Has anyone heard of any recent action of consequence from 'Our Aberdeen'--the latest and greatest Aberdeen revitalization movement?

Nearly a year after launch, it seems to have been nothing more than yet another hot air balloon, inflated and kept aloft by the rantings and ravings of one or a few blowhards new to town. Aided and abetted by a dying newspaper desparate to create controversy and maintain circulation.

Worse, the primary mover and shaker behind the effort seems to have gone out of his way to offend and alienate at least a half dozen key players, who will all likely be reluctant to climb aboard the next bus.

It's a crying shame the revitalization effort is all but dead, because, lord knows, Aberdeen needs something to happen.

I know that they appear to be working on things and that this type of change isn't going to happen overnight. But I don't live in Aberdeen and I don't really know any details. Have you heard something specific?

I have heard of a couple things that have come from this latest community revitalization movement.


[*]The City has established a Historic Preservation Commission and is poised to establish Historic Districts.

[*]The community has delivered a clear consensus that it wishes to connect with the waterfront.

[*]The City is looking at the possibility of relocating 101 North off of Wishkah Street and onto Market Street.

I hadn't heard of #3. Wow! That would be major.

I first heard the idea floated by the previous Mayor at a Corridor Vision Plan meeting.

I most recently heard it repeated at an Our Aberdeen meeting. It was stated that a DOT official had casually suggested the modest change during the preparation of the last Aberdeen bypass alternatives study. Remember that plan?

It was at an Our Aberdeen meeting that I first heard that the reroute might be possible. I have not yet gone back to the alternatives study to see if and how it was documented.

Even if it was not seriously considered in that study I think it is worth deliberation.

I agree that, if accomplished, it would be major.

"Our Aberdeen" has a board in place.. a new website nearly ready to launch.. 503C status in process.. the "local newspaper" is involved because an employee is involved, not to create controversy and maintain circulation.

I'm guilty of not attending many of their meetings, but they do stay in touch with each other and I missed out on any controversy mentioned in previous posts.

They are very active, and include meeting minutes, on their yahoo group at http://groups.yahoo.com/group/OurAberdeen/

Yeah, I remember the study. I thought the plan was to re-route 101 down State Street. But I know there were several different options so I guess I don't recall the one down Market.

I prefer the State Street one because I'd really like a new bridge to Hoquiam so the 101 traffic could also bypass Hoquiam's downtown.

Gosh, it would be nice to have pleasantly walkable streets in these towns again!

If I recall it's one then the other - reroute Westbound down Market, then Eastbound down State as a future goal.

I always liked how Houston, TX had highway all the way around it, you knew if you had to get to East Houston, you could go around the outside and approach from the East....Not that we're a Houston-sized city, but it seeemd logical - I was only in Houston a couple times and never got lost... you just go one direction for a bit and you hit a highway

here's my long thought out, and poorly illustrated plan:



- think of property values in Wishkah and East Hoquiam after a change like that

A bridge/tunnel combo from Westport to Ocean Shores would round out my insane "development" idea.

Mr. Funky traveled to Houston on business several times and commented on how easy that made it to get around. However, their landscape/topography is quite different...pancake land...making something like that a lot easier to implement than it would be for us.

I think your plan is pretty good. I would like to see any real bypass be a bit closer to our downtown areas so people are more likely to come into town and check things out. But that's a small nitpick.