Put people and small business first

Regarding the city of Everett’s plans for downtown:

I like the idea of more residential space in the downtown; however I don’t believe it will be affordable for the average person. Typically, because of limited space, in-town condos and town homes are high priced. Consider the condos proposed for the waterfront development, starting at $400,000-plus, or more by the time they are actually built.

I like the idea of living downtown for the access to cultural and social venues. Living in town makes sense, especially as we age. Public transportation from suburbia is lousy. I can bicycle from Silver Lake to downtown Everett faster than I can go by bus because bus service is not efficient here.

I’m opposed to unlimited height of buildings. How awkward is that in a town this small? Why block out the sun (when we do have it) with canyons created by tall buildings? We need to emphasize our great views and waterfront, not block it out.

Industrial or residential, I think that will depend on what attracts the most revenue for the city, which is, after all, the bottom line for the city.

It is possible to turn downtown into a people place. It happens in many cities. All it takes is awareness of what people want in their city. Put people and small businesses first, then fit in industrial where it won’t interfere with life.

Mike Dahlstrom

Everett