I think the county should sell the Beaverton Valley property to PeaceHealth for the new integrated medical center — Beaverton Valley Hospital. The name even sounds fitting, like it came right out of a television show!

Then take the money from the sale and make the required mitigations to the current dump, which needs to stay where it is. We already have a thrift store and Consignment Treasures for larger building items and appliances. Why take away from those two philanthropic entities that support a segment of our society and move away from the current site because it isn’t large enough to contain those unnecessary duplicative endeavors? Without those two operations, the current site, along with the additional seven acres, is perfectly ample for an upgraded transfer station.

As far as converting the current site to a drop box facility in the next two to six weeks, this is unacceptable to the citizens and construction industry on San Juan Island. The cost of construction is already much higher due to our remote situation; now the county is being asked to compound this by imposing an additional hardship — requiring a dump-truck trip to Orcas Island for any haul-out, a cost that will ultimately be conveyed to the property owners through their contractor.

It is no secret that construction is currently at a record low, which means contractors are available to do the work necessary to fix the current dump in an acceptable time-frame.

Stop the bleeding now. Sell the Beaverton Valley property to the hospital and use the money to bring the current dump up to code.

Harold R. Brown
Friday Harbor