Letters to the editor for August 2

Your views

• Published August 01, 2008

• Comments (0)

I don't know about you but I have not experienced the same sort of income surge over the same period as our firefighters have had. But leave it to an out of control budget process of Fire District 3 to hand out money without actually increasing service levels.

Now Fire District 3 is asking the city of Lacey to pay an additional $1.8 million for their budget shortfall despite having a contract for services through 2010. The audacity of this local agency to spend so recklessly needs to be publicized.

If our community can vote against families as we did in 2007 it won't be long before we vote against the purposeful budget mismanagement of Fire District 3 in the upcoming levy lid vote scheduled for Aug. 19.

Rick Yale, Lacey

Council should adopt Oly2012 plan for isthmus

We want to share our views concerning the proposals to increase the height limitations for the Larida Passage project.

We favor increasing the height limitations. Specifically, we support and favor the concept and vision which has been expressed by the Oly2012 group. It seems to us that increasing the height limitations will provide additional market-rate housing, make the area involved safer, and, hopefully, stimulate further redevelopment downtown.

We understand a petition signed by six former governors was given to the Planning Commission. The petition makes two noteworthy points. First, each of the six governors involved, when his term of office ended, did not stay in Olympia to enjoy the view. Instead, they each, so far as we can tell, moved to Seattle, a city with a lovely waterfront and a good deal of high-density housing on that waterfront.

Second, the most important point to be gathered from the governors' petition is that, for nearly 50 years, the governors and their administrations of both parties, have favored acquiring the isthmus for its views and development of public spaces. Yet absolutely nothing has been done. If anything should convince us of the futility of waiting for the state to take some action to turn the isthmus into a park, we think the fact that six administrations have been unable to do so ought to be proof positive that nothing will be done.

Accordingly, we strongly urge the City Council to adopt a plan consistent with the views expressed by Oly2012.

Wayne L. Williams and Melanie Stewart, Olympia

We need a plan for future development

Building new housing opportunities downtown is a worthwhile goal that, if done well, will provide a sustainable and vibrant economic base for Olympia, and for our small business community.

Unfortunately, the current proposal to erect upscale condos on the isthmus across from Capitol Lake isn't the best way to begin this process. I'd love to see something other than the current derelict buildings on that site! I hope the Olympia City Council and the planning commission will use the active public interest in this development to create a sustainable plan for our community — one that includes zoning for retail, government, nonprofits, mixed-housing and restaurants. Our old buildings don't easily make room for restaurant kitchens.

We don't need more parking meters downtown! We do need a parking structure. Mainly we deserve a creative and sustainable plan for future development that meets the needs of our community, not one that fills the pockets of a few wealthy developers.

Liza Rognas, Olympia