Byway would destroy town

We just returned from another wonderful week on vacation in Sandpoint. As usual we stayed at the Lakeside Inn. We also ate at the restaurants overlooking Sand Creek, the marina, and the lake, and mountains in the distance. We hardly drove the car and walked everywhere we wanted to go including the beach for swimming everyday. Very relaxing. Sandpoint is a special place. We have been coming to this town almost every year since 1996 when my mother moved there from the East Eoast.

We saw the sign on the front of the Lakeside Inn indicating that it was closing in approximately 40 days. We were very dismayed to hear that the Long Bridge highway is scheduled to come straight through the marina area on Sand Creek. Although I can appreciate the desire to route traffic from the middle of town, I think this approach is very ill conceived. To have a major highway dividing the town from the beach right over Sand Creek will ruin the features of the town that we and many others who come to visit and stay enjoy.

I can't imagine Park City of Aspen wanting or allowing a major highway to come the heart of their downtown. Why would Sandpoint want this?

It seems to me that there could be a way to run the highway on the west side of town to reduce the traffic in town and still preserve the waterfront area which makes the town so special.

Please reconsider the plan to extend the highway up Sand Creek. Sandpoint is too special to destroy.

MARK ROTHACHER

Salt Lake City, Utah