Public Works Shaw purchases benefits community | Letter

We Shaw Island residents support the responsible development of 1427 Neck Point Road. This property is centrally located along the main road, making staging, using and disposing of materials easy and efficient. There are not many properties to choose from, and in many ways, this one fits the bill. This is a long-term investment in our community that will be more efficient and save money over time.

Having a dedicated Public Works yard will increase efficiency and resiliency. A local yard with better facilities will allow for more efficient project completion, resulting in less disruption during road replacement, resurfacing, and ditch digging. Additionally, in the face of disaster and climate change, having material and equipment staged on-island will make for a quicker response when roads and culverts fail, making for a more resilient community.

The size and location of the property also offer enough space to give adjacent property owners buffers from Public Works’ activities. Public Works should develop the property with respect for noise, visual buffers, air quality, mitigation for run-off, groundwater protection and proper disposal of materials. We also ask that they conduct tests to ensure that they are not contaminating the land and groundwater.

Once development of the new property is complete, we ask that Public Works vacate and clean up the Blind Bay property, then work with the community to determine the best use that will benefit Shaw Island residents. It is imperative the County proactively involve the Shaw community in future plans/changes in use on either property, which could be accomplished through formation of a dedicated steering committee.

We thank Public Works and the County Council for being willing to invest in our community in terms of real property and maintaining our roads/infrastructure in an efficient manner.

Amber Borner

Andrew Borner

Debbie Anderson

Philip Burkhardt

Jan Chamberlin

Ghim Chua

Carol Criss

Janice Ekstrom

Phil Ekstrom

Nick Jones

Ellen Jones

Dennis Lynch

Kathi Melville

Alice Nelsen

Aidan Shannon

Deanna Shannon

Liz Stedman

Chad Swanson

Jennifer Swanson

Julia Weese-Young

Anne Wysocki