An Open Letter to the Friends of the Point Roberts Lighthouse

With great regret, the Point Roberts Lighthouse Society (PRLS) has decided to throw in the towel on our dream of a functioning lighthouse and marine observation facility in Lighthouse Marine Park.

On July 20, the society’s board voted to dissolve by the end of the year and transfer remaining funds to the Point Roberts Historical Society, to be used for its new museum in the Community Center.

Why did we do this? We had a design, we had a half million-dollar pledge to pay for construction, we had the Coast Guard’s agreement to move their navigational light to the new structure, and initially we had the enthusiastic support of Whatcom County’s Park and Recreation Department staff and commissionaires.

The basic lighthouse proposal was that PRLS would pay for construction and Whatcom County would incorporate it into its Lighthouse Marine Park in perpetuity as county property.

The current PRLS board has pursued this goal since 2009, proposing a unique design based on the Hooper Strait Light, which is now part of the enormously popular Chesapeake Bay Maritime Museum in St. Michael’s, Maryland. We believed that it would almost immediately become a huge economic benefit to the community through increased tourism, while also serving as a multipurpose facility for lectures, weddings, and marine observation.

We proposed to build it as an extension of the existing deck (connected by a wheel chair accessible ramp) and sharing the existing washroom facilities. We had a preliminary cost estimate of about $400,000. The society looked forward to operating a gift shop in the new facility, to help support the county’s ongoing maintenance costs.

Just as we developed more detailed building plans and secured the financial commitments, the county’s attitude changed. Contrary to earlier legal advice, parks and recreation staff determined that it would have to be built by the county as a public works project. They advised that PDS would require washrooms, a separate septic system, and a fire suppression sprinkler system. They estimated the cost to be at least $1 million and probably closer to $1.5 million.

When we asked if they could work on a grant proposal to the state, using our funds as a very respectable match, they responded that they were way too busy with other projects for the next several years and that they doubted that the state would award such a grant. They never seemed to understand the project’s economic development potential for Point Roberts.

Discouraged, we appeared before county council’s public works standing committee to seek their support. This led to the full council’s passing unanimously a resolution supporting the project and asking county staff to work with the society to achieve it. Unfortunately, we saw no change in attitude or support.

We believe we understand the problem, and it stems from the top. At a Point Roberts Registered Voters Association forum about two years ago, county executive Jack Louws was asked why the county seemed unable to utilize the half million dollar pledge to build a lighthouse. He essentially replied that the private funding was irrelevant. He did not support adding any new park facilities because they represent future costs and liabilities. This seems all too consistent with the loss in other amenities at Lighthouse Marine Park, from the whale-watching platform to more than half the boardwalk to the children’s playground.

We have worked hard to fulfill our dream of a lighthouse in Lighthouse Park, contributing our time and money, as well as soliciting donations from others over the past nine years. Sadly, the generous financial pledge we received cannot be sustained indefinitely.

Maybe some day, under different political and economic circumstances, a new Lighthouse Society may emerge and meet with greater success. But for now, the current PRLS board feels it cannot continue what seems to be a losing battle, hence the proverbial “throwing in of the towel.”

We wish to thank all of our many donors who tossed coins and bills into collection jars, bought lighthouse souvenirs at various events, or wrote larger checks to PRLS, and we hope that you will all support our decision to transfer that support to the Point Roberts Historical Society’s new museum.

Dorothy Sutton, president, Barbara Wayland, vice president, Mark Robbins, secretary/treasurer and Ed Acosta, Mary Acosta, Lowell Holland and Sandy Holland, directors; Board of the Point Roberts Lighthouse Society.