Dreaming of funding for housing

Citizens of greater La Conner are invited by the Town of La Conner to participate in hearings the next two weeks. The town council first holds an obligatory public hearing May 10 before applying for a $30,000 economic development planning grant. This Community Development Block Grant will support revitalizing the area around the former Moore Clark building and between Maple Hall and Pioneer Park and South Third Street and the Swinomish Channel.

This is the same proposal from 2021. The goal is decent wage job development for lower income people. Funding will not address developing housing for employees.

The Town is not applying for the $1 million dollar grant for affordable housing.

A project of that magnitude and complexity requires resources, partners, time and, most importantly, vision.

Applying for a million dollar grant needs more than support letters from institutions such as Skagit County, Skagit Home Trust and The Port of Skagit.

Gaining a million dollar grant requires more than lining up matching funding.

Consider the months of staff time to develop such a grant proposal and the years to see it actually get built.

More, consider the citizen and organizational advocacy needed, the amount of hounding and loving support required to buoy staff and elected officials as they progress forward.

Eleanor Roosevelt wrote “The future belongs to the one who believes in the beauty of their dreams. It is when you dream that you have aspirations, and that motivates you to keep on working hard. The moment you stop dreaming is the day when you will stop making plans for your future.”

Consider the hard work behind the realization of the dream of the staff and board of the Anacortes Arts Festival in buying the Anacortes Cinemas movie theater. They plan to develop an arts center and will continue to show films. But that is the least of it. “The goal is to create a multi-story arts center for use by several groups and also add apartments,” according to local news reports.

Wow. Where did that come from? Dreams and years of hard work and coalition building and cajoling and not giving up.

“This and the creative district designation we’re seeking will give Anacortes an anchor and a hub for art and culture to exist,” Arts Festival Director Meredith McIlmoyle said. “We’re hoping it just radiates out from here.”

La Conner is no Anacortes. That city has about 18 times the population and infinitely more resources that that tax base and government services provide. But their citizens’ dreams need be no grander, and the realization of La Conner residents dream need be no less.

Today’s page 1 stories highlights the May 10 public hearing and attending on May 17, when council and the planning commission meet with Port of Skagit staff. What if the La Conner Marina’s parking lot between North Third and Second streets is the parcel of government owned land to target?

What if a vision of a three story building or like-designed campus for affordable housing started getting conceived on May 17? Port staff have an even larger vision, for the 10 acres north of the slough that extends to Sullivan Slough. Where might such a dream end up?

Ask the supporters and staff of the Anacortes Arts Festival.