Port of Bellingham commissioners addressed the lack of fuel services in Blaine Harbor at their February 4 meeting, nearly six months after being presented with a petition asking the port to restore the services lost after the closure of Blaine Marina, Inc, in 2015.
In August, Dream Boat Company owner Randall Parten sent a petition with about 70 signatures to the port asking it to restore fuel services in Blaine Harbor and request Semiahmoo Marina Condominium Association (SMCA) to honor its promise of offering fuel discounts to Blaine Harbor tenants. In the petition, Parten wrote that Semiahmoo Marina, as a private entity, banned him and Western Yacht Systems owner David Rasmussen from buying fuel and offering commercial services at the marina. Parten told the port that it was a public safety issue as his company also offers towing and marine rescue. Parten and Rasmussen also filed a lawsuit against SMCA alleging unlawful trade and monopoly, among other complaints.
Currently, there is only one fuel option in Squalicum Harbor in Bellingham and at the Point Roberts Marina.
Port executive director Rob Fix and commissioner Bobby Briscoe made it clear during the commission’s regular February 4 meeting that the port couldn’t add a fuel dock until an environmental cleanup of the Westman Marine site at Blaine Harbor was finished. Port staff are lobbying to secure state funding for the project, expected to cost at least $14 million, but the state is facing significant budget challenges for the 2025-27 biennium.
“It doesn’t matter what we decide or could do, nothing is going to happen until the cleanup is done, and that’s two years out,” Briscoe said.
Port staff and commissioners considered putting Blaine Harbor fueling as an agenda item for its February 18 meeting, but decided they didn’t have solid options to put forward.
“Monetarily, we’re constrained, and it’s a pretty big undertaking,” Briscoe said. “It’s not just the fuel dock. It’s where are you going to put the fuel dock? How are you going to get it there? The cost. Is somebody going to run it or are we going to run it? There’s a lot to be discussed internally.”
Briscoe continued, “I understand the frustration. Believe me, I do. But this isn’t something that’s just being ignored. It’s on our staff’s radar for someday. We don’t know when. We have a lot of things we need to do there first.”
Blaine Marina Inc. offered fuel services in the harbor for 60 years before closing in 2015. Prior to its demise, the company competed with the SMCA across the harbor at Semiahmoo Marina. SMCA continues to provide fuel services for local boaters.
In 2016, following discussions by the port about bringing fuel services to Blaine, SMCA verbally committed to the port to offer the same fuel discounts it gave to its tenants to boats moored in Blaine Harbor. Some members of the public voiced concern to commissioners that it would give SMCA a monopoly on fueling.
The discount lasted a few years.
According to port public affairs administrator Mike Hogan, port staff approached SMCA but have not heard back regarding the fees.
“Short of a discount from Semiahmoo, the Port will likely start to plan for a new fuel service in Blaine Harbor,” Hogan said to The Northern Light in September. “This will be an expensive project and challenging to permit, therefore it will likely be years before we see the project get started.”
During the February 4 meeting, Briscoe said SMCA’s monopoly on fuel prices was expected.
“They have to go to Semiahmoo, which creates a problem we always discussed they were going to do, which is jack the prices up because they got a monopoly on the situation,” Briscoe said. “Nothing we can do about that.”
Fix questioned whether a gas truck could visit the harbor similar to how a diesel truck stops there. Briscoe replied that gas, which is delivered on a much larger truck, wouldn’t be cost efficient for the port to supply. Tiffany DeSimone, the port’s director of maritime, added that gas is a greater fire hazard than diesel and suggested people could carry gas cans to their boats. She did not explain how individuals carrying gas cans presented a lesser fire hazard than having a gas truck supply boats.
Commissioner Ken Bell said he was concerned about spillage, and that a contained fuel dock would be a better option than individual gas cans.
He said he would like to see a future agenda item summarizing all of the work in Blaine Harbor for people to understand how the fuel dock fits into the larger picture.
Commissioner Michael Shepard said he wanted to make sure Blaine boaters felt heard.
“I’m trying to figure out if we should have a presentation for a more formal conversation,” Shepard said. “I want to make sure these folks in Blaine feel heard. It’s OK if the answer is ‘no’ or ‘not now,’ but I want to make sure they’re getting that response from us.”
Briscoe replied that people who were concerned could speak during the public comment session of port meetings. Fix agreed with Briscoe, adding that the port staff wouldn’t have much more to add if the topic was listed on the next meeting’s agenda.
