‘Outbuildings’ on way?
The Lewiston City Council will soon ask the town’s citizens to pay about $37 million to improve the appearance of the downtown business district and rebuild that area’s infrastructure. The council headed toward making that request during its Dec. 2 meeting.
During that same meeting, the council saw fit to revive a bad idea that had been put on the back burner for a few months. The plan is to allow the permanent placement of shipping containers anywhere in the city. Yes, throughout the city.
Current law forbids putting these huge, depressive-looking things anywhere except under restricted conditions in specific commercial zones. This law has been on the books for three decades, and it’s a good law, even though most violations are ignored and go unpunished.
The council is moving quickly to trash the good law and push through its latest scheme. So, a shipping container, now being referred to as an “outbuilding,” will soon be coming to a neighborhood near you.
And some of those vacant lots downtown also look like great places to dump a few piles of junked-out hulks. Never mind that we’re spending a lot of money in an effort to revitalize Main Street and make it look nice.
I hope the downtown rebuilding budget includes a few bucks for a sign to welcome visitors to our fair city. The sign should read: “You Are Now Entering East L.A.”
William Furstenau
Lewiston
