Editor,

My wife and I moved to Whidbey from Bellevue over a year ago to enjoy the island’s peace and quiet, and to get away from the greed, the lack of concern for the environment and the misconception that more people coming into Bellevue meant a better life due to the growth and prosperity.

Whidbey represented a non-urban lifestyle that we saw and appreciated. A year later, however, we are seeing this same kind of Bellevue-esque type of transformation based on greed and personal motivation here on Whidbey. One example of this unnecessary change is the proposed Langley Funicular elevator.

Other than some business owners who may or may not profit from the proposed elevator we will all have to contend with more people, more traffic, lack of parking, longer waiting lines in stores, the ferry traffic on both sides, and the perceived lack of respect and sensitivity for those who have chosen to live here year round. From the tourists point of view they will have already waited two hours for a 15-minute ferry ride after having spent another hour or so on the freeway. Once in Clinton, as they are driving up the hill they see the off-island ferry line, meaning yet another two-hour wait for still another 15-minute ferry ride and then another one to two hours on the freeway. And they have yet to get out of their car.

In Langley they drive around and around competing for one of the limited parking spots with other tourists and locals. Once acquired they finally get out of their car and tour quaint little Langley and come upon the proposed funicular (whose presence has changed the vista). Another line to wait in without much purpose. The truth is that there is (thankfully) not much to see or do once you have taken the 30-second or so ride. You could have had an even better view of the vast beauty of an unaltered vista from up top across the road from the Saratoga Inn. Then of course there will be the wait to take the ride back up the tracks. Wasted time, money and effort.

Please resist any further development and instead conserve Whidbey and Langley as it is for future generations. Avoid going down the slippery slope to the place where we would look back and wish things were the way they used to be. Be careful what you wish for.

BRUCE WILLIAMS-BURDEN

Freeland