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Resident urges county intervention after storm damage at Seabright Staircase
Summary
A Point Roberts resident told the PRCAC the base of the Seabright Staircase has been washed out and covered with driftwood, creating a public-safety hazard; the committee advised contacting Windermere (the property manager) and Whatcom County planning and development to pursue repair under existing development agreements.
A Point Roberts resident told the Point Roberts Community Advisory Committee that storm damage at the base of the Seabright Staircase has left the lowest steps gone and a pile of driftwood that makes the final 10–12 feet to the beach hazardous for older users.
"Currently, it's also a public safety issue," the resident said, describing the bottom section as "gone" and warning that people with compromised ankles or knees could be injured navigating the tumble of logs at the foot of the stairs. Committee members and staff discussed ownership and maintenance responsibilities; the Chair said the stairway is owned by the Cottages at Seabright Farm Homeowners Association, managed by Windermere.
Staff advised the resident to continue attempts to contact Windermere and to provide copies of the development agreement language to Whatcom County planning and development staff. "If you dedicate something to the public, ... you're then gonna be responsible for maintaining," a staff member said when describing typical permit conditions. The committee suggested the formal route of a letter to county staff if direct contact fails and noted county remediation with billing to the developer is possible but usually a lengthy process.
Committee members recommended gathering and sharing the original agreement documents and encouraged the resident to begin the county notification process now so repairs can be scheduled when weather and funding permit. The committee did not direct immediate county-funded repairs; members framed next steps as outreach to Windermere and follow-up with Whatcom County planning and development.
