— from Bob Gamble, reprinted upon request —
I read the excellent article Matthew Gilbert wrote on the airport expansion and all the great comments that followed. Unfortunately I’m worried that many of the people that made comments left it at that, just comments. Everybody that made comments needs to send their comments to the appropriate forum where it will matter. To matter, comments MUST go to the Port of Orcas BEFORE the [ Aug. 3] deadline. This is the government we’re dealing with, things need to be done THEIR way.
If you would like to submit a comment to the Port please comment on the website www.portoforcas.com/master-plan/ or send an email to orcasmasterplan@dowl.com or contact project manager Leah Henderson at (425) 869-2670.
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Thank you Bob!
Yes make your opposition known on the port website or they will be ignored. There needs to be a significant turn out for the September progress review. Pressure needs to be brought to bear on the port commissioners and the general manager. The proposed alternative is #1 and the others present a significant degradation of the Orcas
environment.
Bob Gamble is right; individual comments count and they need to be in BEFORE Friday. Proposed maps can be found here for anyone who hasn’t had a chance to look at them:
ADDENDUM: the port has extended the deadline to a little over 2 wks – by Aug 3. That doesn’t mean we should slacken our efforts; rather, we should re-double them and let even more people know what is proposed and what impacts it would have on not only the north, south, east and west properties surrounding the airport, but on our island. There will be a special port commissioners meeting on the 26th of July; I hope the Port meeting room can hold us all!
I also noticed that the Port website has changed its entire thing from that the Port would decide in September what their preferred plan is, to something less clear and more benign. Does this mean that the Port will decide NO expansion if the Public clearly is against it? I hope that the Port will honor our wants and needs. This airport is NOT expandable – there is NOT enough land.
Thank you, Bob. That’s called bringing it home!
Please do. That’s what we’re asking for.
Incidentally, when we, the Port, select a proposed draft alternative, there will be additional opportunity to comment, so, I think in reality, you can keep commenting away.