2005/12/05 Council Agenda Packet

January 31, 2005 Submitted by email and mail Dave Koenig. Department of Planning and Community Development D City of Everett 3 f 2930 Wetmore Ave, Suite 8A " `' ; Everett, WA 98201 ! 3 d 1 2005 Re: Draft Environmental Impact Statement for the PEMC Expansion C tT or OF E VE RE` 7 P p Planning Dept. Dear Mr. Koenig: On behalf of the Donovan neighborhood residents, thank you for the opportunity to comment of the Draft Environmental Impact Statement (DEIS) for the expansion of Providence Everett Medical Center (PEMC), proposing to build a Cancer Care Center/Medical Office building on 13' and Wetmore, demolition of block 248 or Donovan homes, and the re -designation of current 2.4-1-lospital blocks as an Institutional overlay (R-2-1). As described herein, the DEIS raises many more questions than it answers, failing to provide decision makers with the information they need to objectively identify, compare and weight alternatives. The Donovan neighborhood group consists of residents of the area which will be most impacted by the hospital's planned expansion. We are residents of the 59 Donovan homes not owned by PEMC; we are architects, real estate appraisers, retailers, realtors, marketers, salespeople, not-for-profit managers, nurses, teachers, homemakers, machinists and retirees. We have a stake in the outcome of decisions made regarding the north end of the City of Everett, and plan to be a part of the process. The Donovan District consists of 79 homes built by builder Edward Donovan between 1923-1931. They are noted for their solid, quality construction, their durability and their charm. Donovan's original intent was to build homes for the working class, and these homes remain in the hands of solidly middle class residents who take a great deal of pride in their homes, and view themselves as stewards of the area's cultural history. State Environmental Policy Act of 1971 The State Environmental Policy Act sets forth state policy for protection, restoration and enhancement of the environment. This policy is implemented by the preparation and circulation of an environmental impact statement disclosing the environmental impacts of a proposed project and discussing reasonable alternatives and mitigation measures that avoid or minimize adverse impacts. It is "crucial" that an EIS contain a detailed discussion of alternatives to the proposed action: "The required discussion of alternatives to a proposed project is of major importance, because it provides a basis for a reasoned decision among alternatives having differing environmental impacts." Weyerhaeuser v. Pierce County, 124 Wn.2d 26, _ (1994). The test to be applied is "whether the environmental effects of the proposed action and reasonable alternatives are sufficiently disclosed, discussed and that they are