Editor,

In the 2016 comprehensive planning, the state Department of Commerce told Island County and Langley the growth rates were projected to be quite small for the next 20 years. Many of us back then objected to these low growth figures, and voila! We were correct — everything on Island County in less than 10 years grew faster than what they projected for 20 years.

Today, the same state is suggesting that Langley should plan for growth of something like 468 housing units over the next 20 years — a growth rate that Langley has never had in any 20-year period in more than 100 years.

The very unfortunate part is that Langley had more acreage in its UGA that should have been retained in the UGA. That land was put into a new category called PGA instead of UGA, which was a lower priority for growth. It is my understanding that at least 10 acres has been sold and expected to be retained but not built upon. That’s not to the benefit of Langley or to housing growth, and frankly, there were many issues in the 2016 comprehensive work that were problematic from both Island County and Langley. And, yes, from the state also.

Saturday’s South Whidbey Record article makes the city council appear that they once again do not support their city staff nor the citizen committees that this city council claims to have so much respect for.

None of the city council members are civil engineers, hydrologists, geotechs nor other land use and development experts, nor have they received any training.

Yet the members of city staff, the Planning Advisory Board and the Public Works Advisory Committee definitely have trained professionals at work, both paid and volunteers.

Councilmember Rhonda Salerno is creating more innuendo than fact-finding with her self-proclaimed expertise on where residential development should be. She even took Island County Commissioner Melanie Bacon on the “Salerno Tour” and colored Ms. Bacon’s knowledge with Ms. Salerno’s biases against residential development in the staff-recommended proposed PGA growth area.

For Ms. Salerno to criticize the mayor during a council meeting for expressing irritation that the mayor made a statement on the issue and said that was a council member’s job. Frankly no, Rhonda. It is the city staff’s job. They made strong recommendations based on years of experience, knowledge, professional studies and advice. Mayor Horstman was supporting the city staff, which is most certainly the right thing to do.

Certainly the city council can vote to approve, disapprove or modify staff recommendations — but when you do it so constantly, and over a period of nearly 20 years, Rhonda, you individually, have become the face of anti-development, claiming things that you do not have expertise in.

I remember when the city council did not support two Langley city planners’ staff recommendations back in 2011. Both planners resigned, one of them immediately went to work for the city of Oak Harbor. I respected his planning work very much and obviously the city of Oak Harbor did also.

I am very concerned about the constant push-back and chaos that surrounds development in Langley. The problems are most definitely not caused by the city staff, nor the PAB and PWAC Committees.

I’m embarrassed for the city, and very disturbed that Ms. Salerno continues to push against needed housing growth to happen “anywhere but in Langley.” Don’t forget, she also pushed for yet another housing development moratorium for the Coles Road development in recent years. Today, all the time, effort and expense regarding trying to get something to happen there has ended, again. Again and again.

Something is very unbalanced in Langley. Councilmember Harolynne Bobis’ point that we certainly don’t want to see people living in tents by the side of the road is well received.

Leanne Finlay

Langley