To the editor:

Langley would benefit greatly from a sign on the highway directing people to our historic seaside village.

I own a store on the waterfront in the heart of Langley. Often, people don’t know how to find Langley, or admit that they have driven by on the highway for years, but have never known it was here.

Fortunately, once they find us, they love the town and often return at some point. Langley has a lot to offer as a destination, but being so far off the highway makes it difficult for the day-tripper or vacationer to simply happen upon it.

Being the heart and soul of South Whidbey’s art community, the marina and shopping, Langley deserves the best possible opportunity for success. The addition of a large, attention-getting sign on Highway 525 letting people know, far enough ahead, how to get to historic Langley seems like a simple way to increase traffic to the town.

The tiny, insignificant signs on the highway are usually overlooked entirely, or noticed too late to make the decision to turn. It seems to me, and other merchants and community members I have spoken with, that half of the work for a new sign is done. The concrete foundation is there and unused. It seems a shame to waste it and to turn our backs on Langley, just when we need it most.

Bret Christensen

The Celtic Viking

Langley