April 2017
IN THIS
ISSUE
www.AllPointBulletin.com
Water district considering new rates, page 8
ECRWSS PRSRT STD U.S. Postage PAID Permit No. 14
FREE
Tax district an option for solid waste, page 13
Family dining comes to the Reef, page 10
Point Roberts, WA 98281 Postal Patron Local
The circle goes around... New library gets over last funding hump B y P a t G r u bb The new library is pretty much a go! After years of fundraising and disappointing election results, it appears that the campaign to build a new library in Point Roberts has achieved success. Whatcom County Library System (WCLS) executive director Christine Perkins informed Point Roberts parks board commissioners that the WCLS board had approved up to $160,000 to complete the funding of the building’s construction, contingent upon a new Memorandum of Understanding. Speaking to the parks board at its regular monthly meeting March 15, Perkins said WCLS board members had determined that, “even though it’s not our normal practice, we are willing to contribute more money because we would love to see all the people who contributed to the project in Point Roberts actually get a library out of it.” This money is in addition to the $110,000 already committed by the WCLS for furniture, fixtures and equipment for the new library. Typically, the WCLS does not contribute to capital building expenditures for new or remodeled library buildings although it has done so infrequently in the past. The campaign, spearheaded by the Friends of the Point Roberts Library (FOPRL) group, had raised approximately $540,000 towards the design and construction of the library, which involves the remodeling of the Julius Fire Hall located next to the Gulf Road community center. The total cost of the construction is projected to be $840,000. A parks district levy to raise the remaining $300,000 failed to receive the required 60 percent super majority in the November election, missing the mark by 34 votes. FOPRL subsequently secured $140,000 in pledges and donations following the election loss, leaving a shortfall of $160,000. The WCLS contri(See Library, page 7)
s A painting becomes the inspiration for a tapestry weaving by Doreen Trudel, seen here at the Fibre Fest held March 4 at the Gulf Road community center. More photos on page 18. Photo by Louise Mugar
Cedar Point trail access to be closed permanently By Meg Olson The Cedar Point Avenue trailhead access to Lily Point Marine Park will stay closed for good. “It’s a fairly unstable slope,” said Whatcom County parks director Michael McFarlane, which would make keeping the access open a public safety risk unless a bridge were constructed over the widening ravine. “It would be extremely expensive to bridge that.”
Instead, McFarlane said, they would construct a loop trail back to the main parking area, leaving an open area and overlook at the gully. The trail was closed in November 2015 after a chunk of the trail slumped off. Since then there have been continued calls from local organizations to find a way to reopen the trail. “Aside from closing the trail, to the best of our knowledge nothing has been done to mitigate the erosion or make changes to keep the park trail open,”
PRCAC moves towards merging character plan By Meg Olson There was less flash and more substance to the discussion as the Point Roberts Community Advisory Committee (PRCAC) continued to wrestle with what to do with the character plan during a series of March meetings. “The tone of this meeting is so much different than that Saint Valentine’s Day Massacre,” said committee member and taxpayers association representative Jeff
Christopher at a special March 6 meeting of the committee, referring to the group’s previous meeting on the topic. While the previous meeting proposed to address the two substantive changes in a draft revised plan, it had devolved into an argument over whether or not the plan should exist. After consulting with their boards the groups represented on the committee came to this meeting ready to repeal or defend the plan. Chamber representative David Gellat-
ly led with a motion unanimously approved by his board stating the character plan was “superfluous and unnecessary,” and requesting the county repeal the plan and incorporate language regulating signage and lighting into the Point Roberts Special District section of the county zoning ordinance (Chapter 20.72). Taxpayer’s association president Mark Robbins read a statement prepared by (See PRCAC, page 8)
the Point Roberts Community Advisory Committee wrote to county executive Jack Louws in November 2016. “While we are not experts in the field it would appear if the source of the erosion, water, would have been diverted the expansion of the erosion could have been minimized or eliminated.” In January 2017, county parks staff (See Trail, page 6)
Online
allpointbulletin.com facebook.com/allpointbulletin
Inside
Church ............................................. 11 Classifieds ......................................... 17 Coming Up ....................................... 14 Crossings .......................................... 13 Opinion ............................................... 4 Sheriff’s ............................................ 18 Seniors, Library ............................... 16 Tides ................................................. 16