PC054 Marcia Sands 09-17-2015From:Christina Janssen
To:Elisha Heath
Cc:Chris Bainbridge
Subject:FW: Painted Hills Project Concerns
Date:Thursday, September 17, 2015 4:21:47 PM
Chris,
I am including you here because she would like this included in the next Council meeting.
Christina J. Janssen
Planner
City of Spokane Valley
Community and Economic Development Dept.
11707 E. Sprague Avenue #106
Spokane Valley, WA 99206
Phone-(509)720-5333
www.spokanevalley.org
(Contents of this email and any reply are subject to public disclosure)
From: Marcia Sands [mailto:marcia_sands@comcast.net] Sent: Thursday, September 17, 2015 4:16 PMTo: Christina JanssenCc: mayor/ councilmembersSubject: Painted Hills Project Concerns
Hi Christina, Mr. Mayor & Councilmembers:
I am writing because I have recently become aware that there is a proposed
High Density Housing Development at the location of the former Painted Hills
Golf Course. I argue that this location is not appropriate for residential
development based on the following:
- The location is within the FEMA 100 year flood plain (Photo attached). It
is designated as AE. Spokane Valley Municipal Code Ch. 21.30.090 –
Provisions for flood hazard reduction Section 5. “AE and A1 – 30 Zones with
Base Flood Elevations but No Floodways.
a. In areas where a regulatory floodway has not been designated, no new construction,
substantial improvements, or other development (including fill) shall be permitted within
Zones A1 – 30 and AE on the community’s FIRM, unless it is demonstrated that the
cumulative effect of the proposed development, when combined with all other existing and
anticipated development, will not increase the water surface elevation of the base flood more
than one foot at any point within the community.
b. In the unnumbered A zones, the development may not increase the water surface elevation
of the base flood by more than one foot at any point.
c. In the A zones where base flood elevations have been provided, but floodways have not
been established, the development may not increase the surface water elevation of the base
flood by more than one-tenth of a foot at any point.
d. All adjacent or other property owners impacted by the development within the floodplain
must give their written, notarized approval for any increased base flood elevations upon their
property.”
Even if you are able to demonstrate that the development meets these
requirement AND you get permission from Washington Department of Ecology –
as required in Subsection 1.e. of the same Chapter – there is the human aspect
to take into consideration. A golf course or multi-use park is the perfect use for
that property because if it floods, and it does flood, there is very little damage
to construction and people’s lives who are affected by the flooding. The
developer will come in, build, sell and leave taking away a nice little profit leaving
the City, State and Federal governments to pay for the cost of housing that is
damaged due to flooding. Please make a responsible decision for the community
that you serve and use common sense. Do not allow further development in flood
plains.
Furthermore, mitigation of the flood hazard in this location will only cause other
locations up and downstream to have more flooding than they already have. As
you are probably aware the FEMA map for this area was updated in 2010 and
many people learned that their houses are located within the flood plain that
they did not know about when they chose to build there.
- Schools – The schools in our community are already overcrowded and
underfunded. The addition of 580 units worth of children to this system
will severely impact these resources. There is no cost to the developer to
provide for more classrooms and teachers. The cost of more schools will
be put upon our community. But until more schools are built our children
will be stuck in overcrowded conditions. This will reduce property values.
Good schools that are not overcrowded is a major draw to people looking
to move to Spokane Valley.
- Roads – The existing two-lane roadways surrounding this parcel are
inadequate to handle the additional traffic that would be generated by
such a large high-density development at that location.
I am not anti-development but I do think that development should be completed
in locations that are not going to have substantial adverse impacts to the people
living in them in the future or the community in which they are located. Just
because someone is able to purchase a property very inexpensively (because it is
a flood plain) does not give them the right to make a profit at the expense of
everyone else.
Please do the responsible thing and vote to not allow residential development
(especially high-density) at this location.
I request that this email be included in the minute of the next city council
meeting. Thank you for your consideration
Marcia Sands
10618 E Ferret Dr.
Spokane Valley, WA 99206