After reading the article concerning the proposed annexation to Enumclaw of 300 acres, I just had to shake my head in amazement.

I can appreciate that the city is in need of financial help – in the current economy, aren’t they all?

But, how does this sellout of a rural area translate to a financial solution? There are not qualified buyers for the glut of houses and repossessions that already exist, much less for houses for your projected population of 1,600. And if the expanded population were to occur, the story doesn’t end there. How about the need for better roads to handle traffic flow, additional traffic lights with congestion, expanded schools and police and fire protection, need for more water, etc.?

It doesn’t seem right that the profit-motivated desires of a few should be able to forever change the rural environment of all the people who share the love of this community.

In my off-and-on living in the area over the past 50 years, I’ve always admired Enumclaw’s ability to resist the urban sprawl of its neighboring communities, while still allowing controlled changes.

White nothing in life always remains the same, I hope I’m not witnessing the demise of the rural area we’ve all chosen to live in.

Be careful what you wish for.

Steven Field

Enumclaw