Letter to the Editor: All or nothing is not an option
Thursday, March 12, 2015
To the Editor:
I hear, again the all or nothing option. Conflating the train stations and Rezoning 25% of our city to high density.
A familiar technique: give people (or an animal) preselected options that fit the preferences for outcome….thus managing the outcome.
This technique built our sound bite society. Critical thinking skills diminish as choice (real or perceived) disappears.
Slyly moving the debate: good and bad as if no other solution exists. Let’s veer away from false choices, move to research, truthfulness and transparency, community buy-in will occur.
Citizens have rights to ask questions and get answers. Sometimes the answer maybe “We do not know”.
It is real now, everyone is watching, researching and becoming informed. I do not think this is a bad thing and is certainly not worthy of belittlement.
As many have said….if it is your home being affected, you certainly have a different perspective.
Observers of the process who are not personally vested cannot pretend to walk in the same shoes.
A “vocal majority” of those directly affected by this Radical and Overreaching Rezone deserve respect and understanding that so far has not been demonstrated by our city leadership.
This has been, in my opinion, the most pro-development Council since the city’s inception. As happens in politics, unreasonable confidence and over-reaching occurs.
Then the electorate reacts….and demands change.
The critical thinking engines in the community have been awakened and invigorated.
Research and sharing has commenced in the community.
I share this with you.
See the BAE Urban Economics study from late 2013 for Sound Transit. This is linked off the City website. http://shorelinewa.gov/home/showdocument?id=15888
Read the conclusions and recommendations.
This information provides the council with guidance.
These respected national consultants do not support this huge rezone. In fact, they caution against it.
Read it for yourself!
Karen Easterly-Behrens
Shoreline
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8 comments:
Thank you!
Hear, hear!
Right on Karen! I urge everyone to read the BAE report. The City's own consultants do not support the ridiculous rezones!
EXCELLENT!!!! Thank you for posting this. If you haven't, I would highly recommend emailing the article to all the councilmembers. This whole proposed rezone proposal needs to go back to the drawing board and have citizens involved in the decisions of future structures in their neighborhoods. LISTEN COUNCILMEMBERS to the PEOPLE!
Karen E-B is so right, for so many reasons.
The Radical Rezone "choices" that our Shoreline City Council considered reminded me of that old trick question: "Would you rather have a tiger eat you or a lion?" If you understand the question in one way, and you value your life, your answer must be "a lion". If you read it another way, your answer must be "neither". That is, you reject being eaten, no matter how you read the question.
That's where Shoreline citizens who are now aware of what's been happening with the proposed Transit Oriented Development (TOD) rezone stand at this time. We have not been kept informed of or involved in the rezone plans and we reject the choices offered. We see these options as being like Godzilla run amok, devouring affordable family homes, neighborhoods, the lives that have been built there over decades or hope to be built over decades to come, all without consulting the residents of Shoreline.
Godzilla could be disabled if 4 council members agree that the people of Shoreline deserve a positive response to their pleas to SLOW DOWN - CONSIDER OTHER OPTIONS - INVOLVE RESIDENTS BEFORE DEVELOPERS - BE TOTALLY TRANSPARENT
This is a city wide issue. These proposed changes will affect taxes for schools, fire, capital improvement projects for every taxpayer in Shoreline.
The city council expresses token opposition to Point Wells but are building Point Wells East. Richmond Beach Road runs right into 185th it is the same road. So we are all joined together..... let's help each other! Goodness knows from what I have seen so far the City Council have no intention of representing our communities
Thank you Karen
Put the density and high rises on AURORA and run efficient shuttles to the light rail station and Point Wells - people can leave their cars at home, the neighborhoods wont be devestated, and Shoreline will have many more residents to appreciate the newly rehabbed Aurora corridor.
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