Dear Editor: Every encounter with a stranger changes us. It also changes them. In the past few years hundreds of thousands of strangers briefly visited our town. They impact us and we impact them.
Their impact on us has caused inconvenience, personal and practical challenges; crowded sidewalks, bus traffic, long lines. It’s also provided us opportunities to give new people a welcoming smile, increase sales tax, employment, and recreational opportunities.
The huge number of tourists have been challenging, but we are meeting the challenge, as messy as the process is, through the tourism plan, the many public forums, decisions of the Assembly, private citizens and businesses who are struggling to adapt to these growing pains. But I believe we can work it out.
I see businesses who were overwhelmed at first now close their doors and take some time off. I see locals who may have gone downtown to shop any day to wait till it’s less busy. I’ve seen traffic lanes be modified to accommodate left turns on Lake Street. I don’t see restrooms on Lincoln Street across the street from restaurants. I don’t see offensive construction barriers closing Lincoln Street. I see the tourism committee adopting best practices. I see the Sitka Cruise Ship Terminal management negotiating a more even flow of their passengers. And we can continue to adapt; widen the sidewalks on Lincoln Street, texture its crosswalks, build architecturally attractive restrooms in appropriate places, let private enterprise continue to build tourist attractions outside of downtown, etcetera.
We can work this out through these processes as we have in the past. Voting to impose arbitrary limits on the number of visitors builds walls and takes away flexibility to see what works and modify accordingly.
An ancient parable once said “when did we see you a stranger and not welcome you.” We can work it out. Let us be patient, building bridges not walls.
Vote no on 1 and greet the next stranger you see. You could change their life forever.
Charles Horan, Sitka
