Have you heard the news that will certainly affect each and every one of us here in Coupeville? Himalaya Homes is proposing a 20 unit cookie-cutter subdivision to be fast tracked off Third Street through Albion Way. The project was rushed through our Town Council and Planning Department in the blink of an eye. Construction could begin immediately.

The project’s dwellings will be crammed together, designed to maximize both space and profit. The location is a wooded area, home to abundant resident wildlife. I would ask you why here? Why would one consider building 20 new homes in a village of less than 2,000 people, a good portion of whom are retired.

Why now, in an economy where excess inventory foreclosures and short sales continue to dominate and stall the market. Why?

We need to ask ourselves, should our focus be only about the formality of getting permits and submitting plans, or should it be about responsible building and the desire we all have to preserve what we have worked hard for in a world where “progress” doesn’t always have a positive outcome. Our island community is unique and we must not sit silently by and watch the heavy hand of “progress” forge ahead unchallenged. We do have a voice.

We’re like a big family. We get along most of the time, argue and debate some of the time, and although we all have a different story, we still share a common bond. Some of us have a long family history in Coupeville. Others visited the island and simply never left. We love the life we have chosen and wake up each morning to look out on our town in amazement at our good fortune.

I live on Albion Way. I invite you, my neighbors, to drive up here and see for yourselves. It is worth a step back, taking a breath and reconsidering the impact this project will have on Coupeville. It may just be a glimpse into a future none of us would look forward to, and then I would ask, “Why here, and why now?”

Linda Kim

Coupeville