This month I need to take a break from what has become an overwhelming list of frustrations that have come with the new Mukilteo ferry terminal project.

Over the past several years, the coordination between government officials and the local stakeholders (residents) has degraded significantly. Decisions are justified using the “public input checkbox” that ultimately concludes “most people like our plan.” And those who don’t? “Well, you can’t please everyone.”

To help illustrate how it should be, I’d like to tell a little story and focus on some previous successes.

Over 25...