Editor,

Coupeville is a precious jewel at the center of Whidbey Island. I see its beauty and viability threatened by heedless extinction of small marshy and forested areas across the town’s sloping topography. Here I refer specifically to a small grove which shelters senior housing from State Highway 20, property recently for sale.

Aesthetics aside, such areas buffer noise, mitigate soil erosion, provide wildlife habitat and slow windflow across the island.

Coupeville seems painfully fragile and in danger of becoming a fast food drive-by with derelict buildings, real estate signage and large portions of commercial land rapidly eroding into Penn Cove.

I put this forth for consideration by any residents deciding Coupeville’s future.

Carolyn Kinch

Coupeville