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I guess we should have expected it, but it’s disappointing none the less. Since “affordable housing” is a critical issue for all our communities, it is now being used as a cudgel or enticement for what would otherwise be an unacceptable development options. For Skagit county, the implementation of the Growth Management Act was particularly painful. We were delinquent in implementing the law and were at risk of sanctions from Olympia by the time we actually adopted our Comprehensive Plan. There was also significant tension between the count...
When I was young, there was a common joke told by comedians: “Everybody keeps talking about the weather, but nobody is doing anything about it.” This was also a sad reference to the politics of our democracy. That is, we spend a lot time talking about our problems, but much less time addressing them. The truth of this sentiment that is most alarming is the “climate change” debate. It is very much in keeping with the intent of the old joke. What is even more disconcerting is that the debate blinds us to a greater understanding of what we are...
In my previous article (Nov. 6), “The History of the Flaw-Part I,” I outlined a view of our nature as a species; our tendency to choose self-interest over community-interest; and our lack of common perspective. This discussion was brought to my attention early in my studies as a student of ecology by an article from a biology professor, Garrett Hardin. His article in Scientific American in December 1968, “The Tragedy of the Commons,” planted the seeds for this point of view. One of the principles of our democratic republic is that the collect...
It is not easy to accept that there may be a flaw in our nature that may be the underlying source of our difficulties. In our culture, it is even more difficult to accept the idea that there is “no technical solution” to problems that arise. Be it land use, energy production, medicine or farming, we insist on finding a “right” technical solution, enlisting our “scientific truths” to support our choice in the right solution. There is seldom an inkling that we cannot technically solve our problems or that technical solutions, in themselves,...
Affordable housing has become the elephant in the room that we are repeatedly forced to address. However, the symbol of the issue seems more akin to the Asian Indian parable of the “Blind Men and the Elephant.” Is the affordable housing issue the elephant or just the tail? Historically, we have viewed this as a “first cost” problem. If we lower the initial cost of purchasing a home, people will be able to afford it. Unfortunately, this is a modest short-term fix. It doesn’t address rental markets or subsequent buyers. The market value of...
We all love to complain about petty bureaucrats and regulations. They are quite annoying sometimes. I have been on both sides of the counter on this issue. I can tell you that it is sometimes not easy or pleasant to enforce standards, code and regulations; or tell someone that they can’t do something that they had their heart set on. As Americans, we like to tout our freedoms and independence. However, many times what makes communities unique and desirable (or undesirable) are the standards by which a community lives. Sometimes these s...
The Kirsch property has come back on the agenda for the Mayor and Council. This property has been on and off the agenda for several years now. There are several issues that surround this property that lead to significant misunderstandings. Its role in public access has changed over the years. It is important for everyone (who cares about it) to be honest about the importance of that property in context to its ownership. Some background on its purchase: Town acquired the property in July of 2001 for $350,000. Originally, the Kirsch property was...
Just imagine yourself sitting on a bench in front of an old fire station with a bunch of older men and women reminiscing about the “old days” in the “department.” That’s about what it feels like to read Roy Horn’s new book, “The Story of the Men and Women of the Hope Island Fire Department 1958-2002.” This “stream of consciousness” telling of the history of the Hope Island Fire Department is particularly enjoyable for many of us who have served in the Department. I would specifically recommend it for those who live on the “west shore” as a h...
Our current public discussion on a variety of issues reveals a flaw in our nature. It’s not a new revelation. The flaw is that we are willing to benefit ourselves individually at the expense of others. While this is not new, it does have a new urgency. It is compounded by its reflection in our democracy. Philosophers, scientists, writers and politicians have been debating this for centuries. Unfortunately, the results of not attending to the “flaw” have come home to roost. All too often public discourse is a one-sided tirade. Public debat...
In the late 1970s, when I first came to live in Skagit County, it felt like coming home. That first view coming off the Conway Hill going north on I-5 brings that feeling. I have to admit that what brought me to that view point was a little more scientific. I was on my way to Anacortes. I had studied the area and Fidalgo Island was the closest landfall of the “rain shadow” from the Olympic Peninsula. I wanted to live in Western Washington, but in the least soggy parts. In the process of exploring the valley, I stumbled across La Conner. At the...
Beginning next week, officials from the Federal Emergency Management Agency, better known as FEMA, and people from the Department of Ecology and the National Marine Fisheries will be visiting La Conner to evaluate how well we are managing development in the floodplain areas of Town. Later in the coming year, we will be visited by Community Rating System representatives to evaluate our membership in their program. The Community Rating System program is a voluntary national program in which communities can participate to lower the overall rates...
There has been significant press coverage lately, both locally and nationally, regarding flood hazards. The Oso landslide reminds us that catastrophic events are usually infrequent, often unexpected in the moment they occur but predictable. While it has been decades since there has been significant local flooding, it’s important to note that 70 percent of La Conner is in the Skagit River 100-year floodplain. All of this sets the stage for recent changes to the National Flood Insurance Program administered by FEMA. Residents are likely to see t...
