The Editor:
I love Blaine! How wonderful it is when my visitors also love Blaine. I had the pleasure of entertaining some long-time friends from Colorado who have recently moved to the PNW. They have been seeing my Facebook posts about The Railway Cafe and were so anxious to visit Vicka. I was amazed at how many freshly baked pastries they shared.
We then took a pleasant stroll down Peace Portal, passing the oyster bar which wasn’t quite open for business; however, they got to see how nice the new structure is. Then on to check out the new visitor center, the taco truck and Starbucks. It was a bit early for Edaleen but they had experienced it the last time they visited.
On our return walk home they kept remarking on how neat and clean everything looked and I mentioned that we have a street sweeper that makes regular rounds. I hope you all take a look around you when you are out walking and appreciate just what a great little place Blaine by the sea really is.
Sandie Miller
Blaine
The Editor:
Blaine Primary School has raised over $10,000 for the American Heart Association! That is amazing! I am so proud to be a part of this community! Thank you to all who supported this fundraising effort.
Shannon Nevarez, Blaine Primary School physical education teacher
Blaine
The Editor:
At the May 13 city council “work session,” Michael Jones used 27 of the planned 30-minute session to “explain” why city council ordinance 15-2872 was adopted. This ordinance removed Cannery Hill and West Semiahmoo from the Resort Semiahmoo Master Plan. I am the resident who requested the council direct staff to draft an amendment to rescind that improperly, and perhaps illegally, approved ordinance.
Mr. Jones’ condescending assertions that “people don’t remember” or “weren’t in the conversation” or are confused that RSMP means SRA, are wrong. We are not confused. We can read. His job is to provide transparent information to city council and answer the questions.
Where is the evidence that adding the Woodberry plat to the excluded PUDs was done properly and transparently? We still haven’t seen it. Why were substantial waivers granted to Woodberry, including an inadequate 20-foot buffer zone along Semiahmoo Parkway? The RSMP specifies a minimum 30 feet and the original deed requires a “perpetual” 100-foot buffer to preserve this unique scenic parkway. This is not about the SRA; this is about protecting one of Blaine’s most scenic natural assets. Our concern is that future small, piecemeal developments along the parkway (like Woodberry) will use this precedent (in fact already are), until the parkway is destroyed. All residents of Blaine, visitors who walk or drive the parkway and businesses that benefit from the scenic beauty of this area, should be concerned too.
Given only about three minutes for questions, councilperson Steward quickly got to the point: “Why was Woodberry appended to this ordinance?” Mr. Jones used up the remaining time to skillfully avoid answering the question. The real answer may lie in the seven memos that were withheld from my request of public records because of “attorney-client privilege.” I request that the city council review these memos, draw their own conclusions, and share these conclusions publicly. I request the city council re-read my statement and continue the process to rescind the ordinance, reinstating the deleted areas back into the RSMP, and the RSMP be strengthened, not watered down.
Rick Beauregard
Blaine
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