We are scheduled to meet with Whatcom County September 30 to submit final building plans for The Gathering Place. The County will then review in detail for 30-60 days before issuing final permits. We already have two permits – a fire permit and a septic permit. But we need 8 more – another fire permit, special permit for water holding tank, sprinkler permit, land disturbance permit for underground work and the parking lot, pump house building permit, electrical permit and mechanical permit. And, oh, yes – a construction building permit for The Gathering Place itself. Whew!

Remember – this is the first commercial building ever built on Lummi Island. Our design team has been very thorough and taken extra time to insure we will be 100% code compliant with commercial construction regulations. Our desire to make the facility fully ADA compliant and to equip with a commercial kitchen for public use have been major factors in the complexity of the design process. We expect the amount of detail and effort which have gone into the designs will be evident as the County completes its review.

In the next two months our contractor, Mark Sexton, will begin to gather quotes and set schedules. Look for a public meeting announcement later this fall from Lummi Island Congregational Church.

And then: Watch for the dirt to fly!