Bellingham Comments from Digital Recorder - EISs for the Proposed ...

GATEWAY PACIFIC TERMINAL EIS SCOPING HEARING VOL. I
COURT REPORTER: GWEN BRASS PROCEEDING DATE: October 27, 2012
Page 89
comment or make a comment on our own, there are comment forms
on the tables in the other room and also an individual comment
area at the other open house.
THE SPEAKER: Hi. My name is Ingela Abbott, and I
live at 1396 Chuckanut Drive. And I come from Sweden, and I
have traveled all around the world; and when I came to Whatcom
County, I said, "This is the place to live."
And it's one of the most beautiful places I've ever
been in my live. And also a lot of people come here because
it's the place to retire and one of the greenest places in the
country. And I think we're going to lose those awards if we
let the trains come in here full force.
So when I came
here 30 years ago, there was only one park. Now, we have six
parks in town that we are able to go out and enjoy fresh air
and sanity and peace that we can't even value in dollars that
we need in this busy life. We have -- and people have fought
really hard I know to get this public access land trust
included to give us this incredible luxury to be able to use
this free source of sanity.
And when -- and people are coming here. I think an
average of probably a thousand people a year now every day
cross the railroad to go out and get sanity in Larrabee State
Park for camping, Boulevard Park for concerts and everything.
And also people come to enjoy Ski to Sea. In one day I think
there's 6,000 people that cross the railroad.