I’m sorry to hear about Julie Muhlstein’s sour-grapes attitude about losing her view that she wasn’t entitled to. (Sept. 14 column, “A different look at lost views”). When she bought her house, the properties in front of her were zoned at 35 feet, whether they were built to that height yet or not. Her property was valued with this in mind, so she didn’t lose value when her neighbors expanded their houses to the legal maximum.
Her analogy doesn’t work for the North Marina Development. When the property owners on the bluff bought their houses, the height limit below them was 35 feet. They knew that no one could build in front of them and block their views and their properties were valued accordingly. Two years ago they gave up some of their views voluntarily for the good of the community. Now the Port and Maritime Trust want more of it to sell to the condo owners.
This is comparable to Julie’s neighbors being zoned for one story, but asking if they could build another floor because it would make the whole neighborhood more valuable because they would have a nicer house. Then later, after you gave up some view, they wanted to add another floor, because a three-story house would really jazz up the neighborhood instead of the one-story bungalow.
I’m sorry, Julie, but your argument doesn’t hold water. There are a lot of public views on the bluff that will be lost, from parks and between the houses. That is why Grand Avenue is the most popular street in Everett for people to walk their dogs and kids. They are going to lose the many small views they have and you are going to lose the view you have left, which you are entitled to.
Mike Palmer
Everett
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