Letters

Mountlake Terrace

Site for new fire station asking for trouble

There will be a Mountlake Terrace Planning Commission public hearing at 7 p.m. June 28 at the Mountlake Terrace Civic Center, 23204 58th Ave. W., for the building of a new fire station just north of the one story police station.

I believe that if this is approved by the Planning Commission, that the safety of our police and firefighters, our entire city and its citizens, and all our emergency and law enforcement vehicles, will be placed in “harm’s way.”

According to the fire station environmental checklist, the height of the building will be approximately 30 feet (about three stories) above the adjacent street with a parking lot beneath for 24 police and fire vehicles, making it approximately 43 feet (about four stories) above the level of the current police station behind City Hall.

I believe that this location is one of the most dangerous pieces of land in Mountlake Terrace for any construction. This area is shown on Snohomish County and city geological maps as having “unstable soil.” I believe, to build a tall wood-framed fire station having two bays for heavy fire trucks, filled with water, above our police and other emergency vehicles is inviting a “piggy back” disaster.

I think that unstable soil is affected by vibration; it could be by in and out movement of heavy fire trucks, an accidental collision or explosion, a terrorist attack or by an earthquake, in my opinion.

Efforts should be made to reach those employees and officials who met the unexpected soil challenges to build a safe one story police station, before going any further with this plan. Please attend.

DORIS CANNON

Mountlake Terrace

Volunteers

Pastor serves city and as example to others

Thank you for your editorial calling for more citizens to become involved as city volunteers.

I noticed there has been some controversy regarding Pastor John Small and the amount of volunteer work the New Beginnings Church puts in for the city of Mountlake Terrace. I had the privilege of working with Pastor Small on the church board a number of years ago when he explained his vision for the church to be a servant in the community. It was an inspiration to me and others to see the amount of time and effort Pastor Small would put in to realize that vision.

Currently, I am a member of a church in south Everett. Our own church has been inspired by Pastor Small’s example and has looked for similar ways to reach out and be a blessing to our city as well.  Furthermore, I realize there are Mountlake Terrace City Council members who wish to see other churches be given opportunities to serve that city as well. I am certain Pastor Small would be wholeheartedly agree with this. His overwhelming desire was always to see all churches in the city cooperate in making Mountlake Terrace a better place.

Every city should be as fortunate as Mountlake Terrace to have pastors with the heart and desire to serve like John Small.

RICK MICHELS

Lynnwood

Edmonds

Creative zoning

for arts center

The Center for the Arts (CFA) Plan is creative in only one way: it exemplifies creative government through code manipulation.

In a public zone the Edmonds code requires that only 35 percent of a building site may have an impervious surface. The structures on the former Puget Sound Christian College campus cover 52 percent of the land. Many of these may be removed soon to make way soon for the construction of a proposed three-story parking garage sometime in the next 10 years-maybe. Neither plans nor money are now available.

The Public Facilities District (PFD), author of the CFA plan, claims that its parking garage should be allowed the same lot coverage as the demolished buildings i.e. 52 percent. That argument is also used to justify a request for an exception to the height limit.

But here’s the extra special twist. The planned garage will actually increase the lot coverage to 68 percent of the site, or, almost twice the code limit. The PFD argues that a roof garden, located on an upper level of the garage, should be considered “open space” and, therefore, the impervious surface of the ground level should not be counted in the percentage calculation!

The innocuous roof garden shown in site plans is used as a ploy to get a bigger parking garage.

NATALIE SHIPPEN

Edmonds

I-864

Tax cut would

cut many services

Initiative measure 864 proposes a 25 percent reduction in tax levies for “counties, cities, and other local taxing districts.” What are those “taxing districts?”

Few realize that our library districts and fire districts are on the list of potential funding cuts. Public libraries are still being severely impacted with prior cutbacks.

I just learned that approximately 95 percent or more of revenue for our libraries last year came from property taxes. There’s no doubt that 25 percent less would mean fewer services, books, information technology and open hours.

Americans need and use our public libraries, especially so as our economy falters. Will some libraries need to be closed? A lot of hard changes would need to be made.

