Letters to the editor — April 1

• Published April 01, 2008

• Comments (0)

Preservation and protection of waterfront areas is in the best interest of the public who all enjoy the open space, views and unique beauty of our city, the state Capitol. Yes, downtown housing is desirable, and there are other properties available. Appropriate concessions from the city would make building 35-foot-tall buildings on the isthmus profitable and attractive to developers.

Walling off our waterfront with tall buildings is a bad idea. The ones who win are developers and the few people who can afford to buy a very expensive condo.

The proposal to radically change zoning regulations to allow 65-foot- to 90-foot-tall condo buildings on the isthmus between Capitol Lake and Puget Sound is an issue of importance not only to residents of the city of Olympia, but to everyone in Thurston County and the surrounding area, and in fact residents of the entire state.

Leslie Montecucco, Olympia

Improvements in downtown needed

I’m a third-generation Olympian, a grandmother, and live in a spacious suburban home. I look forward to retirement in a few years and plan on staying active in the community, spending quality time with my family, and traveling a little. I would like to be able to spend less time on home and yard maintenance, downsize my living space, and use my car less. I would love to live in downtown Olympia!

I remember when going downtown was a special event. There was a variety of small shops and department stores, ample parking, and enjoyable ambiance, and everyone in the community participated.

I have been following this ongoing debate about allowing extra height in sections of the downtown to promote high-end and market-rate housing. There has also been considerable talk about creating a sustainable future by using less land, more transit and walking, and revitalizing our city by building the Olympia Farmers Market, and a new Hands On Children’s Museum and City Hall. It is high time that we grow and improve our downtown to create a vital neighborhood, as it once was, that welcomes all people for many different reasons, and that supports the local merchants who give so much to this community.