Legislators appropriate $500,000 for east Blaine infrastructure

In the recently approved biennial state budget, an additional $500,000 was appropriated for the east Blaine infrastructure project. The project includes the construction of water, sewer and electricity utility mains to serve planned housing developments in east Blaine.

In the 2019 legislative session, the city of Blaine requested $2 million to complete the design and construction of the infrastructure project, which is intended to be the catalyst for private developers to proceed with the construction of three approved housing developments totaling more than 1,400 units and 48,000 square feet of neighborhood and commercial space.

However, because only $500,000 was appropriated this year, construction of the full length of the utility infrastructure will have to wait until complete funding is arranged. But the project is already underway, with phase one aiming to reach Harvey Road this summer.

The three approved housing developments in east Blaine are known as Grandis Pond, East Maple Ridge and Bridges Plat. Grandis Pond was approved in 2011 and was recently granted an extension by city council. It is owned by Grandis Pond, LLC and the approval is set to expire on June 1, 2020.

East Maple Ridge was approved in 2010 and was granted an extension by city council in 2018. It is owned by Douglas and Louise Connelly, and the approval is set to expire on July 26. Meanwhile, Bridges Plat was approved in 2010 and was granted an extension in 2018. It is owned by Lloyd Ford and is set to expire on August 23. Construction is currently taking place at Bridges.

Totaling an estimated $6.2 million, the full infrastructure project will extend 3,200 feet of 15-inch wastewater main from Bridges Plat through East Maple Ridge Plat, and 7,000 feet of 12-inch wastewater main to the west boundary of Grandis Pond Plat. The project will also extend 3,000 feet of 12-inch water main from East Maple Ridge Plat to the west boundary of Grandis Pond, and electrical infrastructure for 11,000 feet from Odell Street to the west boundary of Grandis Pond.

The project is meant to trigger the construction of the three housing developments, which is expected to generate significant sales and property tax revenue.

“This project and the housing developments that occur as a direct result will capitalize on Blaine’s current strengths and its importance to the state, region and country as an international gateway for people and freight,” read Blaine’s 2018 proposal to the state legislature. “Development of the area is central to increasing the city’s tax base and population, both of which are needed to attract industry, commerce and the jobs that come with them.”

Prior to submitting its 2018 request to the state, the city of Blaine pursued other options, contacting the managers of nine state and federal capital funding programs to discuss the project. However, in each case, state and federal funders found this project either ineligible or uncompetitive, or said it would require the repayment of debt service costs beyond the city’s current capacity.

The city has already embarked on the infrastructure project. During the previous legislative session, $1.2 million was allocated by the state. This enabled the city to proceed with phase one of the project, which extends the utility infrastructure to Harvey Road. “With the funding that we have, we should get to Harvey Road this year,” said Ravyn Whitewolf, Blaine’s public works director. “We were asking for additional funding to hopefully get all the way to Grandis Pond. I don’t think the $500,000 we received is going to get us all the way to Grandis Pond unless we secure good bids.”

Of the three developments, Grandis Pond is located the farthest east. It is also the largest of the developments, comprised of more than 1,000 residential lots. By comparison, East Maple Ridge will be comprised of about 350 lots, while Bridges Plat will have 40 lots.

The city of Blaine was able to receive state funding thanks, in part, to the efforts of consultants at Gordon Thomas Honeywell, who were retained to meet with state legislators, monitor the progress of the funding bills and serve as an interface between the city and legislators. In the 2018 legislative session, the city received $1.2 million which, combined with developer and city funds, is what is funding the improvements this summer.

A team from the city also met with state representatives during the legislative session. Held annually during the legislative session, and hosted by the Association of Washington Cities (AWC), AWC City Action Days allowed city management and councilmembers to go to Olympia to educate state legislators on this project, among others.

Besides the state funding, the city of Blaine also paid for a part of the infrastructure project on its own. According to Whitewolf, the city funded the portion of the project that runs through Lincoln Park, representing about 1,500 linear feet of sewer. “We decided since there was existing sewer up to Lincoln Park on E Street, we would just extend from there,” said Whitewolf. “We felt that even though it was a difficult decision by our city council, if we could just get the sewer through the park, then private development would be stimulated.”

The Lincoln Park portion of the infrastructure project was funded by the city’s wastewater capital fund, which is intended for major capital improvements to the wastewater utility. It is supported by a variety of sources, including a capital reserve in the fund, general connection fees and rate revenue.

Overall, more than 10,000 linear feet of sewer will be built as part of the east Blaine infrastructure project. “Our hope this summer is to construct close to 6,000 of that,” said Whitewolf.