Weyerhaeuser contract is bad for community

I am heartsick to imagine Olympia's port area irretrievably damaged by increasing numbers of logging trucks that the Weyerhaeuser contract with the port will bring. This will have enormous negative impact on the entire area including the grassy pedestrian walkway along Budd Inlet, the Farmers Market, the small commercial area adjacent to the marketplace and our downtown area.

Try to imagine, in our near future, an average of 160 logging truck trips a day into and out of Olympia - Weyerhaeuser's own estimate, and probably conveniently low. If we divide this number into a 12-hour day, we will see one logging truck every 4.5 minutes, or 13.3 trucks per hour. To my mind that is a very shocking and disturbing image.

Not only will trucks be barreling by on the average of one every 4.5 minutes, but think of the increase in traffic congestion at, for example, the major intersection of Plum Street and State Avenue. Any resident of this area knows firsthand that this intersection is already way too busy and potentially dangerous.

Think of logging trucks negotiating city streets and roundabouts, speeding and sometimes crashing (The Olympian, May 10 and 11). Think about overhead bright lights, industrial noise and pollution from the logging activities.

We cannot allow this proposed contract to destroy our port neighborhood. Weyerhaeuser and the Port Commission must recognize that this plan is abhorrent to much of our community. They must find an alternative way to get logs to market without destroying our home.

Elena Pierini-Buls, Olympia