To the editor:

Years have gone by since the Alexandria city government, then led by Mayor William D. Euille, announced it wanted the Amazon East Coast headquarters to locate here. Amazon-related stories have been prominent in our local news ever since. Recently reputable news sources have reported that Amazon’s previous record growth has ended or at least slowed significantly. The Times has yet to publish a news story about this.

All of us who live here need to know what to expect. We need to know in particular how our mayor and council will respond to these changed circumstances. Human life, either individually or as a community of whatever size, will never be static. What are our leaders’ plans and expectations for our near term future?

We appear to have weathered the worst of the health crises caused by COVID-19. However I believe COVID wrought long-lasting changes to the way residents live, work and shop. People with marketable skills they can use with just a home office and a computer are embracing work from home.

Ordering from Amazon or some other online service has less attraction than it did when avoiding all strangers was wise. Those brick and mortar stores at the Potomac Yard shopping center no longer seem as obsolete as they did a few years ago.

Not so much office space for businesses attracted by Amazon is going to be needed. Meanwhile our long awaited Potomac Yard Metro is permanently located on an infilled wetland. It would have better served the existing Potomac Yard residents if it had been built on solid ground nearer to their homes.

Global warming is a threat to human life more deadly than COVID. More serious attention needs to be paid to that too.

I am sorry for the gloomy tone of this letter. However, problems are never solved or even ameliorated by ignoring them.

-Katy Cannady, Alexandria