Rossi says state should help with Bellingham waterfront cleanup

SAM TAYLOR

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BELLINGHAM - Republican gubernatorial challenger Dino Rossi said Monday, Sept. 8, that the state should play a role in environmental cleanup of the former Georgia-Pacific site.

Nothing should stop the city and port from redeveloping the waterfront site, and promoting job growth in the area is very important, Rossi said during a whirlwind tour of the site, where many buildings already have been demolished.

Walking a bare concrete pad strewn with shells left by seagulls, Rossi was fairly quiet during a tour by Port of Bellingham Commissioner Doug Smith. A reporter, two Rossi staffers and Carolyn Casey, port communications manager, tagged along for the event.

Asked how familiar he was with the waterfront redevelopment project, which began in January 2005 after the port purchased the property from G-P, Rossi said that before the site tour Smith had showed him models of the property.

"Being from the real estate business, I'm quite familiar with models," Rossi said, laughing.

Not much was said by Smith about the steps being taken by the city and port at this time, but he did give Rossi a general overview of the importance of environmental cleanup and the overall opportunity at the site.

"This site has tremendous promise," Smith said to Rossi. "The government has to promote rejuvenating some of these areas."

Rossi said that first and foremost environmental cleanup was important.

Asked about his stance that the state should have a smaller government that works for the most vulnerable and how a smaller government could help with such a gargantuan project, Rossi said sometimes government has to step in. That especially goes for the environmental issues, he said, though he didn't get into specifics.

"You give a little bit of help, and it turns out to be a benefit for years to come," he said.