Guest Column by Mark Fishaut: Questions $5 million for paved trails at Zylstra Lake
- Written by Mark Fishaut
A little noticed item in the Islander from our absentee congressman includes over five million dollars for paved trails for the Zylstra Lake Preserve.
No one I have spoken to either knew of nor approved of this federally funded boondoggle. The community rejected megamillion dollar spending on road “improvement” of questionable need and a new library and its antiquated vision. All these projects are objectively laudable but a a time where the needs of the community ranging from little affordable housing, marginal urgent medical care access, and completely inadequate acute mental health care in a time of crisis, it beggars the imagination as to how and why this has happened.
It also raises the question who really stand to benefit- is it the limited number of future users or is it the contractors and enablers?
One wonders how this all came about at a time when many have questioned the choices and management of the Land Bank and of our County government in general. As Desi once put it- “you’ve got some ‘splainin to do”.
Mark Fishaut
Friday Harbor
Larsen secures $31 million for 15 local projects in Omnibus Spending Package; $6 million for San Juan County
Rep. Rick Larsen (WA-02) voted for the Fiscal Year 2023 omnibus spending package, which included funding Larsen secured for fifteen projects in the Second District that local leaders and stakeholders identified as critical to their communities. The package now heads to the President’s desk to be signed into law.
- San Juan County Public Works Department’s Town to Zylstra Lake Multi-Modal Trail – The Public Works Department will construct about 2.5 miles of paved trail for pedestrians and bicyclists from the town of Friday Harbor to Zylstra Lake Preserve. ($5,280,000)