AVISTA PUD SCANDAL

January 26 Blaine City Council voted 5-0 (Bains, Enos, May, Newland, Sorrell) to approve Avista at Birch Point planned unit development. The development was opposed by Water Planning Matters (formerly Blaine Water Coalition). Mayor Steward recused herself, and Councilwoman Sonia Hurt was reportedly hiding in the backroom. Sorrell refused to recuse himself, despite publicly supporting death threats against Water Planning Matters open government activists by his friend David Brudvik, whom Judge Anderson ruled threats to murder.


The applicant for Avista, Wayne Schwandt, was also the developer of Sea Smoke, which has caused downhill flooding for Semiahmoo homes, as well as roadway damage. Schwandt received a setback to his plans at Birch Point, when Whatcom County rejected the proposed annexation by the city of unincorporated Birch Point.

The City of Blaine has lower environmental protection standards than the county, making it more profitable for unscrupulous developers, and more expensive for taxpayers when the damage has to be fixed. This, however, is not a concern to Blaine City Council, which is exclusively interested in real estate sales taxes.

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