A non-candidate’s answers to our questions:

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Editor's note: Frustrated that none of the “Gang of Four” –  Kathy Kersher, Bill Knutzen, Michelle Luke and Mary Beth Teigrob – responded to our questions, we asked our friend Alowishes Anonymous, to represent their views.

A.A., a long-term libertarian and a backer of Ron Paul in Whatcom County, takes credit for thinking up the, “We the People” campaign. His girl friend, Betsy, claims to have designed flag signs, and A.A. says he composed most of Ms. Teigrob's note cards that she uses in debate.

1) With growth inevitable, do you distinguish between desirable and undesirable development?

The market decides. You have marvelous examples in Birch Bay. When the Bay Crest communities were built, the goody goods complained there were no parks and playgrounds, but the low cost housing attracted many people who take good care of their homes. Now the communities look great. (Kids enjoy playing in the wide streets.) And in the D.B. Johnson sections they are still building and selling homes.

On the other hand you have the the Bovencamp project, Semihmoo Something, that the goodies loved, with big lots, marvelous views and “rain gardens.” The last time I looked there were only two buildings – the sales office and one demo home.

2) Building a berm to protect the beach and enhance walking, cycling, etc. for residents and visitors is a primary objective of leaders of the Birch Bay community. What would you do to help the community achieve this objective?

Nothing. When developers, like Bill Grant think a berm is needed, they will build it.

  3) With the goal of increasing infill, would you vote to prevent the fire district from charging mitigation fees for homes and other structures built within the 2031-revised Birch Bay UGA boundaries?

Yes, great question. Our motto is: FEWER, NOT MORE TAXES. Make those fire commissioners learn to economize. (“A penny saved is a penny earned!”) Let them start by selling off redundant fire stations. One is in the center of Lynden's industrial area; the city has its own fire department. The little used Semiahmoo station would be an ideal location for a restaurant.

4) Those who want Birch Bay to become a city are frustrated. Two years ago, the county invested $100,000 in a study that found incorporation would be financially feasible. Now, with the economic recession, some of the premises of the study may not be valid. Would you favor a select committee of county officials and knowledgeable community representatives being charged with updating the 2008 recommendations?

Who's frustrated? Bet if you took a poll, you would find that most of the homeowners want to live by our motto and keep taxes and services as they are. Establish a fund with volunteer contributions to keep Kathy Berg and Doralee Booth on the job pestering the county for “Birch Bay's Fair Share.”

If you really want Birch Bay to become a city, start by gerrymandering the UGA boundry in a corridor out the Birch Bay-Lynden Road beyond I-5. With control of the County Council, my Four could help Birch Bay with that. The addition would include Birch Bay Square and other commercial properties – Bill Henshaw says the total is 140,000 square feet.

Property owners, irate over LAMRIND, would gladly fund a study to demonstrate feasibility. With those additions, your tax base would be expanded quickly and offer the opportunity to create more. Every Monday the Seattle Time reports on startup tech companies. Some of those could be lured by low-rent and the Birch Bay environment. Bill Grant and angel investors, bored playing bridge on rainy days in Semiahmoo, could fund incubators to nourish more startups.      

A.A.

                                                

A huge relief

One of the  great pleasures of attending class at Western Washington University is the opportunity to walk the Sehome Hill Arboretum trails. A recent robbery prompted a warning from Western Washington University police to avoid the trails until the perpetrator was apprehended.

Last week, Detective Ferguson of the Bellingham Police Department, cooperating with the Western Washington University police, said they had many tips and were working the case, but they did not have anyone in custody.

To my great relief, yesterday the Bellingham Herald reported that two suspects have been arrested. See WWU student arrested in Sehome Arboretum robbery - http://nl.newsbank.com/nl-search/we/Archives?p_action=doc&p_docid=12B83FD7A300AD98&p_docnum=2

Now I can go back to the trail - thank you.

rah

Questions for Laurie Caskey-Schreiber, Candidate for County Council, Council At- Large Position

1) With growth inevitable, do you distinguish between desirable and undesirable development?

I think desirable growth is growth  that adds some value to the community as a whole. Provides needed housing, creates a pedestrian way of life, provides amenities such as parks or commercial businesses that provide a needed service to citizens of the community and creates job opportunities. Growth that is undesirable to me is housing where everyone has to use their car to do anything (even walking their dog safely), and sprawl that consumes farmland or threatens our natural resources. To me that's damaging growth.

2) Building a berm to protect the beach and enhance walking, cycling, etc. for residents and visitors is a primary objective of leaders of the Birch Bay community. What would you do to help the community achieve this objective?

