Good morning.
Monday in Whitewater will be partly sunny with a high of 73. Sunrise is 5:15 and sunset is 8:35 for 15 hours 20 minutes of daylight. The moon is a waxing crescent with 0.4 percent of its visible disk illuminated.
Whitewater’s Library Board meets at 6:30 PM.
On this day in 1846, the Oregon Treaty extends the border between the United States and British North America, established by the Treaty of 1818, westward to the Pacific Ocean.
On the agenda for Tuesday’s meeting (6.16.26) of the Whitewater Common Council there is a letter of intent from developer Anderson Ashton to the City of Whitewater proposing to develop a city-owned, seven-acre parcel on Bluff Road for a new grocery store and a childcare center. See Letter of Intent from Matthew J. Mehring, President, Anderson Ashton, Inc., to Mason Becker, Community Development Director, City of Whitewater (June 10, 2026.)
The letter of intent proposes a methodical discussion and negotiation with the City of Whitewater for a public-private development, proposes the transfer and improvement of city-owned land for a complementary grocery store and childcare center, with final terms reserved for a later development agreement.
A letter of intent is an invitation — it is not a deal but rather a request to discuss a deal.
There are sound reasons for the Whitewater Common Council to respond affirmatively: (1) the proposal addresses two community needs at once, (2) another grocery would meet a continuing need in a city of nearly sixteen thousand, (3) childcare supports working families, (4) the proposal rests on substantial private investment, (5) the City-owned land is now vacant and private development would bring tax revenue, (6) the proposed terms for land and infrastructure contributions are similar to prior projects in the city, and (7) Anderson Ashton outlines a methodical project schedule that includes subsequent evaluation and approval before Whitewater’s Planning Commission, Community Development Authority, and the Common Council between now and April 2027.
The sensible course is for the Whitewater Common Council to respond affirmatively at its 6.16.26 meeting to Anderson Ashton’s letter of intent.
The letter of intent and accompanying conceptual images appear below:
_____
Upcoming posts (in no decided order): A Whitewater Comparative Analysis, Whitewater’s Workforce, Outcome-Driven Argumentation, and a New Ethics Ordinance.
How to Use NASA’s Eyes on Exoplanets: