Campground Update from Lorne Nielson

After two years of planning and one and a half years working with Whatcom County, our Conditional Use Permit process is nearly ready to come before the hearing examiner. I would like to thank everyone for their positive feedback, encouragement and constant support throughout this process. Whatcom County Planning and Development has thoroughly, painstakingly at times, reviewed our plan and we expect their recommendation in the coming months. The hearing examiner's meeting, once announced, will be the final step.

Our vision focuses on being a good community neighbor, not only for people living nearby but for all of Point Roberts. We want to create a fun, nature themed environment that visitors will want to visit, tell their friends about and in turn help create a positive image of Point Roberts as a whole. Along with typical camping and RV sites, we plan on having comfortable yurts/tents for guests that want to "camp" in style. If you don't own a tent, we can rent you one and have it set up before you arrive. We want to make camping easy and accessible, even lighting your campfire will be easy as only clean propane fires are allowed at each site. All this on 50 beautifully treed acres. Guests and local residents can grab a fresh cup of coffee in the camp store then go for a walk through the forest, or rent bikes to explore the Point, its beaches, parks and local businesses.

Part of this vision is to create a venue for some of our local entrepreneurs to showcase their talents. A local baker could provide their fresh baked goods each morning to the beautifully designed cafe space in the store. Local artists can display their work in the community building and musicians could hold afternoon or early evening performances, the possibilities are endless. Quiet evenings will always remain a priority — noise-related activity will end early so guests and neighbors can enjoy the peaceful surroundings. Our property is unique this way, it provides the space to create many outdoor options and activities while at the same time big enough to disappear to anyone who is not involved. Our goal is to prioritize the trees and emphasize the natural setting, not take it away. What we do build will be tastefully done and complement the landscape. .

Two common concerns have been raised, the impact a project of this size will have on the Point and the location of the property in a residential area. The reality is, this is a modest project on a big piece of property. From a traffic standpoint, our impact will be minimal. We expect to add hundreds of visitors per month which is significantly less than we've seen in the past. Point Roberts crossings are down dramatically since 2019 (June 2019 - 134,013; June 2024 - 94,354; June 2025 - 73,087). The numbers are staggering, a drop of 60,926 crossings in only 6 years. The location is ideal for this concept and we're fortunate to have this large tract of land available. 50 acres with only a few buildings is a great way to protect the trees, keep the property intact and let visitors experience its natural setting. Other development options, such as residential, would have a much greater negative impact with roads and lot clearing. It is estimated that over 40% of all created (platted) lots in Pt Roberts have not been built on. Seabright and the golf course recently added about 100 more with little or no building activity. The Point doesn't need more residential lots. We are aware that some of our closest neighbors are concerned about the proximity of the project to their properties. As mentioned above, our priority is to be a good neighbor and have as little impact as possible on them.

I have lived in Point Roberts for more than 60 years. Like many of you, I don't want to see the Point overdeveloped and frankly, I don't believe it ever will be. But we do need thoughtful projects like this campground to help stabilize our small economy and contribute to the community. If we can show a little success we might see someone else invest on the Point by opening a retail shop, cafe, or lodge. For 25 years we've watched local businesses disappear one by one … maybe we can make the turn and see one or two added.

Our work and planning are just beginning.