EDITORIAL | Tuesday’s charrette a chance to begin anew

Published 7:00 am Saturday, April 11, 2015

South Whidbey’s charming little Village by the Sea is in an uproar this week, and it’s no surprise that the turmoil revolves around Langley’s proposed marina access/bluff conveyance project.

The latest fuss erupted over an inflammatory handbill that recently arrived on doorknobs across town. Created by Sharon Emerson, a vocal critic and self-appointed white knight against the project, the handbill aimed to incite residents into rebelling against the city’s planned agenda for next week’s charrette by taking a public vote, one leaders at City Hall have expressly forbidden. While frustration over Langley’s refusal to gather a consensus is understandable, the purposeful hijacking of a public meeting is a radical step and not the right direction to take. We feel it only further incites community discord over what’s proved to be an explosive and divisive issue.

There are better ways to handle not getting your way than purposefully attempting to subvert authority with pompous displays of insurrection.

Yet, Langley leaders have no one to blame but themselves for the boiling-over passions of residents who feel like they haven’t been heard. This has been a hot-button issue since late August when The Record published a city-released conceptual image of an elevator and lift. Outcry over the potential view impact was overwhelming, yet it’s taken eight months to organize a public meeting.

Eight months.

Proponents and critics have spent the time waging a war through the newspaper’s Opinion Pages, only to learn that the long-desired meeting would be a lackluster affair that wouldn’t address details such as cost or public opinion for specific designs.

No wonder some are advocating rebellion.

But if that weren’t enough to discourage public attendance, it’s further saddening to hear that argument among supporters and detractors has become so heated that residents on both sides of the issue are afraid to attend for fear of scorn or retribution from people they once counted as friends or neighbors.

Enough is enough.

This issue has embroiled and divided Langley for too long. It’s time those who are for a project and those who are against one to lay aside their mutual resentments, distrust and preconceived ideas and show up to Tuesday’s meeting with an open mind. This is a chance to begin anew.

The charrette may not be everything some people hoped it would be, but it certainly won’t be waste of time. Also, we trust that city leaders will work to ensure everyone is heard and that the environment is one that fosters a healthy and civil dialogue.

The charrette is set for 6:30 p.m. Tuesday, April 14 at Langley United Methodist Church, 301 Anthes Ave.

Be there.