County parks to formulate vision for growth

A county parks open house to get community feedback on proposals to be incorporated into an updated parks comprehensive plan was sparsely attended, with only five people coming to voice their priorities for park standards and financing over the next 20 years.

“It seemed the primary issue was the protection and preservation of Lily Point,” said county parks director Michael McFarlane, who hosted the March 1 open house with consultant Tom Beckwith. Other Point Roberts priorities that were discussed in a January workshop – such as parking and restrooms at Maple Beach or a lighthouse for Lighthouse Marine Park – didn’t make it on the maps depicting existing and potential conservancy areas, water access sites, campgrounds, trail systems, athletic fields, community facilities and other components of the parks system.

Beckwith said while some of the Point’s recreational priorities would not be reflected in the regional parks plan, as a local parks plan would document them, and the county could help local groups find funding. “We’ll look at what tools can we give each different area to accomplish these projects,” he said.

Lily Point might also be a local issue, Beckwith said, depending on what value they see it having for all county residents, not just those on the Point. “It’ll make the list but the question is, is it regional? At what point do we justify using countywide resources,” he said.

Trails are a substantial component of the plan and the proposal to develop bike and walking trails around the perimeter of Point Roberts did make the regional maps, but the Point was not included on the map documenting scenic roads to preserve, despite input at the earlier workshop that the Point’s tree-lined entrance on Tyee Drive and other forest buffers should be preserved.

“Now we’ll pull these back and define them into projects,” Beckwith said. McFarlane said once projects and funding strategies were developed they would go back to the community with a telephone and mail survey. “We’ll get that sample group to tell us their final priorities and how they want them funded,” he said. He expects a final updated comprehensive plan to be before county council by late fall, after planning commission review.

If Point Roberts community members who didn’t make the open house still want to voice an opinion, McFarlane said they still have time. “The ideal thing would be to have all the information in the next couple of weeks,” he said. McFarlane can be reached at 360/733-2900 or mmcfarla@co. whatcom.wa.us.