Common-sense leadership for Redmond | Letter

I recently had the opportunity to get input from Steve Fields on how he would approach important issues affecting the City of Redmond, if elected mayor. I really liked what he had to say. Steve seems in touch with the needs of Redmond residents and encourages community involvement and input.

I recently had the opportunity to get input from Steve Fields on how he would approach important issues affecting the City of Redmond, if elected mayor. I really liked what he had to say. Steve seems in touch with the needs of Redmond residents and encourages community involvement and input.

In particular, I was impressed with his commitment to form a stronger partnership than what currently exists with the Lake Washington School District to alleviate the overcrowding in Redmond schools. I agree with Steve that it is the responsibility of the city to plan and understand the impact that growth will have on residents’ quality of life, even where the city has no direct control. Redmond families and students have already suffered the brunt of poor planning with larger class sizes, forced boundary changes and now an array of sub-optimal options on the table to deal with a significant shortage of space. Steve also supports working much closer with the district on shorter-term items like quicker permitting on portables and assisting with traffic and safety problems in school areas — fostering a stronger partnership and better outcomes for our students.

When I look around Redmond, I see massive construction projects and increased traffic, some of which has been caused by costly infrastructure projects that have only exacerbated the problem. I see a multi-million-dollar downtown park that I’ve never personally seen anyone use, and is unusable anyway by families given it is unfenced and sits in between two highly trafficked roads. The incidence of homelessness has increased dramatically, and I’m betting none of the recently built apartment buildings downtown are going to create places for the poor and homeless to live. Residents are being asked for more of their money to pay for basic services. Investment is happening in the wrong places. We need leadership who will budget effectively for basic city services, partner with the school district to solve overcrowding and reduce permit fees local churches pay to house homeless encampments.

Although I appreciate the efforts made to create a livelier downtown atmosphere, it’s time to move toward a common-sense approach to Redmond’s growth and associated problems. Steve Fields seems like he will work toward a Redmond that benefits all of its residents, and not primarily downtown developers and big businesses.

Lauren Moynihan

Redmond