I attended the recent community meeting about Saint Edward’s State Park. I must say it was helpful to get both sides of the story. It was wonderful to see the public come together on this issue. After all was said and done, I came to my own decision about how I’d like to see the situation handled. I personally would like to see the old seminary building demolished and the park continue to be enjoyed as a natural recreation area. Demolishing the building would be a resolution to several issues. My tax dollars would no longer go toward the maintenance and repairs, which are bandaids for a gaping wound of a building that is close to being condemned. Take note, that our tax dollars are also still being used to heat the pool building which essentially is condemned. We won’t have to get into a frenzy every time someone threatens to lease the building. And let’s face it, it will take the likes of Paul Allen to come up with $40 million to fully repair this building. You can call your legislators but I just don’t see people lining up to pay more taxes.

Once the building is gone, we’ll have a bit more park space or we can let the creative juices flow for a new sort of structure, one uninhibited by a $40 million repair.

I know some will say “but it’s a historical building with a story.”

Hey, the trees that you, or the guy before you, cut down to build your house had a story, as did the little lake cottage that got demolished for the new mansion.

It’s reality, and in this case, it’s fiscal responsibility.

Susan Vossler, Kirkland