Access and tree retention were the two main areas of community concern that came out of a meeting on the proposed Point Roberts Beach Club project.

Tyler Schroeder and Mary White from Whatcom County Planning and Development Services joined developers Anders Kruse and Wayne Knowles to answer questions about the project at the June 15 meeting, attended by approximately 40 community members.

The meeting was organized after the hearing on permits for the project was pushed back because up to 90 parties of record were not notified of a determination the project, with proper mitigation, would not have “significant adverse environmental impacts.”

“There were parties of record to the 2007 long plat application that did not receive notification of the original State Environmental Policy Act (SEPA) determination,” said Schroeder.

A new SEPA determination, identical to the original SEPA determination of non-significance (DNS), issued April 16, was reissued June 4. Following a review of the project and supporting ecology, geology, archaeology, stormwater, traffic, public access and tree canopy studies, Schroeder determined an additional environmental impact statement would not be necessary under state law. The comment period on the DNS closed June 18 and the determination can be appealed until June 28. Schroeder said the hearing on the permits would likely be scheduled for mid-July or later.

Kruse and Knowles told audience members they had tried to address concerns about trees by shifting lots and the planned community center, but that they were constrained by county rules when it came to using the existing road. “The traffic engineers like to make things easy and safe,” White said.  “The best place for a road to access is at an intersection.”

Most road concerns were tied to a desire to maximize tree retention. Some audience members took exception to clearing of undergrowth as well, out of a concern for wildlife such as songbirds that look to plants like salmonberry and elderberry for food and shelter. “Nature is not neat and tidy,” Carol Fuegi urged developers. “Take a naturalistic point of view.”

Audience members also wanted assurances that planned public access trails would stay that way and continue to be maintained. “It’s a condition of approval on the plat so it’s dedicated to the public. The question will be whether it’s publicly or privately maintained,” White said.

In response to suggestions the development should not proceed at all due to the ecological value of the wooded areas, Kruse said they were not in a position to simply hand over the property.

“There is a fundamental economic reality,” Kruse said, involving not only his and his partners’ own investment but also a loan that was edging towards default. “If there’s a path whereby there can be land swaps or compensation provided so we can make it work we’re open to it.” He asked the community whether a foreclosure sale could lead to a less desirable development. “Are there risks if there is an obstructionist viewpoint?”

The Point Roberts Conservation Society has retained lawyer David Bricklin to birddog the development. “David Bricklin was the lawyer that Larry Crosetti used to fight the original development in the early ’90s and he set up the 501(c)(3) Resource Management Group now dba Point Roberts Conservation Society,” said society member Suzanne Rosser. “Our effort is to ensure that both the developer, Lily Point LLC and Whatcom County planning department meet all requirements: legal, archaeological, environmental, cultural, wildlife and geologic critical area as it pertains to the Point Roberts Beach Club development.”

Both Rosser and Schroeder encouraged strong community involvement in providing public input to the hearing on the long plat application in July. “Come and be involved in that hearing process to show how you believe the county has been inflexible and how maybe the community and the property owner agree that there could be a better option and see if we can make another decision at that point,” Schroeder said.