On Tuesday night I attended the Town Council meeting and listened carefully to the town manager's hour long presentation. In addition, he was kind enough to meet me at the proposed site to answer additional questions and do a walk through of the plans for the highway barn.

What I have learned is that this is not just a vote about a highway barn. It a decision about whether to make the area of Taylor Point an industrial park.

Why do I say this? Few people realize, and I was one of them until Tuesday night, that the question we have facing us is not just about the highway barn, but also three additional related sites. During the presentation, the town manager showed us renderings and satellite photos of the point that include sites that have not yet been discussed in the current debate. It turns out that we have four changes to the point under consideration, as well as a fifth which may come into play in the future:

1. The highway barn, the asphalt apron for parking and the drive into the site through the wastewater treatment facility.

2. Another site 20,000 to 25,000 square feet in lower Taylor's Point (closer to Potters Cove) for run-off from the highway barn.

3. A new salt barn

4. A set of containers requiring space of 15- by 30- feet for which there is not yet a plan;

5. Finally, if the treatment plant ever needs to be shut down for repairs or expantion the land that has been reserved for that purpose will be cleared and developed.

If all of this is sited on the small Taylor Point area, the town will have decided that Taylor Point is the perfect location for a municipal industrial park. At the same time we are all fighting so hard to save the farms on the island, the town is seeking to make one of the most beautiful and valuable areas of waterfront and water view property on the sland into an industrial park.

This highway barn has caused tremendous strife in Jamestown for many years. Some throw up their hands in frustration about the issue and tire of the debate. I understand the fatigue, but we all know that when we are tired and frustrated we can either make bad decisions or be inspired to become more creative in developing a solution. Perhaps it is time to send a message to the town that we value our open space, our public access to the waterfront and our environment, and that we are simply not satisfied with the solutions they are providing - we've already said no to Taylor Point once, apparently they did not hear us and we have to speak louder: find another solution!

Please vote to reject on Aug. 28.

Christine Ferguson

Bayview Drive