Develop a park near the marina

To The Eagle:

The mayor and town council of Cathlamet have determined we have plenty of street parking in downtown. They have cordoned off the only public parking lot available, securing it for potential future use as a park. I don’t know the plan or cost of development - there seems to be little interest in asking for input from the business community that will be the most impacted.

I attempted to drop by the First Interstate Bank on July 1st- there was no place to park. Please take a look at Main Street- It is now July, not mid-January- there are few free parking spaces. I own a downtown business and am fortunate enough to have a parking lot. Most local merchants do not. Those without parking include: Patty Cakes, the Barber Shop, Scribbles, Maria’s, Wahkiakum Eagle, Tsuga Gallery, Hanigan Law Firm, Wahkiakum Real Estate, and Daisy Chain Floral. The former space that was Hai Ying’s restaurant, is being renovated for future business activity. The Wahkiakum County building does not have adequate parking. All of these entities have employees needing to park.

Our lot has been at capacity many times recently, and I wish I could attribute it to higher customer demand. Alas, it is due to potential customers attempting to frequent businesses up and down the street. We have our lot posted, but folks need a place to park. The last thing I want to do is patrol a tow-away-zone.

I am all in for parks--we have many. I am also for supporting our local business community by providing adequate parking in the business district. Go develop a park by the marina and let the folks of Cathlamet have a place to park where it’s needed.

David Kirby, Puget Island

Cathlamet Market