Issue statements from LFP council incumbent Wright and challenger O’Brien

By Evan Smith 

Lake Forest Park city council incumbent John Wright and challenger Ben Gonzalez O’Brien recently sent statements about their views of the most important issue or issues in the November 7 general election.

They are running for one of four LFP council positions on the 2017 ballot, the only one that is contested. Incumbents in the other three positions are running unopposed.

Here are their statements:

City of Lake Forest Park, Council Position 3

John Wright

John Wright

The most immediate issue facing LFP today is crafting an agreement between the City, Sound Transit, and Town-Center owners to integrate a new ST-3 transit center with mall redevelopment and establishing Bus Rapid Transit and highway improvements.

This will improve services and amenities for our citizens and will transform the center into a vibrant community hub. We only have 18 months to finalize the agreement and only one chance to get it right, but the possibilities are tremendous.

We must also slow new development in our neighborhoods or risk losing what makes LFP so special. Current regulations restrict a citizen’s ability to manage their trees, but much greater impact to our quality of life is done by densification and development.

Ben Gonzalez O’Brien

Ben Gonzalez O’Brien

As your candidate for City Council, I believe there are three main issues facing our community. I am prepared to hit the ground running, always with community concerns in mind.

First, I will work to increase transparency and accountability. We should strive to develop better communication between the council and residents and encourage participation of the community.

Second, we should strengthen our tree ordinance, to protect our natural environment, and ensure that future generations can benefit from our stewardship.

Third, I would develop a diverse housing plan, so that all residents looking to stay in LFP can afford to. For example, by revitalizing the Town Center, we could protect forested areas from over-development, while allowing growth and mitigating ST3 effects.