Towns sometimes seem to grow all on their own, to become their own people, so to speak, practically independent of the people living in them. This is of course only an illusion, but the way time and culture shape a town, especially a small one, says a lot about the culture at large, and about the people who are shaping it, day by day, through thousands and thousands of decisions large and small. Sometimes, though, it is necessary to make a decision on some big changes.
The town of Hoquiam, Washington is in the middle of these considerations at the moment. Historically a logging town in the lumber rich Pacific Northwest, Hoquiam has preserved its heritage through a variety of events. There’s the annual, and internationally famous, Loggers’ Playday, as well as logging competitions and parades in the fall. Now it has to consider whether it wants to grow.
Take it to the Water!
This growth would occur along the Hoquiam waterfront, the part of downtown running along the Hoquiam River. What to do with riverside property is a question many towns face, and for cities with developed waterfronts like San Antonio and Baltimore, the investment was met with great success. An underused area became, in a few years, a popular area full of restaurants and bars, hotels and shopping, entertainment of all kinds.
The Hoquiam waterfront hasn’t seen much action since its heyday in the 1980s, but now there is development interest, and so the community has to think seriously about what kind of town it may want to become. Development is obviously no guarantee of success, nor will it necessarily turn Hoquiam into a metropolis, but decisions need to be made collectively, because of course growth isn’t free — tax money is the ruche fertilizer for civic growth.
Past, Present and Future
Hoquiam is in a fine place at the mouth of the river, where the harbor ties the city to its watery history. Its proximity to Aberdeen, the rival city to the east, means any decision about growth has reverberating effects. Hoquiam’s decisions about what kind of city it wants to become will potentially unite or divide the region, meaning Hoquiam is the little sibling that has to be the grown-up.
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.
Find out further about Geneva Entezar.
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