As a native Seattleite, and south county resident for a dozen years, I’ve watched urban sprawl push ever-farther into what used to be “the sticks.” I still remember when Highway 2 ran through town on its way to the “big city” of Monroe, and beyond.
Why do I live here? Snohomish is close to everything I need, without those things being too close to me. Local stores meet my day-to-day needs. My “big” shopping needs can be met by driving half an hour (or less) in any direction. I don’t need mega chain stores within 5 minutes of my home. Do you really want Avenue D or Bickford Avenue looking like Highway 2 in Monroe or Highway 99 in south Everett?
Trying to have it all – small town charm and big city convenience – hasn’t worked for Monroe, Marysville, Mountlake Terrace, or any number of other places. With the proposal to let developers off the hook for increased traffic loads, and allowing lower acceptable speeds on almost every road into and out of town, what’s going to happen if (there’s no guarantee after all) the out-of-towners show up to spend their money?
Snohomish should keep doing what it does best – be the small town bedroom community it is. After reading and hearing about other candidates in this year’s election, I’m left with the impression that they either don’t recognize Snohomish’s unique charm, or worse, aren’t interested in preserving it. Increasing the tax base needs to be done without jeopardizing our quality of life. While I don’t agree with everything Liz Loomis does, she understands why Snohomish is unique and isn’t trying to make it something it’s not. That’s why I’ll vote for Liz. If you value what makes Snohomish special, you will too.
Peter Pieper
Snohomish
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