Central Business District Appeal

12/2/2024 letter to City of Blaine:

Few actions by the City of Blaine can rival the official corruption involved in upzoning the Central Business District (see my 11/28/24 letter to Blaine Chief of Police) and Salishan neighborhood. As my voluminous letters to the city on the topic illustrate, and the report by Glen Pentland documents, the public process was unlawful from start to finish. Beginning with incomplete SEPA considerations that ignored the impacts on Cain Creek restoration for endangered salmon and on the adjacent Shoreline of Statewide Significance (Drayton Harbor) saltmarsh where otters and Bald Eagles play. Impacts on downtown commerce, the environment, and the community from privatizing on-street parking for condominium tenants were utterly ignored by Community Development Services.

Conflicts of interest defined the makeup of the city-appointed advisory committee illegally turned into an official voting body. Public participation as defined by state and federal law was non-existent, cumulative impacts on the environment were not considered, and financial conflicts of interest of two committee members as well as Blaine City Council member Mike Hill were all swept under the rug by Blaine City Manager Mike Harmon, Blaine Community Development Services director Alex Wenger, Blaine Planning Commission, and Blaine City Council. 

The Pentland report (January 15, 2024) by former Downtown Advisory Committee member Glen Pentland, the April 11, 2024, testimony by Kathleen Capson representing Salishan Neighborhood Association, the May 9, 2024, letter from Kathleen Capson to Blaine Planning Commission, and numerous emails from me are replete with recommended alternatives for redevelopment of the Central Business District--including the 2014 Salishan proposal for open space views preservation on Peace Portal--all of which were not even considered by Blaine Community Development Services in its fraudulent quest on behalf of downtown developers, including council member Mike Hill.

I am serving notice that I wish to appeal the related ordinances on zoning, parking requirements and building heights to the Hearing Examiner and I refuse to pay a fee as the City of Blaine has established a closed-door Hearing Examiner system designed to frustrate public participation and citizen oversight of public officials in violation of my civil rights. Additionally, the unresponsiveness of the City of Blaine to the many citizen emails and the refusal of the city to allow town halls where we can ask questions and get answers from public officials prior to decision-making (both of which violate state and federal law), as well as the Central Business District project charter violation burdens the city attorney and hearing examiner with either upholding the law or pleasing their bosses at city hall. How is this fair?

In his October 8, 2024, Common Sense Planning letter to Blaine City Council from Glen Pentland he remarked, "The Downtown Development Initiative raises many concerns of Blaine’s government: • Why does Blaine’s government repeatedly disallow the required (and promised) public engagement? • Why does Blaine’s government repeatedly exclude the community from discussing what is wanted and needed for the downtown? • Why does Blaine’s government not have a Public Engagement Plan - a sponsored citizens group responsible for developing and implementing a community engagement strategy for Blaine? • Why did the Downtown Advisory Committee not complete any meaningful work; no report, no presentation, not one sentence? How is this considered professional conduct and how is this helpful to the community of Blaine? • Why does Council ignore and not deal with and resolve conflict-of-interest concerns repeatedly raised by the community? • Why is there no Code-of-Conduct or Ethics policy for Blaine's government? • Who in Blaine’s government is responsible and accountable to ensure (1) appropriate and professional planning work is completed, (2) professional standards are followed and adhered to, and (3) early, continuous and inclusive public involvement occurs throughout the planning process? (All have failed.) • Why has Blaine abandoned basic, elementary planning work? Why are Blaine’s policy makers left to rely on hearsay, conjecture, and wishful thinking in their decision-making? • What is the role and the value-add being provided by the Planning Commission? • Why is downtown development being decided now and excluded from Blaine’s formal planning process – the 2024 Comprehensive Plan update? This initiative has been a disaster, and a failure of public trust. Organizational maturity appears low. It is time to stop the craziness. Find your voice. Reject the Developer/CDS building height recommendation and move this important work to where it belongs, and where the public can provide appropriate input – inclusion in the 2024 Blaine Comprehensive Plan Update process. 

Sincerely, Glen Pentland 1283 Harrison Avenue, Blaine Past Member, Blaine Downtown Advisory Committee (2023) Past Chairperson, Blaine Parks and Open Spaces Levy Committee (2015)"