Twenty-plus years after having moved to Hawaii as a teen, my husband considers himself a “local.” I was born and raised in paradise. As adults, careers took us to live in Chicago twice for six years total and Tokyo, Japan for five.

When deciding to retire, our worry was in finding a location with the small-town, family feel of Hawaii, combined with the safety and orderliness of Japan and the multitude of activities of Chicago. If one wonders if such a place exists and can deliver all of the above, look no further than Kirkland.

The Aug. 30 Kirkland Reporter was the bearer of the sad changes slated to take place in our unique and wonderful community. Do we really need another five-story mixed-use apartment complex (324 Central Way)? Or a Kirkland Aqua/Potala Village (Lake Washington Boulevard)?

Claudio Guincher with Continental Properties LLC is quoted as saying that he and his wife have spent a lot of time here in the summer and “it’s a great place to be.”May I suggest that you leave Kirkland be, Mr. Guincher, so that you and your wife, Kirkland residents and guests can continue to enjoy all of the beauty that the city has to offer?

To the developers who wish to alter the face of Kirkland and make it into a mini-Bellevue, do your damage elsewhere. Not all change is good, especially when it detracts from the lifestyle of a community’s residents. We are here 24/7, in good weather and in bad and it’s always “a great place to be.” Let’s keep it that way.

Vera Ellen Fahl, Kirkland