City Manager’s Vision for Port Angeles

City Manager Kent Myers spoke yesterday at the weekly Chamber of Commerce luncheon at the Red Lion. Among other things, he said: “I keep hearing the term ‘languishing.’ There is kind of a lack of consensus as far as a vision for the community.”

He also said he doesn’t think the city will pay for the Rayonier cleanup; it’ll be paid for by Rayonier and the State of Washington. One can hope.

He said Port Angeles “has a lot of potential” — location, walkability, outdoor activities, etc. But the city needs to “get a handle” on finances and finishing certain projects such as [ahem] Gateway. Buses will start using the new depot next Monday, but it’s still going to be awhile before the parking spaces and the pavilion are in use.

He said the city intends to carry out some of the suggestions made last month by the American Institute of Architects. And he stressed the need for transparency in the city government: “We're getting a lot of requests from the community for public records. We've basically got to open the doors at City Hall.”

He encouraged people to use the city’s website to contact him and other city officials. He said, “There is somewhat of a lack of trust in city government. I think we have a lot of rebuilding to do with our citizens.”

For now, a video of his speech is available at the PDN home page.

American Institute of Architects — Recommendations for Port Angeles

Some of the recommendations from the American Institute of Architects made sense. But some of the sensible recommendations were too “feel good” and didn’t have enough how-to specifics — i.e. making the city more user-friendly for bicyclists and pedestrians.

Other suggestions were just re-runs of what everyone’s been saying all along, like bringing the Farmers Market back downtown. Gee, ya think?

Their one specific suggestion was so far out to lunch, these “architects” either were never actually here, or they were all blindfolded. Converting First Street into a four-lane highway???

Uh, FYI, “architects” — that section of First Street already has hundreds of BUILDINGS along both sides of the street. Inside each of those buildings, there are PEOPLE already working and/or living there. HELLLOOO!?!?!?!?!!

The real world can be so confusing. You can go back to your ivory towers now.