Meeting Saturday to plan Birch Bay community park

ZOE FRALEY - THE BELLINGHAM HERALD

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BIRCH BAY - People interested in getting a community park in Birch Bay will have a chance to get their ideas heard Saturday, May 9.

The area in question is Bay Horizon Park, a 68-acre space owned by the Whatcom County Parks and Recreation Department and located off Alderson Road between Birch Bay Drive and Blaine Road.

The park used to be the home of the Blaine Air Force Base and is now home each summer to the Lions Camp Horizon for people with special needs.

The development process for the park will begin with a meeting from 10 a.m. to noon Saturday in the park's gymnasium.

"What we're doing now is looking at what the development in the park will be in the future," said Rod Lamb, design and development supervisor for Whatcom County Parks. "We want to talk about ideas in the community, what they'd like to see in the park."

Changes likely will include the addition of trails and a play structure. Fields and play areas also are possibilities, though development is limited because some of the park is wetlands. Some of the former base buildings that have fallen into disrepair will be demolished before the park is created.

Funding is not yet determined for developing the park, but it could come from the Northwest Park and Recreation District or from state grants. The planning process will likely include four meetings over the next three to four months before the park proposal can go to the County Council for approval.

While Birch Bay has a state park, Lamb said this would be the only community park for the area. He thinks Birch Bay residents will be happy to get it.

"There's been pretty strong interest so far," he said.