Community Visioning

Today's letter to Blaine City Council:

One of the reasons for "early, continuous, and inclusive public involvement throughout the planning process" being required under the Washington State Growth Management Act is that this gives public officials the opportunity to hear the community's vision for their future and to consider alternative means of achieving that vision. Community visioning under Growth Management typically begins with an orientation to the Comprehensive Plan process followed by numerous town halls where open two-way discussions are hosted and facilitated by professional planners.

Alternatives to the developers' vision now being railroaded by Community Development Services include preserving the downtown views as presented to the city during the 2014 Comprehensive Plan ten-year update by Salishan Neighborhood Association. This proposal, which was supported by the city council at the time, was never raised as an alternative for consideration in 2024. Nor was the proposal I recommended to seek grants for civic center redevelopment--including a community art center, city museum, and new library with parking garage above all-in-one as a way to kickstart prosperity.
Views and arts, both attractive to tourists and fulfilling for residents, were eliminated from the discussion as Blaine City Council and CDS pounded us with propaganda in developing the 2024 work plan devoted to developers' wishes at our community's expense. With the rapid growth of our community, an alternative use for the lots on the west side of Peace Portal is to expand the tiny public plazas at G and H Streets. And in case you didn't notice, Mt. Vernon just opened their new community center/library with parking garage above financed entirely by state and federal grants.

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