City leaders on the Planning Commission and City Council received a strong message from the public last week. Put succinctly, they’re worried that growth in and around Oak Harbor is out of control and they want something done about it.

Hundreds of new homes have sprung up in recent years, prompting new and proposed “big box” stores along the Highway 20 corridor.

All this growth has had many positive effects, bringing new people with new ideas into the community; providing badly-needed jobs in the construction trades; producing more tax receipts for the city and county without raising taxes; and generally spreading wealth around the island.

On the down side, Oak Harbor is no longer immune to traffic congestion, even though the five-minute tie-ups during busy times at the Swantown Road intersection would make harried mainland commuters think they were on a Sunday drive.

Also, the island’s cherished rural views are being whittled away as housing subdivisions replace open farm lands, our water resources are being tested, wild animals are being displaced, and pollution associated with the increased number of people and their vehicles increases.

The large majority 200-plus people had such concerns on their minds when they attended a meeting of the Planning Commission last week. At issue were the proposals to build up to 1,000 houses on the former Fakkema dairy farm, and to bring a big box development of some 300,000 square feet outside of the southern city limits. Supporters of the projects were far outnumbered by naysayers worried about what was happening to their community.

One problem is that citizens haven’t seen much hand-wringing in the past when major developments received quick approval from the city. In part, that’s because the city was complying with the state Growth Management Act. The GMA encourages growth within a city’s growth boundaries and that’s where it has largely been located.

The new proposals require drawing larger growth boundaries, and that’s where citizens concerned about growth have a strong case. The state requires infilling before boundaries are enlarged, and Oak Harbor will have a hard time proving to county and state officials that all the land within its present boundaries is used up.

There is plenty of room for business growth on Midway Boulevard and Goldie Road, and still some empty lots along Highway 20. It won’t be so easy in the future, but creative deal making can still make most business plans come true.

City officials no doubt understand the message sent out by the citizens that they want the negative impacts of growth taken more seriously in the future. But for that to happen, the people need to closely follow the long, tedious, planning process. If they speak up only once early in the process, chances are the growth proponents will get their way.