PC098 Dr. Spencer, Lexie Sautter 09-17-2015From:Lexie Sautter
To:Christina Janssen
Subject:Painted hills project
Date:Thursday, September 17, 2015 9:23:16 PM
Dear City of Spokane Valley,
I am writing to express my concern about the Painted Hills project that is planning to turn the former Painted Hills
Golf Course into a crowded, high-density housing development. This land and the existing infrastructure were not
previously zoned to support this level of density. With three schools in close proximity, our roads are already
choked, particularly at school commute times, and cannot safely accommodate the estimated 5000+ car trips that
will occur with this level of density. Moreover, the roads that will be most affected—Madison/Pines and the narrow
Dishman-Mica road—always have consistent pedestrian traffic, including kids and families walking to schools, and
the significant increase in automobile traffic greatly damages the safe zone that should surround our schools.
As this land encompasses wild wetlands, flood plains, and a natural creek, this development will not only displace
wildlife, but fundamentally change the character of the Painted Hills community. Changing existing zoning
designations, in response to developer pressure, while ignoring the concerns and voice of the people who elected
you, allows large real estate groups to tromp into neighborhoods in robber baron style—they are so big and rich
they do whatever they want, knowing that they can buy the city council and bully the surrounding community. This
particular developer, Black Realty, openly expressed complete disregard for community values and concerns in the
public meeting held earlier this year—and we understand that their studies on the impact of their proposed
development on the area have been minimal and superficial, hoping to slide through a process that they have
greased with their promises of new tax revenue.
We beg you to take a more qualitative approach. Please listen to our concerns, support the original zoning
designations, and preserve the quality of life that drew so many of us to the valley. This trust is what we elected you
to do—and we hope you can honor the commitments you made to be stewards of our community.
Thank you,
Dr. Spencer & Lexie Sautter