By Terry LeDesky

I am responding to Mr. Adams’ (Letters, Nov. 3) invitation to express an opinion regarding the spending of money in the Old Town area newly named Harbor Side.

I do not own any business or property in this district of our community, so I don’t think I speak with a conflict of interest! I do speak as a concerned citizen that has given time and energy in what I believe is for a better Oak Harbor.

In 2001 during the Harbor Pride Blueprint for Change Community Workshop, participating Oak Harbor residents identified that the Harbor Side area of Oak Harbor is the most valued area as to defining who Oak Harbor is and the area they most liked. Visiting architects from the Northwest Washington Chapter of the American Institute of Architects were also part of the workshop and took the input from the participating citizens and created a vision for this area.

Harbor Side is the heart of our cultural heritage with the views, buildings, oak trees and the wonderful narrow curving street through it. This area reinforces into the future why Oak Harbor is named Oak Harbor. Any investment of tax dollars in this district will pay for itself over and over in the long run. Harbor Side will continue to add mixed use developments that will further create a healthy pedestrian and water oriented living environment.

Big box retail contributes to auto dependent shopping, air pollution, traffic congestion and lacks a special opportunity to relate to our small town life style. Investing only in large commercial retail developments would compromise the quality of life we enjoy on Whidbey Island.

Investing tax dollars into the Harbor Side district is not that different from investing tax dollars into the new high school stadium. We’re contributing to architectural elements that improve our community and communicate who and where we are. (A beautiful island!)

We do have a choice as long as our city gives us the opportunity to participate in decisions. My hope is that Oak Harbor’s new mayor and city council members take the action to plan with the citizens rather than planning at the citizens. The question is not, does city staff have the knowledge to make decisions? The question is, how do we maximize decisions so that both the city and the people who live in that city can have ownership of what happens in Oak Harbor? Take those steps and we will all want to invest our tax dollars into our community.

Terry LeDesky, AIA

Oak Harbor