We have lived happily in Kenmore since 1998. We chose Kenmore as an excellent place to raise our children in a safe environment with wonderful schools. We have wonderful neighbors and friends and yet the city never fails to disappoint us. We were so excited with the progress of the Lake Pointe project years ago, with a boardwalk on the lake, shops, restaurants and a movie theater. The project was stalled and then died because a few people were worried about an increase in traffic. The downtown redevelopment project has been a bit of a disappointment as well. The most recent and maybe the greatest disappointment is the fate of the seminary building at Saint Edward State Park. We were delighted when we heard that McMenamins wanted to refurbish and convert the building into a hotel and restaurant, open to the public and fitting for a park. Take Paradise Inn at Mount Rainier or Quinault Lodge, which enhance and not diminish the outdoor experience. A public hotel, with a public lobby, restrooms and a restaurant, would attract more visitors to the park and improve the quality of the visits for most people. A cybersecurity office that I assume will not be open to the public is the coldest, most bland use I can imagine. Kenmore has a talent for nurturing the bland ideas while snuffing out the brilliant ones in their infancy. It might be wise to let Bothell or Kirkland annex us. It would be nice to have an inn in the park.

Jon Lindstrom, Kenmore