I think the community would greatly benefit from the berm being established and I would support any efforts to make this project a reality. One way that we could make that happen would be to award a rural sales tax funded grant. One could make a very strong argument that this would make Birch Bay more attractive on many fronts, which in turn would enhance their tourism business and, environmentally speaking,it would be a win/win scenario.

With the goal of increasing infill, would you vote to prevent the fire district from charging mitigation fees for homes and other structures built within the 2031-revised Birch Bay UGA boundaries?

I assisted in crafting the school impact fee ordinance, so I believe in the concept of impact fees. If the fire district is allowed to collect impact fees by the State, I would support their ability to do so.

4) Those who want Birch Bay to become a city are frustrated. Two years ago the county invested $100,000 in a study that found incorporation would be financially feasible. Now with the economic recession, some of the premises of the study may not be valid. Would you favor a select committee of county officials and knowledgeable community representatives being charged with updating the 2008 recommendations?

I think this is a very complex issue that will constantly need public participation and assessment of changing market conditions. For Birch Bay to become a city, it has to make financial sense and not place a huge burden on the community to proceed or not to proceed. We all need to help Burch Bay find their way. That's why I supported funding the incorporation study in the first place. The force to become a city has to come from the citizens of Birch Bay. The county could facilitate some public process to vet this out more, but Birch Bay really needs to weigh the pros and cons, and then eventually conduct a public vote on the matter. Whatever they decide, I'll still work hard to serve the community, and support them in whatever direction they feel is best for the area.

Ms. Caskie-Schreiber has served on the Whatcom County Council since 2001, two years as council chair. She is a graduate of WWU and is administrative service manager of the university's sociology department.

ak

Comments are not only welcome, but are also encouraged. 

Questions for Ken Mann, Candidate for County Council District No. 2, Position A

1) With growth inevitable, do you distinguish between desirable and undesirable development?

Undesirable development is a pattern of residential and commercial growth that doesn’t pay for itself, destroys our rural and resource lands, and degrades our quality of life. It is generally low-density, car dependent, overly expensive, and destroys our rural and resource lands. The cost of roads, police and fire protection, and basic utilities in those areas is astronomical when compared with providing these same services in existing urban areas. Our quality of life, as measured by traffic, environmental quality and recreational opportunities, is continually degraded by our current development patterns. Our job base in agricultural, forestry, and industrial lands are threatened.

Desirable development means that we realign our incentives to make sure that developers will build in existing urban areas so that people can be near jobs and services without carving up more agricultural lands or watersheds. We must utilize our existing urban land supply to provide housing and commercial activity. Efficient and compact development will be more affordable, livable, and conserve resources for future generations.

2) Building a berm to protect the beach and enhance walking, cycling, etc. for residents and visitors is a primary objective of leaders of the Birch Bay community. What would you do to help the community achieve this objective?

I support the community’s objective of a berm, and would be happy to help. I think the most important thing to do, is lay the groundwork for design and permitting, so when the berm becomes a financial reality, the process can be as streamlined as possible. 

3) With the goal of increasing infill, would you vote to prevent the fire district from charging mitigation fees for homes and other structures built within the 2031-revised Birch Bay UGA boundaries?

This is a complex topic that is difficult to address in isolation. The Fire District has a capital facilities plan that is currently underfunded for the level of service desired by the people. It would be irresponsible to intervene without having an extensive dialogue with the people of Birch Bay and the fire officials. In general, I support impact fees so that development pays its own way. I agree the incentives are backwards in Whatcom County, with cities charging impact fees and deterring development, while the County has ZERO impact fees which attracts development. This topic could be a central part of any comprehensive countywide review of impact fees.

4) Those who want Birch Bay to become a city are frustrated. Two years ago the county invested $100,000 in a study that found incorporation would be financially feasible. Now with the economic recession, some of the premises of the study may not be valid. Would you favor a select committee of county officials and knowledgeable community representatives being charged with updating the 2008 recommendations?

I will support Birch Bay’s efforts to determine their own future. The county generally does not want to be in the business of providing urban levels of services within densely populated areas. Birch Bay has grown to the point where it would be a viable option to incorporate. I think we absolutely need to revisit some of the underlying assumptions and data of the study, and confirm or reject the initial conclusions. The people of Birch Bay have worked very long and hard on their plan, and we need to honor their efforts by seriously considering it, but ultimately allowing them people to decide for themselves.

According to the voter pamphlet, Ken Mann is a member and past chairman of the Whatcom County Planning Commission. He earned a degree in political science from Tulane University and in civil engineering from Carnegie Mellon University. He is owner of Caspian Management Corporation that has renovated and managed older commercial and residential buildings since 2004.

ak 

Comments are not only encouraged, but are sought.