Does Kennewick really need a lighthouse?

Oct 14, 2009 Kennewick Life

This photo is of a lighthouse on the Desert Course (I think) at Golf Universe mini-golf in Kennewick. It seems to me that this should be the only lighthouse in the city of Kennewick.

But the Port of Kennewick is moving ahead with plans to build a lighthouse at Clover Island. Yep. It’s a $1 million project that involves building a 62-foot tall lighthouse to draw people to Clover Island and create an “icon” for the area. The project also includes a plaza, a gateway arch, and walking paths between the island and downtown Kennewick. And it includes a lighthouse.

A lighthouse!

Lighthouses are pretty cool. They’re unique. They’re kinda fun to look at for a moment or two. And they’re built to mark a hazardous coastline and assist boats and airplanes with navigation. Thanks to modern technology (like GPS and more sophisticated navigational tools), lighthouses are pretty much a thing of the past. They certainly don’t serve much functional value at this point, and that’s all the more true on Clover Island. I read the paper and watch local TV news regularly, and have done so for 15 years, and I can’t recall a single occasion when a boat ran aground on the shoreline at Clover Island. Did I somehow miss the news that this has become a dangerous stretch of water/land?

Look, I’m as much a fan of the Clover Island area as anyone. Cedars and Ice Harbor Brewery are two of our favorite restaurants. Continuing to develop the area and make it attractive to visitors and businesses is terrific. But, in light of the current budget situation and the need to spend money as wisely as possible … is a lighthouse really the best idea?

Thanks for reading this article on the Kennewick Real Estate Blog. If you arrived here looking for specific real estate information, or would like to speak with a friendly, fun, professional, and low-pressure real estate agent, please contact Cari via her web site or call her directly at 509 – 430 – 5342 and she’ll be glad to help. Thanks again for visiting!

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