So many towns, big and small, become whatever they become as a result of circumstance. They may start out as one thing, years or centuries ago, and then through the many thousands of decisions piled up over time, the people in the community wake up one day to discover the town is something totally different than its initial intentions. Sometimes these changes make towns better; sometimes they turn them into ghost towns. And often, to take control of a town’s destiny, the community has to get together and make some tough decisions.
The town of Hoquiam, Washington, to take one entirely random example, is in the midst of making some definitive decisions about its future. Originally a logging and lumber town, the people of Hoquiam display their pride at their town’s history with logging competitions and fall parades, and with an event that gets international attention, Loggers’ Playday. So but the town isn’t all lumber and sawmills; so how to make the most of the city’s other attributes, particularly its natural ones?
The discussion in Hoquiam revolves around what to do with its waterfront. The Hoquiam River courses right through Hoquiam’s scenic downtown, offering up possibilities for tourism and culture with a lovely backdrop. The waterfront-as-cultural spot has been successfully exploited by cities such as San Antonio and Baltimore, and in the right kind of place, a developed waterfront is the perfect place to place a dining and shopping destination.
The waterfront has been mostly out of use since its big days in the 1980s, but now the new interest in developing the area means Hoquiam has some decisions to make about what kind of Hoquiam it wants to become. Questions not easily answered, especially when tax money is involved.
Hoquiam sits, as has been said, at the mouth of the river that bears its name. To its east is the larger town of Aberdeen. It won’t surprise you to learn that these two towns have carried on a bit of a rivalry, in high school sports and otherwise, for years. These proposed developments will affect Aberdeen as well as Hoquiam, and this relationship is important also to keep in mind. A fine waterfront could benefit even rivals, but again, only if done wisely.
It’s a matter of responsible decisions — balancing its connection to its past with its potential future identity, finding the right leaders to enact and carry out those decisions. For small towns, these kinds of development decisions are so important because so much of the community itself will be changed, both the identity and the infrastructure. But if you have the advantage of location, that’s a good start.