I am deeply dismayed by some members of our community that continue to portray the Pioneer Way project as unwanted and misguided by all members of our community. At the last city council meeting, Councilman Dudley stated that “we should stop spending money on a project that no one wanted in the first place.”

Councilman Dudley, you are very wrong on that point. There is a large group in our community that embraces the Pioneer Way project and is very excited about seeing our downtown area revitalized. For far too long Pioneer Way was just a speed way through town with dangerous sidewalks, power lines and dying trees and businesses. New infrastructure and a facelift have been sorely needed for years. Wide sidewalks, beautiful plantings, art and common areas sound very welcoming to me.

This community is not made up of only downtown merchants but Midway, Highway 20, Goldie Road and many other pockets of commerce plus all the neighborhoods. That is a lot of people in our community who may not agree with Councilman Dudley and some downtown merchants.

Pioneer Way is lucky to have large side street parking areas to accommodate our construction zone. Is it really such a hardship to walk a block? It is time to move forward and make our community the best it can be for all of us, not just the loudest.

Karla Freund
Oak Harbor