Birch Bay berm budget increased, questions answered

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Whatcom County Council added funds to the Birch Bay berm’s project budget on October 13. The budget increase will ensure that any construction, cultural and Covid-19 issues that may arise won’t affect the project’s completion, according to the ordinance.

After the $841,786 increase, the project budget is now $15,291,786. 

Public works secured those additional funds from the Birch Bay Watershed and Aquatic Resources Management fund and the Surface Transportation Block Grant federal fund along with  $500,000 from the 2020 Road Fund Capital Budget, according to the ordinance. 

Whatcom County engineering manager Jim Karcher said in an October 22 meeting that public works wants to have enough money in the project budget to handle any unforeseen construction issues or delays. If it’s not needed, the money would go back into the road fund when the project is completed, he said. 

The project, officially called the Birch Bay Drive and Pedestrian Facility Project, is in the second phase of construction. The county’s contractor, Granite Construction, is currently installing stormwater basins along the west side of Birch Bay Drive on the north end of the bay and laying a limestone path for bicycles and pedestrians from Terrell Creek to the Bay Breeze Restaurant and Bar, at the south end of the project. 

The Birch Bay Chamber of Commerce hosted this phase of the project’s second “Coffee with the Contractor” meeting via Zoom on October 22 for residents to ask the project’s contractor questions. In the meeting, Gairrett Orelup with Granite Construction and Karcher gave updates on the project and answered a few questions from residents. 

“I think in general, both the community and the county and Granite have been working very smoothly together,” Karcher said. 

There are single-lane closures on Birch Bay Drive while crews work on the berm. Public works staff said wait times should be less than five minutes.

Starting in November, the crew will likely be working night shifts for the remainder of the project to maximize construction time during low tides, Orelup said. According to tide-forecast.com, the lowest low tides in Birch Bay during November occur from about 11 p.m. to 3 a.m. 

During the day in November, crews will start paving a path on the south end of the project and planting along it. That work will start to give the project a finished look, Orelup said.

Below are some questions and answers from the October 22 “Coffee with the Contractor” meeting, edited for length and clarity.

Q: Has a new material been found for the pathway?

Orelup: We have, yes. We were originally going to use what’s called gravel paving. It was essentially a sand that had this additive put into it that had cementitious properties. However, when we tested it out, it didn’t perform very well when it was saturated with water. So, being that we are in the Pacific Northwest and this is going on a beach, I think everyone thought it would be wise to move in a different direction. Now, we are going to be putting down a crushed limestone. If you’ve ever hiked any trails in Bellingham, this is a pretty popular product out there, but it holds up well. It’s a nice firm walking surface, and I think it will look very good on this project.

Karcher: And it will be ADA [Americans with Disabilities Act] compatible.

Q: How will berm construction be affected by those properties along Birch Bay Drive that did not want the project? 

Karcher: The berm will transition in. There’s 900 feet of where property owners did not want the project. And so we have the berm transitioning into the existing beach area. In consideration of their concerns, it is a wider beach area. It has more feet down there than any other area along our project limits. So, we will transition the berm in and then transition back out after we leave that 900 feet in. I think the transition out until the terminus of the project is fairly short. 

We’re feeling pretty comfortable about it. I don’t think that’s a dramatic concern. But, you know, that’s me talking, and the weather and other things can happen, with a different intention. 

Q: When will work be done in the north Cottonwood Beach area (at the north end of the project)?

Orelup: Probably not what you want to hear, but the berm will not be complete in that area until probably early December. We will be making a haul road [on the west side of Birch Bay Drive] heading that direction earlier, probably mid-November. So, there will be some buffer there to help dissipate the waves. But, yeah, I understand everyone’s concern with the storms coming in. We’re doing everything we can to import as much of the material as fast as we can so we can get this project buttoned-up before the storms hit. 

Q: How do we get through the storm season, with the berm unfinished, and not be swimming in our residences?

Karcher: We don’t have any guarantees. All I can say is that, and I don’t mean to be smug about this, we’re doing the best we can, and it’s better than what we have. We’re pursuing the project diligently. Granite is on it and that’s the best commitment we can make. 

Because of the timing and everything, and where we were left when we ended [construction] last season, and our commitment to the community to [not work] during the summer months and resume back in September ... I know we talked about maybe working during the summer. That wasn’t feasible for Granite because they bid the job for the schedule that we talked about. And they had other work in those summer months that they were committed to. It’s really hard to say, ‘we’re going to change your schedule,’ without a great impact on them. That’s why we did not work during the summer. So, we will just hope for the best, and, like Gairrett mentioned, there are some parts of the construction process that will help protect and facilitate this. When they put in the haul road, that will at least be some material that will ramp up that beach profile a little bit higher. Not to avoid your question, but I really don’t think there is anything we can do. 

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