February 2017
IN THIS
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Code complaints Moon over Maple Beach dubbed a witchhunt By Meg Olson
(See Violations, page 7)
s A full moon is reflected on Boundary Bay, January 11.
Photo by Andrew Grubb
New partnership to revamp golf course By Meg Olson Point Roberts Golf Course owner Kenji Nose has brought on board a new equity partner and they have ambitious plans to revitalize the golf course. “We are planning to close for a while
and completely upgrade,” said Jane Huang, whose partnership in the golf course became official on January 26. Huang will bring an unspecified cash infusion and financial savvy to the golf course. A certified public accountant in the U.S., she also owns Richmond based HuoQuan Wealth Management Group Inc. She lives in Canada but owns a home in Point Roberts.
Solid waste survey to guide future plans By Meg Olson A county sponsored survey on the Point’s solid waste system drew a sturdy response and will help both Cando Recycling and Disposal and the county plan for the future. At the January 10 meeting of the Point Roberts Community Advisory Committee (PRCAC) Jeff Hegedus from the Whatcom County Health Department presented the results of the survey, which drew 344 re-
sponses, though 31 of those were from one person. More than half of the survey respondents were full time Point Roberts residents, but the survey also drew a strong response from seasonal residents. Most of the respondents had an association with Point Roberts longer than a decade, “indicating a strong commitment and sense of community,” Hegedus said. More than half the survey respondents currently have curbside collection, ei-
ther through regular service or by buying prepaid tags for irregular pickup. A solid majority said they were satisfied with the service. Why then, Hegedus wondered, are only 300 homes signed up for curbside service, out of 2300? Without a sufficient customer base, he said, prices (which require state approval) are higher for the existing customers and the garbage service strug(See Solid waste, page 6)
Nose said he had already brought back his full maintenance crew, most of whom had been laid off in late summer. The cash-strapped golf course has been degrading without adequate irrigation and maintenance but with new equity and expertise Nose said it will be better than ever when they reopen in May. “Everything will be fixed up,” he said.
Church . . . . . . . . . 8 Classifieds . . . . . 17 Coming Up . . . . . 16 Crossings . . . . . . 12 Obituary . . . . . . . 15 Opinion . . . . . . . . 4 Seniors . . . . . . . . 12 Tides . . . . . . . . . . 18 Library . . . . . . . . .13 Sheriff . . . . . . . . . .15
INSIDE
A flurry of county citations for code violations has some community members crying foul. “We have a witch hunt going on,” Darrell Cassidy told the Point Roberts Community Advisory Committee (PRCAC) at their January 10 meeting. Cassidy’s was among 25 properties identified by a single complainant who submitted a series of code violation reports to the county. Suzanne Bosman, senior planner with Whatcom County said the complaints were “regarding parcels in Point Roberts being used as recreational campgrounds consisting of RVs, detached structures and the storage of personal belongings.” She added that “supposedly, the person (who submitted the complaints) solicited help from several other people in Point Roberts who drove around and documented the violations.” In October, staff began site inspections and issued notices of violation. “Many of the sites have already been brought into compliance and others, due to extenuating circumstances, have been given extensions.” Land use in Point Roberts is governed by county code, but also includes an overlay – the Point Roberts Special District or section 20.72. While the overall county code for rural zones allows recreational vehicles on undeveloped lots outright, the special district does not. “If the code is more restrictive in the special district you have to go with that,” said senior planner Nick Smith. Under the special district rules, RVs may only stay on an undeveloped lot for a maximum of two weeks unless they receive an administrative approval, which allows a longer stay. “There’s a reason this exists, it didn’t occur out of thin air,” PRCAC chair Joel Lantz said. “Somewhere along the line, citizens got together, I assume, and said
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