2005/12/05 Council Agenda Packet

January 23, 2005 Dept. of Planning and Community Development City of Everett 2930 Wetmore Ave. Suite 8A Everett, WA 98201 To City of Everett Planning Commission, 2005 CITY OF EVERE M' Planning Dept. I am writing to express my opposition to the proposed expansion of Providence Everett Medical Center, which will include the demolition of 21 historical single-family homes. I am an owner of one of the Donovan homes on 13`h and Oakes Ave. I've lived in this home for 23 years, raised two sons here and spent countless hours on home renovation and maintenance necessary with an older home. I bought this home because I was raised in north Everett (just four blocks from where I live now) and wanted to raise my family here also. The Donovan homes were well built, had lots of character and were affordable for young families. If the hospital is allowed to go ahead with their plan, life as I've known it for decades will take a drastic turn for the worse. My concerns include, but are not limited to: Possible property damage. There is a real chance of property damage to all the surrounding homes due to demolition and the use of heavy machinery. This has recently happened in Everett where Safeway had expansion projects on 41S` & Rucker and on north Broadway. If damage occurs who will pay for the repairs? Noise. There will be 10 years of noise from construction to complete all their phases and noise from added traffic from construction workers. Water run off. This neighborhood has always had trouble with slow water absorption in the yards leading to occasional flooding in basements. Once an entire block is black toped, where will all that water go? Where are the studies that need to be done before consideration for this project is given? Traffic. Increased traffic as each phase is completed will eventually make the neighborhood unsafe for children and pets. Loss of sunlight. Eventually all the homes east of Oakes Ave. will be shaded and see very little if any sunlight after 12:00 noon. Living in the northwest sunshine is a precious commodity and always looked forward too. Integrity of the neighborhood. It seems clear and evident to me that if the city leaders allow this expansion it is just the beginning of PEMC's "march to Broadway" at which point instead of losing a quarter of the historic Donovan homes the residents of Everett will lose three quarters of those homes. Not only are we talking about the destruction of