Submitted by Whatcom County Library System
Thanks to successful advocacy efforts by Birch Bay residents and Whatcom County Library System (WCLS) staff, the Washington State Legislature has approved the reallocation of a $2 million state grant to largely fund the renovation of the Vogt home at 7948 Birch Bay Drive as the Birch Bay Vogt Library Express. The state’s decision follows years of community planning and ballot measures in 2021 and 2022 that fell just short of building a full-service WCLS branch in Birch Bay. The nonprofit Friends of Birch Bay Library must raise an additional $300,000 to fully fund the project.
“We are excited to build a library for and with the Birch Bay community,” says WCLS Executive Director Christine Perkins. “Challenges and setbacks are common in large-scale projects, and that has certainly been the case for this library. While we still have much to do and questions to explore in the months ahead, envisioning people of all ages enjoying this community space makes the work worthwhile.”
The state grant was initially designated in 2019 to partially cover the cost of building a 7,600-square-foot public library on the site. When ballot measures to fully fund the library project narrowly missed passage, WCLS staff requested that the grant be reallocated to create a 1,700-square-foot library express within the existing structure of the iconic Vogt home and for public use of the surrounding property. The reallocation request was initially denied in December 2022. That decision was reversed in April following outreach by community members, library staff and county legislators.
The $2 million grant covers most of the costs to renovate the home and property as a library and community gathering spot. Previous fundraising will also contribute to the total needed. Volunteers with Friends of Birch Bay Library will host fundraisers and reach out to community organizations and individuals to raise the remaining $300,000. WCLS staff are project managers. If fully funded, construction may begin as early as spring 2024.
Expenses include property purchase, a new foundation, parking expansion, full interior renovation, roof repairs, improved weather-proof windows and exterior cladding, ADA and public safety upgrades, and archeological preservation. Public spaces will be on the first floor and porch of the home and the surrounding property. Staff workspaces and storage will be on the second floor; public access to the second floor isn’t possible due to accessibility and safety requirements.
The library’s official name will be the Birch Bay Vogt Library Express in honor of the family who homesteaded this area and their descendants who sold the property to the Whatcom County Library System.
“When I was young, I couldn’t get to Blaine to visit the library,” says Gary Vogt, who, with his wife Cindy Lou, lives next door to their former family home and future library site. “Our vision for this project was to honor Birch Bay’s history and honor my grandparents Grover and Anna Vogt by opening this great home to the Birch Bay community and its visitors as a library. A library will be a great asset for this community.”
At the Birch Bay Vogt Library Express, community members will be able to select from a small collection of library materials and pick up holds reserved online, enjoy free access to computers and the internet, print documents, host meetings of up to 40 people, attend storytimes and other library programs inside or on the lawn, and relax on the outside reading porch with a view of the Birch Bay berm and the water.
“The Friends are beyond thrilled,” says Friends of Birch Bay Library President Dianne Marrs-Smith. “This is a true win-win for Birch Bay. Having a gathering place that offers enhanced library services for year-long residents is huge. Preserving an iconic piece of Birch Bay history for community and seasonal visitors is priceless. Friends of Birch Bay Library’s work is not quite done. With our community’s help, we will be able to raise the last of our donations, so we can complete the renovation and site upgrades.”
“We are grateful for the persistence, patience and enthusiasm of everyone involved in creating the Birch Bay Vogt Library Express,” Perkins adds. “They believed from the start that a library would have a long-term meaningful impact on their growing community. If fundraising is successful, their dream can become a reality.”
To learn more or to donate, visit wcls.org/give or contact Friends of Birch Bay Library at fobblpresident@gmail.com.
