On our morning walk along the Ruston Way waterfront Friday we saw a sign announcing a proposed $4 million project ($3 million provided by the City of Tacoma and $1 million by the Federal Emergency Management Agency).
If the city is having difficulty balancing its budget, how can it afford this expense? If the money is available, but can only be used for construction, why not use the $3 million to repair the Old Town Dock, which has been closed to the public for several years, or some other badly needed construction project (like filling potholes)?
What is the purpose of this project? If FEMA (or FEMA and the city) needs office space, why not rent or buy some of the office space available all over the city rather than using scarce public waterfront?
If a waterfront location is needed for FEMA’s work, why not use space in the Port of Tacoma, on the Thea Foss Waterway or at the Tacoma Yacht Club basin? This would preserve the park area for the public.
It is time to think about our heritage, the city we shall leave for our children and grandchildren. Will we preserve or gradually destroy the beautiful public spaces of our city – most importantly the now very limited park land on our waterfront?
