By Don Nelson
Does Winthrop have the will to remain Western?
The question came up again — as it has several times since I arrived here nearly four years ago — at last week’s Town Council meeting.
Craig Lints, former owner of the River Run Inn, told the council he has seen a steady deterioration in enforcement or even acknowledgment of the Westernization code in recent years, and urged the town — for the sake of its future — to start cracking down on violators.
But the prospect of going “all Western” on people who ignore the code seems to make some of Winthrop’s conflict-averse citizens squeamish.
The council has at times seemed bothered by the very notion of having to deal with Westernization issues, reluctantly issuing a citation to a violator last year, then flatly and unapologetically ignoring the Westernization ordinance in a discussion over whether the Washington State Department of Transportation (WSDOT) should be allowed to install a non-complying electronic reader board within town limits. An overwhelming majority of downtown business owners petitioned the council not to allow the sign, and the town’s Westernization Architectural Committee practically begged the council to reject the proposal. The council said OK anyway, but WSDOT eventually decided to place the sign outside of town.
And there have been periodic discussions about whether newly installed signs comply with the Westernization guidelines. In a few cases, the business owners didn’t even ask the town if the new signs were acceptable. Up they went, and residents who noticed asked, appropriately, what the heck? In another case, the owner asked but the town got its ruling wrong, and the signs had to be replaced at the town’s expense.
Lints referred to several specific businesses whose signs he said don’t comply with the typefaces and other authentic aspects of the original Westernization guidelines. I’m not going to name names, because I don’t know whether they comply or not. Somebody should.
Does it matter all that much? After all, Winthrop still looks pretty Western, especially compared to other non-themed towns. But Lints and others have consistently made the point that even little erosions here and there could eventually build to a landslide.
And it matters because of what’s at stake. Westernization came about at the same time the North Cascades Highway opened in 1972 as a means of getting tourists to stop in what was then a not particularly appealing town. The community embraced the notion, and early advocates worked hard to come up with a genuine period “look” for the town. It’s worked in making Winthrop a destination as opposed to a drive-through, in large part because of its authenticity. Winthrop is more than a movie set. It’s a town with businesses and residents and a sense of itself.
Then there’s the issue of some non-compliant businesses essentially riding in the slipstream of businesses that have adhered to the code. Let’s be charitable and assume that some businesses have inadvertently overlooked Westernization code requirements, with no intent to flout the law. But Westernization is part of the cost of doing business in Winthrop – if you’re not all in, you’re not pulling your weight to keep the town viable.
A relevant question was raised during the discussions over where WSDOT could put its electronic sign: If the council isn’t going to enforce Westernization, then who will? And why should anyone bother to comply if there’s no real threat of consequences? Who’s looking out for the town’s interests if its elected officials are not? Like others who have attended council meetings over the years, too often I’ve heard something along the lines of “yeah, but” when it comes to Westernization. Enough “yeah, buts,” and Winthrop’s Western look will become just another tatty tourism come-on.
