First: Let’s clear up a misconception. There is a road, and then a landmass between the property and the water. Thus, it is not waterfront property. Perhaps a separate study can be done to remove that road. (And then the City Council can ignore it as well.)
Second: In lieu of a $14,000 appraisal of the property’s value, perhaps we should look at it this way: Even if it were offered for a million dollars, the city can’t afford it. We have no money.
In real life, we all want things that we have to do without because we cannot afford them. It is called fiscal responsibility. If you doubt that, take a look at the stock market, economic indicators or the average citizen’s bank register.
Third: A market as a fix-all is an asinine concept. Pike Place Market is the largest tourist draw in the Pacific Northwest. It is surrounded by intense urban density, and without the influx of business from thousands of people on cruise ships, most of the businesses would not survive.
Further, where are we going to park the thousands of people a day necessary to provide cash flow for the rapidly opening, and then closing, businesses?
Fourth: An aquatic park is another great sounding idea, but perhaps not overly viable. Yost Pool is unable to remain open longer three months out of the year and it needs commercial sponsorship to do that.
Fifth: The city government’s job is to oversee the health, welfare and safety of the citizens. Not to rip off property owners. Not to pontificate like an elitist blowhard. Not to react to a few dozen citizens with more time on their hands than a sense of reality. As such, when the City Council pays my bill for $60,000 for a study that it will promptly ignore, I will donate the money back to pay for either a fireman or police officer’s salary.
Michael A. Young
Edmonds
Talk to us
> Give us your news tips.
> Send us a letter to the editor.
> More Herald contact information.
