LIVING
Glover Street in Twisp as it now exists, with businesses only. DRAWING COURTESY OF JOHNSTON ARCHITECTS
Looking to our towns for sustainable growth Affordable housing could enhance the valley’s future B Y R AY J OH N STO N
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do we preserve the natural beauty of our valley? By providing places to live, work and play, we can protect our uplands and river valleys and the wonderful natural environment that we love. A little more population in our towns will help to make our businesses OW
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Methow Home 2015
successful and our population multi-generational and vibrant. Twisp and Winthrop are wellpositioned to provide homes for people who work and live in the Methow. The zoning in our towns allows for single-family houses on generous lots, but it also makes it possible to provide smaller, more-affordable housing in the town centers. The ancient model of the apartment above the shop is a viable one and would allow for the young, the old and those just entering the job market to fınd a place to live. This idea is not without challenges. In Twisp, for example, water issues are still at play. Whether it is through conservation, infrastructure repair, sustainable strategies or the relaxation of water limitations in town, the addition of housing is
an important step in the life of a small rural town. So much of the draw of the Methow is the natural setting, but we are lucky to also have a rich cultural life. Part of sustaining that culture depends on accommodating a diverse group of citizens: second-homers, long-time valley residents, young people including a new generation of farmers and ranchers, retired folks and entrepreneurs bringing new jobs to the valley. All these people bring diversity but they also bring density. And density has a price. The shrub steppe, the pine forests and the rocky bluffs were not made to hold large populations. That’s where the growth of our towns comes into play. Imagine, as one of my friends in the valley does, that you could move from your
rural compound to a nice place in town, a stone’s throw from the river, a short walk to Hank’s Harvest Foods and a quick hike or a saunter along the steelhead-laden shores of the Twisp River. Maybe there is a coffee shop nearby and in my friend’s version of this story a nurse’s station, so when he lands that big steelhead off the back porch and has a coronary, the pushing of a button would bring help. This kind of smalllot density could happen on the edges of our towns.
Imagine this ...
How about Glover Street or Riverside Avenue? Imagine a second story on the storefronts of Twisp or Winthrop occupied by apartments and a few offıces. Imagine a small cluster of townhouses or apartments along the river trail