There seems to be some disagreement over the status of the Duffy Addition (it is not actually a "park") in the Chehalis City Council.
The 4.56 acres located at the top of Prospect Hill were donated to the city in 1902 and it has sat there ever since.
The city council is pondering whether or not to sell the property, and an area resident has expressed strong interest.
Neighbors of the property naturally don't want to see it developed.
The successful businessman living above the area, Kevin Klumper, seems willing to spend quite a bit of money to buy it - thus putting the acreage onto the Chehalis tax rolls. Klumper owns 31 acres near the park and says he has no plans, if he did purchase the property, to develop it.
"I've been after this property for 18 months," Klumper is quoted in a Chronicle story earlier this year. "My goal is to own the whole hill and not develop any of it."
The park has been appraised at $545,000, money that could help pay for the city's $1.2 million remodeling of the new city hall/police department/court/council chambers building.
Councilman Terry Harris said, in the Chronicle article, "If we hold off too long (on the sale), we'll miss a window of opportunity to pay for something we need to pay for."
Some opponents to the sale may have envy problems with the potential buyer, but another view would be that this person could be a valuable contributor to Chehalis coffers.
Most people want parks to stay as parks, especially public ones. That would normally be our view also. Actual developed and serviced parks bring much to a community. Normally that is a prudent path, but not always.
Chehalis Councilman Isaac Pope has come out against the sale of Duffy Addition. Taking a stand against the sale of a city park? We see that as an easy political call that may not be in the best interest of the community.
Duffy is, as we said, not a park, but an unused piece of property. It has never been developed or used to any degree, so it sits there.
Will Chehalis wait another 105 years before possibly putting in a swing set and clearing the timber and brush? If the city decides to keep it, a development plan should be announced and the investment stated for long-term required maintenance and safety patrol.
Chehalis also has two other parks that sound nice, but are little used. One, McFadden Park, is barely accessible and is the base for several antennae and towers. It has seen vandalism, littering and four-wheeling over the years. It would be expensive to update and maintain should the city make it usable.
On one hand, selling Duffy Addition could be a business decision. Does Chehalis want to increase its tax rolls and add upscale neighborhoods? On the other hand, does Chehalis want to invest in the development of recreational areas within the city and engage the expenses associated with them?
And of course there is a third option: do nothing with the land as has been the case for many decades. It the wait continues, the same dilemma will arise again.
We urge the city leaders to either come up with a vibrant plan (if one is even possible) for turning the land into a usable, safe open space for its citizens, or sell it in the best interests of the taxpayers for top dollar.
Kudos on LaBree Road Project: We've longed believed at The Chronicle that transportation, specifically improvements to Interstate 5, is one of the "big" stories in our area, and one that needs attention now.
On Tuesday, a major step in the right direction took place as area officials gathered at the LaBree Road bridge spanning I-5 for a "bridge-breaking" ceremony.
From Congressman Brian Baird to state Sen. Dan Swecker to County Commissioner Richard Graham, all levels of government were represented at the kick-off to the $51.3 million project. The improvements are the first steps in a series of projects to widen I-5 to three lanes through Lewis County. Eventually, by 2014, I-5 will be three lanes from LaBree Road to 13th Street, and again from Mellen Street to Maytown. Part of this first step is demolishing the existing LaBree Road bridge and replacing it with a new interchange.
We strongly note the cooperation between the many government entities that led to the success of this project. When government officials focus on delivering such quality improvements, they truly are acting as public servants. For that, we thank those that pulled the many strings to get the funding and approval that led to yesterday's celebration.
