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Richard Kotoski, the applicant, has done (or attempteed) this in multiple places in the immediate vicinity... 1978 Thom, 2015 <br />Thom, 3985 New Brighton Road, and perhaps others. The 3-property subdivision around 1978 Thom was not finished <br />according to the original plans, promises to retain trees were not kept, grading was not done to plan causing erosion, drainage, <br />and maintenance problems. <br />I'm concerned that with Tim moving away (and having no vested interest in maintaining the area) and Kotoski's <br />history, any plans here would not be followed through fully or correctly.. <br />Previous Planning Commissions and City Councils have found this to be a bad idea: <br />In 2006 the planning commission considered it a finding of fact that connecting to Thom drive was "hardship" and <br />not just an inconvenience. [7] though I understand a plan allowing this was eventually passed that included my <br />land and only one additional home in the 'backyard' of 3685 New Brighton Road. The plan that eventually passed <br />included only one additional house on 3685 out to Thom, removed considerably fewer trees, encroached on the <br />easement less (and only on one side - a request to expand on the other side to maintain access for lift station was <br />made by city engineer and accepted), and involved much less complications and 'design by conditions'. (the <br />proposed subdivision has 19 planning commission coniditions as well as a host of additional conditions from <br />RCWD) <br />During the discussions for the subdivision that was denied, they further found that while large enough, "4 lots <br />adjacent to Thom drive and New Brighton road with separate driveways... which would not be desirable." [7] <br />During that meeting, the developer, on Tim's behalf, went on further to indicate "there is no other way to access <br />the new lots without the creation of a central outlot [through my property] because of lot size and topology [of the <br />western side of 3685]". [8] <br />Later in that same meeting, when challenged as to why the new houses were being put mostly on 3695 New <br />Brighton Road, Tim, himself, said that much of the lot [3685] was lift station or wetlands and "to look at the entire <br />square footage was misrepresenting the fact that there was space to build on and[or] there was room to encroach <br />into his back area" [7] <br />Injures my property and home: <br />Homes placed in the proposed locations will require us to pay $26,895[p7] to maintain the viability of our home. <br />We looked at this property and saw the nature, privacy, neighborhood character and density would work for us. <br />Because of the tree maintenance plan the city has and the neighboring lots being fully wooded and 3685 already <br />being fully developed felt we could count on privacy to the south / southwest. Further, from talking to neighbors, <br />we learned that property had been more-or-less deemed undevelopable by the planning commission unless our lot <br />was included when they gave a variance for a private road through our property in 2006. I've subsequently found <br />that past city councils and planning commissions had issues with attempts to develop this land. Either way, we felt <br />our expectation of having a private lot was very very solid.... enough so that we banked the viability of our house <br />on it. <br />We designed our house per various city guidelines and recommendations. We included all the recommendations <br />for design that the JDA, city, and county, has been suggesting for years[p2]. Our windows are unique and were <br />sized and located such that, combined with the other efficiency measures taken in our house, almost all of our <br />heating needs comes from solar gains; we do not have a traditional furnace or venting system in our home.[p3] <br />This is only possible if our windows have full solar access -- which means blinds or planted privacy walls closer to <br />the house than a 23 degree angle angle are not an option. We bought this property specifically with this type of <br />house in mind, knowing that to the south we'd have, and need to have, the privacy to give us the access to solar <br />we needed. Everything was calculated, angled, sized, and situated according to an energy model that falls apart if <br />we cover the east, south, or west-facing windows. To be clear, our house's viability in winter is dependent on clear