Firefighters have watched their budgets get cut back year after year. It’s unsettling to think about what 25 percent less fire protection for our family homes and communities could mean.

Americans need and deserve the best fire protection our taxes can buy us. Less paid in taxes means less protection available to us.

MARYLIN OLDS

Kingston

Wal-Mart

Discussion, store can bring good things

God Bless America! Freedom of speech and opinion is such a wonderful thing. It amazes me the reactions that have come up with the talk of a new Wal-Mart at 132nd and 35th. And at this point, it is all speculation.

Take a moment to consider all of the positives that a new Wal-Mart creates – employment for construction workers, truck drivers and retail sales people. Most of the associates at the Wal-Mart home office started in a Wal-Mart store and worked their way through the organization.

“Everyday Low Prices” allow consumers to use the savings they receive from shopping at Wal-Mart at other locations like restaurants and specialty stores. It will provide convenient shopping for those traveling home at the end of the day along 35th or 132nd. If annexed the city would get revenue to support the police force that will be responsible for any accidents on 35th as they already are on 132nd fronting Fred Meyer.

I agree that the entrance to the 164th Street store has not made traffic any better; we can thank the county for that decision. The question though is, how many people go out specifically to shop at Wal-Mart during commuter hours? Also, the 164th store does not have room to expand to a Supercenter. I’d like to see “Everyday Low Prices” when grocery shopping and this location could be large enough for a Supercenter.

SARAH HIGGINBOTHAM

Mill Creek

September ballot

City should annex into Sno-Isle library system

On Sept. 14, Mill Creek residents will be asked to decide whether the city of Mill Creek should annex into the Sno-Isle Library System. There are some important things that everyone should know about this vote so they can make an informed decision.

Currently, the city of Mill Creek owns and maintains the Mill Creek Library building and has contracted with Sno-Isle for staff, materials and library service. Because of recent voter-approved tax-cutting initiatives, Mill Creek has all but decided that it will no longer budget money for this service. Annexation would allow residents to pay the Sno-Isle system directly for services.

Although it will not state this directly on the ballot, if the annexation is not approved the Mill Creek Library will likely close after 2005, and Mill Creek residents will not be eligible to check out materials in either the Sno-Isle or King County systems. Teachers and children will lose a valuable educational tool, and the community will lose access to the important resources a library provides, including children’s story times, community programs, easy access to tax forms, business and employment resources, computer access, and, of course, the ability to check out books. For those who have chosen to home school their children, the library is an especially vital tool for learning.

Annexation is not free. It will cost property owners 50 cents per $1,000 of assessed value. However, this measure has been made necessary because of voter mandated tax cuts, so in a sense it is merely replacing a small portion of the taxes that have been lowered elsewhere in order to retain this useful service.

ADAM GRIFFITH

Bothell

Editor’s note: The author is a member of Yes for Libraries in Mill Creek.

On par

Golf course should play by the noise rules

Washington law requires homeowners to disclose anything material that a prospective buyer should know before buying property. If it were common that cities allowed golf courses exemptions from their noise ordinances, owners would not need to disclose this information. But, because the city of Mill Creek allows this exemption, owners on the Mill Creek Country Club must disclose.

The city’s ordinance allowing early morning mowing is material, and needs to be disclosed by every homeowner living on the golf course. Failure to disclose this is in violation of state law.

While many homes will only hear a single lawn mower as it passes their home, residents near the maintenance facility must endure the 5 a.m. arrival of the maintenance crew, and the warming up of all the mowers as they head out to various parts of the course.

How would you feel if your next door neighbor started mowers and heavy trucks every morning at 5 a.m.? Thursday mornings at 4:15 a garbage truck backs down the access road with loud beeping to empty the Dumpsters. This is the same kind of operation that takes place in commercial areas, not residential neighborhoods.

Once a month, a large semi truck delivers three pallets of high nitrogen fertilizer to the maintenance facility. The truck is too large to go down the steep access road, so it is unloaded in front of our homes.

We should eliminate the golf courses from noise ordinances.

ANEM FAIRFIELD

Mill Creek