Does anyone else ever drive over the Chehalis River bridge and daydream of docks and businesses spotting the shorelines that now feature deteriorating pilings? Maybe it's just me but I'd love to see the historical seaport get everything from the old Stouffer's property to the old Weyerhaeuser property and cover those dead pilings with docks and themed stores.

Maybe even bring back prostitution in the name of "historic preservation"... ok maybe too far, but I call dibs on "Billy Ghoul's Barber Shop and Union Negotiations Center"

We have, from the first time we crossed that bridge six years ago. Having lived twenty years in a river community on the shores of Lake Michigan (pop. 33,000), and have seen excellent shoreline development including an international draw museum, library, restaurants, shops, park areas where they host an annual river festival, we continually shake our heads at the extreme lack of shoreline vision and planning here in the Harbor.

Of course! Your visions are not new. Many of us have been saying that for years and have been pushing for it. I love the GH Historical Seaport's vision and drawings for that area.

Gosh, over 20 years ago now, I worked on the committee in Hoquiam that created that 8th Street Landing which was to be the first phase of a waterfront that would include shops and restaurants lining that whole stretch. At the time, the Levee Street Restaurant was in business and we hoped for more. When the law firm built their office there, it was disappointing. Nothing against lawyers but we wanted retail, not offices. Anyway, the committee disbanded, I don't recall why, and that was the end of that, as far as I know.

Nothing against bankers but it was similarly sad to have a bank take over the old Chuck's Hideaway location for their offices. That is a prime stretch of riverfront with beautiful views. While Chuck's never had the cuisine to draw people, it sure had the views and it's a shame that space is no longer available to draw people.

Well, both towns have talked about it for years but it's never gotten past talk. I don't know why.

ETA: Also about 20-25 years ago, Tori Kovach started a group called, IIRC, the Hume Street Historical Preservation Society, to push to capitalize on the houses of ill repute so prevalent in that area into the early 60's. It never went anywhere, except maybe Billy's Restaurant, but I thought it was a pretty cool idea. I even bought a t-shirt.

It's always seemed like the shorelines here in Aberdeen were an inconvenience more than anything else. I've never understood how this town went from such a "port" town to a town that's just located near a couple rivers. It's obviously picking up a bit with industrial commerce and such, but it seems like one new revenue just replaces a missing or lost one, and none are all that beautifying.

(mental tourett's syndrome says)
I came off the Chehalis River bridge yesterday and sat at the Heron street light for a minute, with my window down I caught the nasty smell of burning electronics and wondered "Did we get a new 'PC-Recycling' business recently or something?"
It truly made me miss the old days of vanilla-smelling clouds in Hoquiam making it all the way to Aberdeen.

Tori may have had the "Hume Street..." you remember. But, I remember the "Aberdeen Historical Whorehouse Society".

Maybe it was called that but I thought Hume Street was in the name somewhere. It's been awhile and the t-shirt was cut up for the rag bag a long time ago.

Oh, yes, I loved the vanillin plant. I used to do contract work for them and would come home smelling really good. My son used to cuddle me just to smell it on my clothes.

I understand your point but something to remember is the city does not own much shoreline. The shoreline the city does "own" is Morrison Riverfront Park and the trail that it contains.

Nearly all the shoreline within the city of Aberdeen is owned by private individuals, private companies or the Port of Grays Harbor. There is potential for public and/or private purchase of the Weyerhauser property (South Aberdeen) but that is still way up in the air.

A few years ago the city changed the zoning within the shoreline area located south of downtown to eliminate mixed and industrial use in order to encourage other development. My big fear was one of the private owners putting something like a mini-storage or similar type of facility there.

The city has attempted to recruit various developers but a MAJOR hurdle exists in that particular area. The rail line in that area prevents or at least discourages some development (not the company just the existence of the tracks). This has been a point of discussion on many occassions by various potential developers/buyers, etc. Obviously due to the lack of space the tracks really can't be moved so more creative solutions are needed. Several potential ideas have surfaced from time to time but all cost money so the question on what and where should any dollars available be used.

I guess the point in the end is the city is trying.

I know some are trying. And I applaud those who are. The potential is there and not completely out of reach. But I will never forget what a Harbor "generational lifer" said when asking me how I liked it here (about a year after relocation).

I said there were many great things about living in the Harbor, but the sense of oppression and depression one gets when entering Aberdeen wasn't among them (and that's why we bought in Monte.)

He said "Yeah, we like it that way. We don't like change and we don't like outsiders. We don't want to give them reason to stay."

I carefully weighed his tone and demeanor to see if he was joking. He wasn't.

Take "we" with a grain of salt when speaking to anyone.

That said, there are a lot of things I wouldn't want to change either.

Just because he wasn't joking, doesn't mean he was speaking for more than himself.

I like change. I even like newcomers. The only change that bothers me is the increased congestion...and that was before the bridge was closed.