Letters to the editor

Hello Concerned Citizens for the Future of Lake Chelan

Although various developments have been, and continue to be, considered for the 900 acres currently available on Chelan Butte, it is unknown how it would ultimately be developed. However, based on existing zoning, up to 800 short term rentals and over 60 residential dwellings could be allowed by current City codes.  At peak traffic periods, such a development would create an additional 792 vehicles per hour in downtown Chelan (five times the number created by the Lookout development in 2021).  The best way to prevent this from happening is to publicly purchase the land and protect it from future development 

The Chelan Basin Conservancy (CBC) has started an effort to pull together financial and logistical support for the public acquisition of Chelan Butte. The acquisition of the Butte would serve to both preserve this iconic backdrop to the Lake Chelan Valley and prevent potential high-intensity development in the future. This effort will depend on support from the City of Chelan and others such as the Chelan-Douglas Land Trust, the Trust for Public Land, Chelan County, and members of the public.

You can learn more about this issue at: https://www.chelanbasinconservancy.org

CBC has developed a petition at Show Your Support for Preserving Chelan Butte to allow people to show their support for this effort. By getting a large number of people who live in, or visit, the Lake Chelan Valley to sign this petition, CBC can demonstrate that the public sees this as a high-priority issue: Show Your Support for Preserving Chelan Butte

Please take a few minutes to sign this petition and share the link with friends. Thanks for remaining vigilant and "stepping up" for our valley's future.

Mike O'Neal,

Chelan