by Gerald Elfendahl, Bianbridge Island Historian
Dear Friends of Cannery Cove (aka Strawberry Cannery Park),
Attached (below) is a decision of the Hearing Examiner to our City SEPA (State Environmental Policy Act) DNS (Determination of Non-significance) Appeal. It is very detailed and those who attended the three days of hearing, will want to look through it carefully. It is 22 pages. I have yet to wade through it as it just came in by email. While she supports a City determination of “non-significance”, it is clearly significant to many if not most here!
We are thankful for the Hearing Examiner’s time, thoughtfulness and courtesies. We are grateful for the City Council directing City staff to stop planning on this project. Laws don’t save historic properties: People do! We are grateful that the Council is scheduling open public study sessions on the project. Your input will be important in that.
Remember the SEPA Appeal is very focused, limited in its scope, and does not address many important issues:
- SEPA does not answer many questions, assess our needs,or measure our dreams.
- SEPA does not answer the budgetary and cost of project questions.
- SEPA does not care if public tax dollars are wasted or would be better spent elsewhere.
- SEPA does not measure alternatives that are historically and environmentally responsible and much less costly.
- SEPA does not answer the best place to spend the Wyckoff penalty funds to create fish and wildlife preserves forever.
- SEPA does not answer the tears of those to whom this real site has been a significant part of their family’s and their community’s history.
- SEPA does not see the excitement in the eyes of the French neurologist and his camera who discovered Cannery Cove on his own while attending a world conference in Seattle and who had read Snow Falling on Cedars in French.
- SEPA does not walk across a muddy tide flat forever and ever befouling the fragile estuary beach and providing children and other boaters an unsafe and unhealthy environment in which to launch a small boat.
- SEPA does not engage or challenge the public’s creativity.
- SEPA does not assess our community needs, especially within four blocks of the schools and the heart of our urban center.
- SEPA does not create a project that can be a tremendous positive public adventure to collectively create educational, recreational, historical and environmental programs.
- SEPA does not necessarily respect the way a public feel about those who have gone before.
- SEPA does not assure a good design or a flexible development plan.
- SEPA may just assess “t” crossing and “i” dotting.
- SEPA does not assure wisdom.
- SEPA does not dream.
Respectfully,
Jerry Elfendahl
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