Whatcom County Council looks at revising golf cart zone

Birch Bay community members’ request to revise the Birch Bay golf cart zone boundaries has made its way into Whatcom County Council.

During their June 15 meeting, Whatcom County councilmembers unanimously voted 7-0 on a motion to remove the golf cart zone on part of Bay Road near the Bay Crest neighborhood, from Jackson Road to Halibut Drive. The amended ordinance will come back to council during a future meeting for a final vote.

Councilmembers also directed Whatcom County Public Works to conduct a traffic study assessment extending the golf cart zone on Alderson Road from Parkland Drive to Gemini Street and possibly attaching the Whisper Lake housing development to a golf cart zone. Once the traffic study is complete, council will review it to see if the ordinance needs to be amended again.

Bay Crest resident Tim Lambert first noticed potential safety hazards of golf carts on Bay Road, which has three entrances into Bay Crest, two years ago when a dinner guest said they were shocked at the 35 to 25 mph speed limit change that occurs in golf cart zones.

“It’s dangerous because kids will drive golf carts and Bay Road is a main road to Birch Bay State Park,” Lambert said. “I’m glad they approved it. It took a lot of time and work.”

Birch Bay Chamber of Commerce secretary Doralee Booth helped Lambert bring the Bay Road concern to the public works department.

Golf cart drivers don’t typically use Bay Road and those in cars or larger vehicles aren’t recognizing the lower speed limit, Booth said. Bay Crest golf cart drivers can still access Birch Bay through Jackson Road and behind The C Shop, which Booth said are safer options than Bay Road.

“Nobody is really paying attention to that change of speed and the golf carts are not coming out onto Bay Road because they can get to Birch Bay two other ways,” Booth said during the June 15 Whatcom County Council public works and health committee meeting.

Booth asked if the golf cart zone that ends on Parkland Drive could be extended to Bay Horizon Park on Gemini Street, so people can drive their golf cart to the Blaine-Birch Bay Park and Recreation District 2 activity center. She also asked if public works could possibly assess creating a golf cart zone on the easement road connecting the new Whisper Lake housing development to Alderson Road.

The Birch Bay Chamber of Commerce first brought the idea of a golf cart zone, which reduced the speed limit from 35 to 25 mph on some streets, to council’s attention in 2018. Council established a temporary zone in May 2018 that was reinstated indefinitely when it expired October 2019.

Since 2010, Washington state law has allowed cities and counties to have golf cart zones.