NIMBY

We folks in the greater Seattle area like to be nice. Generous, caring, proactive… we like to think of ourselves this way and have this ideal reflected in our community: support of a wide range of social safety net services, tolerance of diverse lifestyles, environmentally sound urban planning (e.g. “density”), mass transit. We also, however, like our lives to be nice: pretty, quiet, safe, comfortable… with nooooo threat to our property values.

As a result, we often find these two goals to be mutually exclusive, or at least we perceive them to be. We say (and we vote) that we want such services as housing for chronic alcoholics, methadone treatment centers, domestic violence shelters, and temporary, sanctioned camps for the homeless. But it can be a struggle to find a neighborhood that will welcome such a service with a warm embrace. We don’t want to think of ourselves as prudes, so don’t outright ban strip clubs. But, there is a push to corral all the existing strip clubs into one low income neighborhood. In a misguided effort to protect the delicate sensibilities of the local children, there was even an outcry about the name of a new pet store in the Wallingford neighborhood, called High Maintenance Bitch. (Honestly, if there is any appropriate use of the "B" word, this would be it!)

The zoo (the ZOO, of all non-controversial organizations) is getting severe push back from its neighbors because it wants to build a few outbuildings on its property and a parking garage to prevent parking sprawl into the neighborhood. When the proposed garage was to be on the south end of the park, the neighbors on the north end supported the proposal, but the southern neighbors fought it bitterly. Then, the plan changed for the structure to be on the north end. Well, surprise, surprise… now the north end neighbors are up in arms and the south enders think a garage is a splendid idea.

Granted, it is not as pure and simple as this. But, it is the gist. And it is the hypocritical tradition of this otherwise progressive town. We support all things good as long as our own neighborhood is not impacted. "Not In MY Back Yard!” is the common hew and cry.

Oy. As Popeye used to say, “This is embarrasking.”