I missed the St. Edward Park meeting, but would like to comment here.

The choice of preserving the arguably iconic status of the St. Edward Seminary or letting it crumble is a poor choice for the people of Kenmore and environs. I’d rather keep the park intact and simply place a marker and picnic area there. I dearly love the green areas that in many ways define our environment. Even New York City had the intelligence to preserve real estate worth billions to create Central Park.

Understandably, cities need money and trees neither pay taxes nor vote, so the tantalizing offer of constructing a money-making entity for a little waterfront space must be difficult to turn down. But let me offer an alternative, not completely original.

A while back, Kenmore wanted to develop the waterfront around Log Boom Park, and for various reasons — I believe financing may have been the problem — stopped the project. That waterfront area is not a green space (although great work has been done on the Burke-Gilman Trail and children’s play area) and sits next to a cement factory near Kenmore Air, and is close to Bothell Highway. Placing a hotel there would make it much more accessible than up the hill at St. Edward Park, while providing a clear view of the lake and access to transportation.

I would be willing to approve taxing ourselves to buy out the cement factory (the airport would be a plus, a link to downtown Seattle) and in conjunction with private partners build a hotel/resort there. Perhaps (consult the lawyers on this) if enough public space is included, the law of eminent domain might be invoked to rezone and buy the cement facility. I also wouldn’t mind if smoke from the chimney stopped, and maybe there’s some environmental law that could start the ball rolling.

My wife and I have lived in Kenmore 30 years and have no commercial or private connection with anything mentioned above.

I hope the Washington State Parks and Rec. will read and consider this belated idea.