Former Snohomish County Councilman Jeff Sax asks an important question in his Saturday guest commentary, “How will new council solve the density puzzle?” However, he might very well look to the prior council’s mistakes for pushing up the prices of homes, adding traffic congestion, failing to provide proper infrastructure, refusing to properly preserve urban watersheds, and a complete ignorance of our responsibility to combat global warming.
In short, they have put at risk many of the qualities that once made this county livable. As a result, citizens have voted for change. I anticipate a new direction by our recently elected council members that will favor the needs of all of us within this community, not simply the developers.
As for the density issue, much can be done to encourage redevelopment within our city cores and transit-rich sectors to absorb incoming population. Too lax an attitude by the previous council has allowed this growth to spill over into outlying areas through the misuse of rural clusters. Likewise, improperly zoned intense density within the UGA has ruined the character of neighborhoods, adversely impacted lives of long-term citizens, and placed sensitive areas in jeopardy. Thank goodness for new perspectives on the “puzzle!”
Joan Smith
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