Letters to the Editor, Opinion Clarifying concerns about Washougal development on Southeast 23rd Street
In reference to the article regarding the new (planned unit development) along Southeast 23rd Street in Washougal, published in the Dec. 27, 2018, issue of The Post-Record: I was actually more concerned with the morning business-commuter traffic from the new development and other existing residents not being able to access Crown Road, due to the large number of cars already on Crown during the morning commute times, although (the) comments regarding additional school travel are also germaine.
My additional concerns were primarily due to the flip of start times for the high school and grade school that were done after the traffic studies were completed. Also of more concern — and likely outside the scope of the original traffic studies — was the nighttime travel on Southeast 23rd during the winter, where the visibility due to fog is often more like 50 feet on this 50 mph road. The need for signals, shoulders and turn lanes should be obvious, but then the city would have to pay for improvements in advance of additional development that has yet to occur, as this current developer is only required to perform minimal improvements on the south side of the road in the specific area they are building. In my experience, which is fairly substantial, this is not the way successful city planning is done.
David Finn, Washougal
Cheers to encouraging more bipartisan work in the new year
I always enjoy the insights from the “Cheers and Jeers” column and the December column is a great example (“December Cheers and Jeers” published in the Dec. 20, 2018, Camas-Washougal Post-Record). In fact, (it is) a good example to follow: gratitude for hard work and community service, and encouragement where there is a problem.
On the national level, we could thank Congress (yes, our government) for preserving the SNAP program that battles hunger, with a bipartisan Farm Bill. We can also thank our representatives for continuing America’s leadership and pledge to the Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria. Not only has the Global Fund saved 27 million lives since 2002, America’s leadership inspires two-thirds of the total money from other donors. This kind of bipartisan work needs to be encouraged, and we can do it with our calls, letters and visits to those who represent us, like Congresswoman Jamie Herrera Beutler. Speaking up in the new year about this will also strengthen our democracy and end feelings of powerlessness. Cheers to that!
Willie Dickerson, Snohomish, Washington
