Rosary Heights plan wrong on many levels

The town of Woodway is considering the purchase of Rosary Heights on the ballot.

Our home is the entrance to Woodway from the south side. We moved here not because we wanted prestige, a mansion, or an elegant town hall for a population of about 1,200 people. Woodway was attractive to us because it is quiet, treed, and people enjoy their homes and properties with respect and caring for their neighbors and community.

The plans included with the purchase not only violate Woodway’s own ordinances against commercial business, but is short-sighted regarding long-term maintenance and operational costs; upgrades for accessibility, sprinklers and current day codes; the need for increased staff just to keep up the grounds, let alone the building; and the fact that we are anticipating a serious shortfall in the coffers for basic emergency services for our residents. Space can always be filled and utilized, but at what cost, for what purpose and to meet what priorities for the citizens who pay the bills?

If Woodway is to be the Quiet Place, a conference center/wedding banquet hall/event center would change the total ambience of the town and intent of the people who live here. Importantly, Woodway is an inaccessible community for those who do not have cars; there is no public transportation. Additionally, the consideration of the purchase of a mansion with taxpayer dollars when there is no affordable housing to be found in our community is an embarrassment.

I am proud of our little town hall. In the past few years, I secured $1,000 grants for the Annual Woodway Fair held at the Town Hall to help pay for activities at this event. If I have to help raise funds to buy hot dogs for the annual fair because the money is not in the town’s budget, what will I have to do to raise money to bring an assessed $8.7 million property up to code and maintained for the rest of our years here? That is a lot of hot dogs to find funding for.

Jane Bloom

Woodway