Three new buildings on Martin Street bring coastal feel

When Blaine resident – and “Road Rules” author – Doug Dahl decided to purchase a neighboring lot on the corner of Martin and 4th streets, he knew exactly what he didn’t want to build.

Dahl didn’t want to develop the space into some massive commercial space or a behemoth, single-family home. Instead, he’s putting the final touches on three smaller buildings: two 1,150 square-foot, three bedroom homes, and a two-story commercial space on the corner.

“I just didn’t want to cover the whole property with buildings,” Dahl said. “I wanted to have some green space in between each one. I wanted to have a yard and trees between each building.”

Dahl knew that having green space between each unit would be important for any prospective buyer. And while those finishing landscaping touches have yet to be made – Dahl said he is shooting for construction to be fully complete by late summer – it’s easy to see the vision when walking by the jobsite.

“This was inspired by other architecture I’d seen with three small buildings,” Dahl said of a bike ride through Portland, Oregon. “I designed it with that series of three in mind, on the street side there’s these repeating threes with the buildings and each building’s windows that I really like.”

Dahl designed the buildings himself, and has worked alongside a local contractor every step of the way to get the buildings up and ready. They’ll feature capacity for electric car charging ports, multiple bedrooms and bathrooms in just over 1,000 square feet of space, and views of downtown and the city hall building across Martin Street.

Another aspect Dahl is excited about is the commercial space on the corner building. The top floor will go to Dahl for his business, but he hopes the bottom floor can go to a local business looking for a simple space close to downtown.

“I figured there’s a need for small commercial space near downtown,” Dahl said. “There’s a fair number of larger spaces, but any small commercial space is in demand.”

The first design element that will pop out to any passers-by is the cedar shingles on the first floor of each building, a classic for beach towns across the country.

“With the cedar shingles, we wanted something with a coastal feel to it, so we were trying to pick colors that reflect that northwest coastal vibe,” Dahl said. “It’s pretty simple, especially with the residential spaces. I think we’ve done a nice job of efficiently creating a three bedroom, two-and-a-half bathroom house in 1,150 square feet that doesn’t feel cramped. That was the goal, to keep a small footprint so you have some green area outside and you feel comfortable inside.”