One of the reasons people like to come to Snohomish is because it isn’t like every other small town in our state. You can still walk down the main street and window shop or buy an ice cream cone or enjoy people watching from a sidewalk bench. You can watch skydivers float from a plane or fishermen casting from their boats on the river. You can stroll along a beautiful river-walk path and enjoy the quietness of an evening sunset, complete with hot air balloons. You can take a walking tour of some of the charming old historic homes that have been lovingly restored by their owners, or admire the beautiful hanging baskets on the lamp posts on First Street. We have restaurants to suit every taste and pocketbook, and cars that actually stop for pedestrians and bicyclists.
We aren’t big, and we go at a slower pace. What’s wrong with being a small town with charm and character and individuality? Leavenworth and Winthrop have far-sighted leaders who have seen the wisdom of this concept and have been very successful. We don’t want to be like Seattle or Lynnwood or Monroe with their big box stores and apodments.
Don’t let special interest developers and builders ruin our unique historic town by trying to rezone it and make it like every other cookie-cutter community in the area. Make your voice heard to the Snohomish City Council and stop this notion that we have to be all things to all people. Many hours were spent creating the guidelines already in place for our city’s growth and development, and our Historical Society has worked tirelessly to preserve the ambience of old Snohomish. So far, both are working fine. We are not in competition to see how many people we can squeeze into a city block. There is no shame in loving what you know is a very special place to live. Let’s hope our civic leaders have the intestinal fortitude to say “no” to rezoning and “no” to high-density development.
Heather Brookins
Snohomish
Talk to us
> Give us your news tips.
> Send us a letter to the editor.
> More Herald contact information.