseeing high-density housing near Semiahmoo.
Blaine City Council unanimously voted 6-0 during its Blaine City Council meeting on July 14 to place a ballot measure in the November 4 election that will allow city voters to decide if they want to de-annex 573 acres of incorporated urban growth area (UGA) in east Blaine, 473 of which is the Grandis Pond property. The land size was previously estimated to be 552 acres.
“We’re trying to do the right thing and secure a housing supply for a very long time,” said Alex Wenger, director of the city’s Community Development Services Department, before the meeting. “We’re charting new territory with the de-annexation and UGA swap. It would be a heck of a lot easier to stick to the status quo.”
Grandis Pond was once slated to be one of the largest housing developments in the county, bringing over 1,100 residential units. However, east Blaine residents Kevin Keck and Rebeka Ruiz-Lembo purchased the property in December 2023 and don’t have plans to develop it as densely. Keck has publicly said he supports the de-annexation.
Without dense housing planned in Grandis Pond, where the city has been planning future growth, city planners crafted a new plan. City staff brought a new idea to council last fall that would de-annex the east Blaine property, which was initially annexed into the city in 1996. De-annexing the property would require a 60 percent supermajority vote.
Wenger said the city could be the first in the state to de-annex this amount of land, which would shrink the size of the city.
If the ballot measure passes, city staff would then like to swap the land lost in the de-annexation with 453 acres of unincorporated UGA near Semiahmoo and 539 acres of connected UGA reserve in Semiahmoo that could be annexed in the future.
The proposed land for the west Blaine UGA has only two property owners, Jun Yu Development LLC and Ocean View Farms LLC. Wenger said both owners have indicated support of the city’s plan, and wouldn’t need to go before voters.
The city’s plan also includes adding 124 acres of unincorporated UGA in southeast Blaine that city officials would like to zone for manufacturing. Lastly, the city would like to remove 37 acres of the Harbor Shores property, an unincorporated UGA near Drayton Harbor.
The UGA swap would only occur if de-annexation passes, Wenger said.
The plan has drawn concern from Birch Bay residents, while city officials have argued that it will be better for the environment to move development away from the aquifer in east Blaine.
If the de-annexation passes, city officials hope to include the UGA swap in the city and Whatcom County’s comprehensive plans, 20-year planning documents due to the state by the end of the year.
Clarification: This article was updated August 5 to clarify that de-annexation of east Blaine would likely lead to the city overseeing high-density housing in Semiahmoo.
