Endorsement from Deanna Hormann

"My husband and I built a home in RValley Acres in Spokane Valley. We have about 138 one acre tracts in our neighborhood. It seems like it must be a quarter of a century ago that some of us in the neighborhood began ‘defending’ the integrity and quality of life in our neighborhood. Each time we thought ‘well, we are through’ and then something else raised its head.

I have also been a Sheriff Community Oriented Policing volunteer for about 15 or so years and a Neighborhood Watch Leader for about a quarter of a century.

With that said, and without knowing your issues, still, I can understand the frustration Painted Hills must experience with current new development.

However, although I did not vote for Mark Richard the first time he ran for office, I have since, because of defending and working for my neighborhood, been able to watch his work in the community. Because of his concern for the transition between new and existing developments he opened the County Development Task Force which is comprised of neighborhood persons, fire officials, the development community, home builders and staff from the County. We meet once a month, in that time we have been able to begin to identify many of the issues neighborhoods have with new development and its intrusion upon existing neighborhoods. We have also been able to listen to the development community and their concerns and suggestions on what might be done to mitigate some of the transition issues. In addition we have the fire department input on their issues in protect ing us. There is a very rough draft being prepared as a talking paper. It is a work in process. If you have concerns and we have not already brought similar issues up, we could use your input for that rough draft. Please forward them to the email below.

I have learned that there are many regulations, the Growth Management Act, ordinances, etc etc etc which were adopted by former County Commissioner Boards that this Board of Commissioners must live with. There are buzz words like ‘connectivity’ which means connecting neighborhoods. So, for safety how do you connect neighborhoods ‘without’ running the new development through the existing neighborhood? Another new buzz word “infill” Some of the regulations allow duplexes anywhere in any development to fill in to maximum units in the GMA. And so on…

In the Ponderosa, for example, although Sheriff Knezovich cannot support running more cars through that neighborhood for safety reasons, and Commissioner Richards will vote against any additional land included in the GMA until ingress and egress is solved there are still regulations that are forcing the Ponderosa to go to court to prevent additional development around the Ponderosa.

In the recent fires in the Dishman Hills, we are again reminded that there is more to planning and safety than just throwing up homes. So, where do we go from here? The only answer I have seen is just to continue to work, have goals that mitigate the issues of safety and neighborhood integrity when faced with new development, support the development community so that they can continue to build our homes, and support those officials that are truly trying to take care of our community.

I would like to see Commissioner Richard continue the work he is doing for the community. I also am concerned that we continue to have his support for Law Enforcement in these changing times. We are blessed to have a strong and capable leader in our Sheriff, I also would like to see that work completed. I have grandchildren in this community, I am very interested in the environment they grow up in."


-Deanna Hormann