GLACIER — An ambitious project to build an aesthetically stunning vacation rental complex of 35 luxury domes in the wilderness near Glacier, driven by $1.2 million in crowdfunded donations, broke ground in early 2023.
Two years later, all that has materialized of the highly anticipated development is a single concrete dome on developer Youri Benoiston’s 2.16-acre property. That, and a second crowdfunding campaign with an additional $1.2 million ask.
In 2021, Benoiston tried and failed to garner enough funds for the project on startup crowdfunding website Wefunder. A year later, however, he found success on Indiegogo. Donations poured in nearly as soon as the project went live, ultimately far exceeding Benoiston’s $10,000 goal. Backers could reserve a stay in one of the 35 planned domes that each advertised a sauna, jacuzzi and telescope for stargazing out of a 15-foot-wide skylight. Promotional materials on the fundraising site promised luxury at a steep price: $545 for a single night, though donors could access a discounted rate.
But, the Indiegogo campaign is flooded with comments as recent as two weeks ago from donors asking for refunds, or pleading for correspondence from Benoiston. Many claim the timeline has taken far longer than expected.
For one Indiegogo commenter, the reality of the site was a rude awakening compared to Benoiston’s dreamy design. After driving four and a half hours to the dome with a car packed for five nights, she turned around and left after seeing it, she wrote.
“We didn’t even feel safe walking down the drive due to the very large German Shepards [sic] running and viciously barking at our car as we pulled up,” she wrote in a comment posted 19 weeks ago. “And there was certainly no privacy as there was a house with windows both in front of the ‘private’ patio and one right behind the hot tub.”
In his response, Benoiston denied the close proximity of neighbors and accused her of being “set on discrediting the project.”
“While we strive to please everyone, we understand that some will never be satisfied, even in a place as majestic as the Taj Mahal,” he wrote in a comment.
In January, a Cascadia Daily News reporting team encountered an uneven dirt road leading to the property, and large dogs barking at the reporter’s car and running unleashed near the dome site.
In an email to CDN, Benoiston wrote he is “growing increasingly uncomfortable engaging with the press, as the local coverage so far has mostly recycled false narratives about our project, often with a sensationalist spin.”
For instance, he takes issue with references to “delays,” as the project never specified a completion date. Benoiston told donors in January 2023 that he would construct 10 to 12 more domes within a couple of months, CDN previously reported.
A proposal Benoiston submitted to the county two years ago showed the dome complex extending across multiple properties adjacent to his plot along Mount Baker Highway. Benoiston’s company, Curated Land LLC, still owns just the one parcel. The original goal of 35 domes seems to have shrunk to seven, according to recent updates on Indiegogo.
Benoiston wrote the project has obtained county approval for its water and septic system plan for the six additional units and noted the development is “progressing at the pace of Whatcom County’s regulatory processes.”
County spokesperson Jed Holmes wrote in a Wednesday, Feb. 12 email that a septic application for Benoiston’s property is pending approval.
He later wrote the site is currently permitted for one single family residence, a 724-square-foot dome. In July, Benoiston submitted a site plan for the six additional domes for approval, Holmes wrote. In August, the county gave Benoiston 180 days to respond to a list of additional requirements.
The Planning & Development Services department hasn’t yet received a response, Holmes said in the email, but noted Benoiston could have submitted information that is still working its way through the system.
More money and lofty goals
On real estate investing platform Small Change, Benoiston hopes to raise another $1.2 million for construction of five of the six new domes planned for the property. If the fundraiser misses that mark by an April deadline, Benoiston plans to build two domes as long as the project reaches at least $150,000.
In a document provided on the Small Change page, he indicated he may build more domes later on “if the project’s performance is strong.”
His vision, Benoiston outlines on the website, is to expand his operation to 50 domes around Washington — and then to other states. He intends to refinance or sell the complex in about six years.
The most recent crowdfunding effort launched in January. As of Wednesday, 11 people had given a total of $61,500. Investors must put in a minimum of $500.
Benoiston estimates construction of five new domes will be completed in 2026, according to the document on Small Change. He expects the lodge’s gross income to rise from $64,833 in 2025 to $4.4 million in 2030.
Benoiston wrote people who reserved five- and seven-night stays have gotten the chance to schedule visits already and people who booked three nights are next on the list.
“Many people have already stayed with us,” he added.
In his email, Benoiston wrote the company has issued about $80,000 in refunds already and noted giving people money back would cut into funds needed to complete the project. Those asking for reimbursement “may have misunderstood the project’s timeline” or booking priority system, he wrote, noting the company is nevertheless offering a refund option “as a courtesy.”
“We clearly stated that refunds would be offered when feasible, without providing a specific timeline,” he wrote. “Since the project is advancing as planned, we are not obligated to issue refunds.”
He expressed disappointment “the press” had shown little acknowledgment “of the challenges involved in creating something entirely new” and of the project’s unique qualities.
“Our innovative construction methods, the durability of our structures against fires and hurricanes, and other key features are often overlooked,” he wrote. “Instead, the focus constantly shifts to concerns about delays, refunds, and the frustration of a small minority.”
CDN sent Benoiston a list of follow-up questions. Among other inquiries, CDN asked whether the original plan for 35 domes was still the end goal, what the timeline was for the project and whether Benoiston could put a reporter in touch with someone who had stayed in the dome.
In response, Benoiston wrote he did not “see any advantage in disclosing more information beyond what’s already public. Details can easily be misunderstood or taken out of context, and this kind of scrutiny has only led to significant harm in the past due to inaccurate information.”
In November 2022, Benoiston sued a business partner for allegedly going back on a commitment to invest $250,000 in the Oculis Lodge development, thereby stalling the project, according to court records. The last court action was a motion to postpone trial in November 2024.
Sophia Gates covers rural Whatcom and Skagit counties. She is a Washington State Murrow Fellow whose work is underwritten by taxpayers and available outside CDN's paywall. Reach her at sophiagates@cascadiadaily.com; 360-922-3090 ext. 131.
