January 12, 2008
Saturday AM

I would like to thank the unofficial historian on the background of the library location issue. It took all of those people, all of those meetings, and all of that public information and apparently half the town's participation, to pick possibly one of the least convenient locations in downtown Ketchikan for a library (Public library??) If it was not voted down it should have been or should be given the opportunity to be voted up or down by the public. And if all that public participation did not come to this conclusion than maybe it was not as public a process as some remember.

My unofficial viewpoint on this issue is that Ketchikan has historically, whether borough or city government actions, made some mistakes as we all have and undoubtedly we will all again.

But just saying something over and over in and of itself does not make something different than it is. . This is not a good location for a library and it does not meet the grade requirements that this city council just passed recently for roads going into new construction sites - it is a 13.5 percent grade to the new proposed library location, bad in the snow, narrow streets on a steep hill for the fire trucks. The new requirement initiated by this same council is 10% grade for roads into new construction sites. As I said before, is this the first exception to the new ruling, and will I now get a free pass to my lot (also with a good view) for a new building I want to put up? It is on a hill 13.75% on a narrow roadway that is bad in the snow and the fire trucks would have a hard time parking there.

The new proposed location, it still is not on the bus route. I may be mistaken but I think the busses and its routes are directed by the borough so rescheduling and rerouting the bus might be a borough issue. And if so I will say officially history shows this is not always the simple task it may appear to be (that is, unison between the two governing bodies). So other than the good view and the fact that the city owns the lot I can see no real advantage to this spot and since we have been waiting since 1941, I say what's the hurry. Keep looking.

Charles Edwardson
Ketchikan, AK

Received January 11, 2008 - Published January 12, 2008

Related Viewpoint:

Library Building Project By Charlotte L. Glover

Viewpoints - Opinion Letters:

Webmail Your Opinion Letter to the Editor

SitNews ©2007
Stories In The News
Ketchikan, Alaska