Some Sequim merchants say wine is fine, but cars choking business district

SEQUIM — Wine is working.

But water is a problem, and cars are clogging up everything.

So say three business people with vested interests in downtown Sequim.

“We need to turn this into a pedestrian mall,” blocked off to motorized traffic, said Ron Carlson, a member of the Blue Whole Gallery at 129 W. Washington St.

“If you go into towns where they’ve done that, you’ll see that pedestrian malls are just amazing” in their power to pull people into a city center.

The Blue Whole, an artists’ cooperative, is about to celebrate its 11th anniversary on Friday with a party including food, live music and 100 original works priced less than $100.

So has downtown been good to the gallery?

“I would say that the gallery has been good to downtown,” said Carlson, adding that the variety of art inside acts as a magnet for tourists and locals.

But the fact that “Washington Street is the main drag through town holds downtown back,” he added.