Editor,

Help me out here. In the same paper I read that we have an affordable housing crisis on Whidbey and that the Navy is bringing in thousands more sailors and their families to Naval Air Station Oak Harbor in the next few years, but sees no need to provide any new island housing because they believe there is plenty within a 100 mile radius. Since we don’t have enough on the island, will the new sailors commute from Issaquah? Index? Darrington? Kent? Langley, BC?

Even if they live in Everett/Marysville, what impact will that have on our two-lane main north/south thoroughfare 525/20? What impact will that have on the Deception Pass Bridge? What impact will that have on ferry lines and waits? Military bases on the mainland might be able to draw a 100 mile commute radius without impacting communities in that circle, but on an island we have to think about choke points (far too often, islanders on summer ferry lines would say) and have no wiggle room or alternative routes.

What if NASWI helped us solve our affordable housing problem by building affordable and hopefully energy efficient housing on the base? I’m sure the sailors would appreciate the very short commute and islanders would appreciate help increasing our affordable housing stock while decreasing transit delays.

An island is a great place to study some of our global problems. We have a growing population on a finite piece of land. We can’t just spread out to meet everyone’s needs. I know the Navy takes pride in thinking about climate change and energy conservation and I’d welcome this practical, visionary problem-solving applied to Whidbey’s affordable housing and transportation needs. If that’s already happening, I’d welcome hearing how.

VICKI ROBIN

Langley