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HomeMy WebLinkAboutCorrespondence PLANNER 8/1/2008 Call: Also from or ok to men.oncurrence of Jeri and Jesse Covin.988-3108), Ju... Page 1 of 1 L1MBIRD Andrew From: L1MBIRD Andrew Sent: Friday, August 01,20083:36 PM To: 'Dianna Larsen' Subject: RE: Peace Health- Midwifery Birth Center Thanks Dianna, I will place the updated letter in the file. Here's the text from the previous message I sent: "Thanks Ms. Larsen, your comments will be kept in the permanent case files and forwarded to the developer for their consideration. Additionally, the comments will be addressed in the staff reports for the site plan review and tree felling applications. Copies of the decisions will be sent to you when they are issued. If you have any questions please let me know by email or call (541) 726-3784." . Andy Limbird City of Springfield From: Dianna Larsen [mailto:diannal@oslc.org] Sent: Friday, August 01,20083:04 PM To: UMBIRD Andrew Subject: RE: Peace Health- Midwifery Birth Center Andy, I've made a few fairly insignificant changes-but I feel a little better about having it read. Obviously, I don't know your department's language, but I hope the points are clear. If not, just let me know. I also changed the date on the new version, so that the old one can easily be identified. The current version is 25 July 2008. Do you happen to have a copy of the message you sent while I was out of town? It described the path that the permit and accompanying materials will take. When I returned, the message was gone. Not necessary, but please resend, if that's easy to do. Thanks to you- Dianna Larsen From: Dianna Larsen Sent: Thursday, July 24, 2008 2:27 PM To: 'alimbird@d.springfield.or.us' Subject: Peace Health- Midwifery Birth Center Hello, Andy- I put something together and met with neighbors last night. I hope the attached letter is adequate for your purposes. When printed, it's been loosing its underlines. which highlight the main requests: 1. limit tree cutting 2. Use pervious surfacing 3. Create adequate onsite drainage Will you somehow guide readers to those points, if necessary? If you need clarification within the next 'h hour or so, I'll be available. Thanks for your telephone time and for seeing this document along its route- Dianna Larsen 8/1/2008 Date Received: Planner: AL r1PctJf I . . 25 July 2008 To: Andy Limbird, City of Springfield, Urban Planning Division Re: Proposed Peace Health Midwifery Birth Center at 353 Deadmond Ferry Road, Springfield, OR 97477 Dear Mr. Limbird, I live next door to the proposed Peace Health Midwifery Birth Center on Deadmond Ferry Road, and have received the , City's recent notices of their building and tree removal applications. This letter is in response to those. Please route the following comments through appropriate channels so that they might weigh in on decisions. This letter also represents the thoughts of Sally and Bruce Brown: 335 Deadmond Ferry Rd., and Jeri and Jesse Covington and Judi Willis: #349. Peace Health's Philip Farrington (Director, Land Use Planning 8< Development) had previously mentioned the possibility of this project. His description was of a low-key, low-roofed, Northwest natural residential feel, and a low level of traffic to the Center. Aside from leaving the area aS,residential or green space, this generally seems a fairly compatible use of the lot from a neighborhood viewpoint. Following are specific concerns regarding the building and the tree removal. Tree removal: It was nearly impossible to read the tiny map accompanying the notice, and the trees themselves (in the yard) don't seem to be marked. It would be useful for these notices to show a Web location where the information can easily be studied. Thanks for later providing that during our phone conversation. Given the relatively large number of trees proposed for removal; we're concerned about the effects on the remaining flora and surrounding properties. Fundamental environmental changes will take place in terms of wildlife habitat, air and soil moisture retention, air quality, drainage, and heat and light. (Homes in this area have the luxury of "natural air-conditioning"-a clean, free energy source which Peace Health can also employ, but which diminishes in efficiency as each tree is removed and replaced by impervious surface.) We ask that the number of trees cut be limited to what is necessar:y for the footDrint of the actual building'. but not for a Dortion of the oaved areas. . We know that this is not just individual trees, but a system of trees, shr\!bs, etc. which don't observe property lines. The health of the remaining trees is difficult to measure until it's too late. There seems to be a critical point at which the system's tolerance is over-taxed and fails- in the Eugene/Springfield area, often with a 75' Douglas Fir in someone's kitchen. The spreading nature of the Douglas Fir root system seems to make them particularly dependent on neighboring trees, and susceptible to wind without them. The trees will be further stressed by the construction process and by the permanent covering of roots by impervious materials-all of this, a threat to the tree (disease, falling, pests), and consequentl,y, to surrounding properties. In the past, Sperry Tree Care has been hired by Peace Health to work with the trees on the site in question, so they know the property. Alby Thoumsin from Sperry was recently on my property looking east to the target site and lamenting that arborists and architects are not often asked to consult with equal weight well before the drawing and dreaming begin. Perhaps it's not too late to make some small but potent adjustments to the plan. We ask that you consider alternatives to a si~nificant aortic" of the nroDosed O.QOO square feet of imDervious surfaces. These surfaces shed rainfall and surface pollutants, creating new run off and erosion issues for neighbors and for storm drains into ponds, rivers, lakes, and streams. Instead, pervious pavements are designed to allow percolation or infiltration of storm water through the surface into the soil below it, where the water is naturally filtered, pollutants are removed, roots are fed, and temperatures are mediated. As you know, there are many alternatives for either "porous" (infiltrates water across the entire surface) or permeable (can be formed of impervious material, but allows infiltration through a pattern of voids) SUrfaces~ A comb, in, a,t,io, n o~/, / ffiiilt& R€1~lilElt!: -~-lij~! pl~fiflefi A~ Call: Also from or ok to ment.o~currence of Jeri and Jesse Covingt.988-3108), Ju... Page 1 of 1 L1MBIRD Andrew From: Dianna Larsen [diannal@oslc.org] Sent: Friday, August 01, 2008 3:04 PM To: L1MBIRD Andrew Subject: RE: Peace Health- Midwifery Birth Center Attachments: Peace Health: Midwifery Birth Center-final.doc Andy, I've made a few fairly insignificant changes-but I feel a little better about having it read. Obviously, I don't know your department's language, but I hope the points are clear. If not, just let me know. I also changed the date on the new version, so that the old one can easily be identified. The current version is 25 July 2008. Do you happen to have a copy of the message you sent while I was out of town? It described the path that the permit and accompanying materials will take. When I returned, the message was gone. Not necessary, but please resend, if that's easy to do. Thanks to you- Dianna Larsen From: Dianna Larsen Sent: Thursday, July 24,20082:27 PM To: 'alimbird@ci.springfield.or.us' Subject: Peace Health- Midwifery Birth Center Hello. Andy- I put something together and met with neighbors last night. I hope the attached letter is adequate for your purposes. When printed. it's been loosing its underlines. which highlight the main requests: 1.. Limit tree cutting 2. Use pervious surfacing 3. Create adequate onsite drainage Will you somehow guide readers to those points. if necessary? If you need clarification within the next !f.1 hour or 50. I'll be available. Thanks for your telephone time and for seeing this document along its route- Dianna Larsen Date Received: 1;/)o()f PI!ilnner: AL .... . 8/1/2008