When Green River College was built it fit nicely into its neighborhood.

When a senior housing development was built nearby it also was a nice fit.

With recent expansions of both, they no longer project an environmentally-friendly attitude.

When the 125 units for seniors are built on the “old bowling alley property,” the residents in that neighborhood have every right to be concerned about whether it will be an appropriate “fit” for the single-family area nearby.

The previous owners of the bowling alley spent a lot of time and money on a landscape design that is neighborhood friendly.

I hope city administrators will keep the wishes of nearby property owners in mind when they allow a large apartment complex in my neighborhood. The trees and shrubs that are on the property are attractive, well established plantings, and we hope the development team will be required to keep them as buffers between our “old neighborhood” and their “new” one.

If they add to those plantings, we hope they will further enhance the overall attractiveness of the landscape.

– Virginia Haugen