The county’s proposed Tall Chief sale is controversial. We, the public, now own this very special property. But soon, it will be closed to the public, trees will be cut down, feed corn will be planted, and three private homes could be built by one of the single largest landowners in the Valley.

I suppose this is better than the previously proposed subdivision. The county approved that subdivision and then bought the property for over $4 million. Selling it now for far less should raise red flags.

Your article (Nov. 18) gave one side of this controversy a glowing report. By not making the effort to be balanced, you missed the story.

The county issued a request for proposal and then ignored its own criteria. There are no guarantees of new food production or opportunities to develop new farmers. There are no guarantees for environmental protection. There is no consistency with the county’s local food initiative. There was no community participation in the selection process. There are no guarantees of public benefit. There are no programs to support and sustain surrounding farming activities.

There is a reason why more than 4.400 people have signed a petition against this proposal. Go to www.savetallchief.com and learn more about this ill-advised hasty sale of what should be a treasured public asset for the entire Snoqualmie Valley and King County.

Catherine de Marin

Fall City