PC103 Gary Lake 09-18-2015From:Gary Lake
To:Christina Janssen
Subject:Painted Hills Project-SUB2015-0011/PRD-2015-01
Date:Friday, September 18, 2015 7:57:14 AM
I am writing to request that the above PRD be rejected. This PRD will infringe on the property
rights current owners, impacts the neighborhood, and is not conducive with the geography of
the neighborhood.
My family have been residents of the Spokane Valley area since 1990 (before it was a city),
and moved to the Midilome neighborhood in 2002. We previously lived near 19th & Pines.
The Painted Hill golf course played into the decision to move into the Midilome
neighborhood. We knew what the zoning was and felt comfortable about the future of the
neighborhood, and that the zoning would protect the neighborhood.
The definition of zoning in the "Dictionary of Real Estate Appraisal: by the Appraisal Institute”
is: “The public regulation of the character and extent of real estate through police power;
accomplished by establishing districts or areas with uniform restrictions to improvements,
structural heights, area, bulk; density of population; and other aspect of the use and
development of private property". To change the zoning and allow the above PRD is in
violation and contrary of the current R-3 zoning. The above PRD does not protect the
property rights of the current owners, and shows no respect for the current property owners.
The most glaring example is in the proposed PRD, a multi-story apartment complex that to be
built next to a convent of a cloistered sect of nuns.
The previous owner of the Painted Hills golf course downzoned the parcel and other parcels
that were part of the course to the current R-3 designation. This was done in order to
develop a limited number of golf course home sites on the western side of the property. His
proposed plans showed a limited number home sites would be consistent with existing
neighborhood. Due to this, there was little protest. These homes would have enhanced the
value of the neighborhood and been in harmony with the existing homes and infrastructure.
However, to change the existing R-3 zoning to the proposed PRD would destroy the nature of
the neighborhood forever, and devalue many of the existing homes. Some homes, such as
those in the Midilome Greens development, and the view properties to the east, have likely
seen, or will see some loss of market value of their homes due to the loss of the golf course.
The Painted Hills golf course was established in a low level flood zone area that collects and
disperses runoff water. The majority of the course is in a designated FEMA flood zone area
AE, and is a Compensatory Storage Area for runoff water per FEMA. This area has flooded in
the past to the extent of flooding and the closing of Thorpe Road on the southern boundary.
To allow the intense housing that is planned by the proposed PRD has the potential to destroy
the neighborhood as we know it. It is not conducive with the existing use of the
neighborhood and would infringe of the rights of the existing property owners. There are
only two streets leading in and out of the neighborhood, both two lanes streets. The streets
are already very busy during the peak times in the mornings and afternoons, around work and
school hours.
In summary, to change or downzone the golf course site from R-3 to the proposed PRD should
not be allowed. It is not the intent of the R-3 zoning to allow such a use as the proposed PRD.
The current infrastructure cannot handle the number of proposed new households, multi-
family housing, mixed use retail and commercial areas in the above PRD. The geography is not
conducive to a development like this. The vast majority of the current property owners do
not want this development. In the end, if this is approved, the current property owners will
end up paying in the future for damage done to the infrastructure in the neighborhood after
the developer has moved on, while their property values are deteriorating due to this
development.
I realize that a property owner can do, at times, what he wants to do with his property. But
the zoning laws were put in place to protect existing and future property owners, and give
them certain rights. To allow this type of development will fringe in the inalienable property
rights of the current owners and should not be allowed. It is the government's job, your job,
to protect the rights of the current owners. This PRD should be rejected.
Thank you.
Gary Lake
Gary Lake Appraisals
11912 E 40th Avenue
Spokane Valley, WA 99206
Cell: 509-991-3034
Tele: 509-921-0828
Serving Spokane County since 1992