Town vision for public purposes

The future use of the Maple Ball field and the statutory warranty deed, restrictive covenant and the 4,000 square feet missing from the park are really important community matters.

But, back up a bit to decisions on use of this valuable publicly acquired property.

If the ballfield had to go, I do not believe that market rate housing proposed by the developer and the Town result in a valued public purpose – which of course is the fundamental reason for Town action.

And this failure in purpose applies not just to the Hedlin ballfield, but also to the hasty approval of channel-side condominiums and lodging that do not meet parking and other code requirements and to revising the Shoreline Management Plan by opening up the harbor area to private, necessarily higher-end residences.

Those three are current examples of a limited view of true public purposes taking a back seat to private interests.

If the best public use of the Hedlin property is residences, then a legitimate and highly valued public purpose would have been to facilitate low-income housing on the site, similar to Channel Cove and achieved by working in partnership with Skagit Home Trust and by seeking Community Development Block Grant funds for land purchase, funds that were available for application during the time the town held the purchase option.

The CDBG funds and Skagit Home Trust exist for this very purposes. Doing that would have taken imagination and work by the Town staff and Council, but would be more in line with what I believe are community values of providing more housing for low-income families who need help and who are or would be a valuable part of the future community.

We are not required by the Growth Management Act to add to our housing supply, but if we are going to do that it should be directed toward populations in need of housing.

I hope interested members of our community are in the future more alert to project proposals and how they serve the public rather than private purposes.

Bob Raymond

La Conner