PC382_Rob_and_katharine_Heskett_11-15-2018From:Rob and Katharine Heskett
To:Lori Barlow
Subject:Public Comment on Painted Hills Development
Date:Thursday, November 15, 2018 10:28:55 PM
Ms. Barlow,
My wife and I were both born and raised in the Spokane Valley. We currently live in the
Spokane Valley and both graduated from University High School, Class of 1995. We feel the
need to comment against the planned future development of the former Painted Hills Golf
Course.
This is an amazing opportunity for the City of Spokane Valley to capitalize on developing a
large park that the city can take pride in for generations. The South Hill is known for Manito
Park. Downtown is known for Riverfront Park. Discovery Park is nice but is used for more
commercial outdoor activities. This area could be known for a well kept and treasured public
land for all to enjoy. Large, beautiful trees left over from the golf course days still grow there,
limiting the need for much landscape planting to be done. Raised green and tee areas still
would provide elevations and meandering paths for walkers. The Valley will not have another
opportunity to have a park of this size.
I am the Chief Operation Officer of TSI, Inc. located in Cheney. We are a trucking company
that employs 1,000 people. Recently hired and relocated employees have chosen to live in
the Valley but make the drive to Cheney for employment. They value the large homes and
safety the Valley offers. These families have moved from Arizona, California, and Oregon to
name a few. What drew them to the Valley over the Northside or South Hill was the low
density housing and Central Valley Schools. We are not opposed to single, family homes
being built on a small portion of the former golf course but certainly not the large amount of
"housing units" designed by the developer. Apartments and duplexes would not complement
the large home lots that this part of Spokane Valley is known for.
As a trucking executive, I have to comment on the number of loads that the developer would
need to "Cut and Fill" the property. In hauling 328,289 cubic yards of material to the site, it
will take 23,450 standard dump truck loads. This amount of loads will damage the existing
roads in the area. The asphalt will absolutely have to be replaced.
We also have concerns with the flood plain in this area. While we were in high school, Painted
Hills Golf Course was known to flood in the winter. There was enough frozen water that large
groups from school would ice skate on the property. All these years later, when we drive by
the area in the spring, we can see the large amount of standing water surrounding the golf
course.
We strongly encourage the leaders of Spokane Valley to greatly limit the planned growth in
this area. This is a once in a lifetime opportunity to build a park and small neighborhood that
will benefit future Valley generations.
Thank you for your time,
Rob and Katharine Heskett