WALDO WOODS
WALDO WOODS: WHAT IS NEXT?
Article in the Seattle Times: Deal Will Save Waldo Woods
From the Maple Leaf Community:
Dear Neighbor --
We did it! It took three years of hard work, hundreds of letters, thousands of hours of meetings and preparations for meeting -- but we did it!
The Waldo Hospital site has been purchased by an organization who will redevelop it in an environmentally sound manner, which includes preservation of Waldo Hospital and Waldo Woods.
The Maple Leaf Community Council would like to formally welcome Menachem Mendel Seattle Cheder (MMSC) Day School to the Maple Leaf community. We've already had initial conversations and they are as excited to be moving into our neighborhood as we are about having them. They are eager to sit down and discuss their plans, which include renovating Waldo Hospital and possibly adding an outbuilding to house a cafeteria/gymnasium. They are eager to get community input on pick-up/drop-off patterns for their carpools.
You can learn more about our new neighbors here:
http://www.mmscdayschool.org/templates/blog/default_cdo/aid/946782/jewish/MMSCs-New-Campus.htm
We've invited MMDC to the Summer Social on Wednesday, July 29. It's late notice for them, but we hope they will be able to make it. We'll have more information to you as it becomes available. In the meantime, added details are in the press release copied below.
After three long years of work, I cannot communicate how proud and thankful I am of all the hard work you have put into this process. Together we not only saved Waldo Woods, but created a brand new conversation about preserving our urban forest that simply did not exist before we started this process. We have together also started a conversation about lead dust. I have said this before, but it would have been utterly impossible to get this far without your help.
The Maple Leaf Community Council would like to particularly acknowledge the efforts of attorneys David Mann, Kathy George, and Charlotte Cassady, arborist Tina Cohen, architect Susan Boyle, the staff in the archives at the Chicago headquarters of the American Osteopathic Association, and the staff at the AT Still National Osteopathic Museum for their assistance at various times over the past three years.
Thank you so much and we hope you enjoy your afternoon. Let us know if you have any questions. As we noted above, we'll be releasing additional details as they are available.
On behalf of the entire Waldo Working Group & MLCC Executive Board,
David Miller
Chair, Waldo Working Group
David.Miller@MapleLeafCommunity.org
BIG BOLD NEWS ABOUT WALDO WOODS
WALDO WOODS 6/1/09 report:
Good afternoon:
The Maple Leaf Community Council Executive Board, an elected body representing over 3,400 homes and businesses in north Seattle’s Maple Leaf neighborhood, announces today a successful outcome for their King County Superior Court case filed as part of an ongoing effort to positively affect development at the site of historic Waldo Hospital.
Complete details are available in the following press release:
http://www.mapleleafcommunity.org/files/waldo/2009-06-01_MLCC_KCSC-Waldo-victory.pdf
Thank you to the hundreds of people who gave of their time and financially to support this effort.
Sincerely,
David Miller
Chair, Waldo Working Group of the
Maple Leaf Community Council Executive Board
David.Miller@MapleLeafCommunity.org
LATE BREAKING NEWS FOR APRIL:
Dear Neighbor:
We do not yet have the results of our court case back yet, but there have been a couple of developments that have us cautiously optimistic that we will be able to achieve our long-standing goal of a use of the Waldo Hospital site that is more friendly to the environment and in scale with the unique attributes of the site.
We are going to want to get some feedback from residents, so please make a point of attending our April General Meeting this Wednesday:
When: Wednesday, April 29th
Time: 7-9 pm
Place: Olympic View Elementary (5th & 95th)
Because we have a packed schedule on public safety issues, we'll have about 15 minutes to chat. We'll present the news quickly and use the rest of the time for Q&A. I'd like to provide more details in the e-mail, but things are moving fast enough that the information would be outdated by Wednesday evening anyway.
Thanks for your continued support of our efforts,
David
David Miller
For the Waldo Working Group subcommittee of the
Maple Leaf Community Council
David.Miller@MapleLeafCommunity.org
MARCH 11, 2009 UPDATE
Dear Neighbor:
This Friday afternoon, ironically Friday the 13th, the Maple Leaf Community Council Executive Board's appeal of the Waldo Hospital project will be heard in King County Superior Court. If you have an hour or so free Friday afternoon, we'd love to have you attend the hearing.
When: Friday, March 13 1:30pm SHARP
Where: King County Courthouse (516 Third Avenue)
Room: W-719 (Check the case assignment sheet taped inside the entryway on 3rd Ave or 4th Ave to confirm)
Judge: Judge Timothy Bradshaw
The hearing will last about an hour, but might be longer or shorter. Please do not arrive late, but it is OK to quietly leave early.
Our attorney, David Mann, will be arging the case against the city attorney and the developer's attorney. There are no witnesses called or new evidence introduced since this appeal is based completely on the record created during our 3.5-day hearing in front of the Hearing Examiner.
The judge could rule from the bench after the arguments, but that is a little rare. He could also ask for another set of briefs from the lawyers. Or he could just take a couple of days to make a decision. That's the long way around saying we don't know how soon we'll have a decision to announce. We'll do it right here, though.
For those who have been following all the details of the process, we've posted a copy of our appeal brief on the web site in PDF form:
http://www.mapleleafcommunity.org/files/waldo/2009-02_Waldo_KCSC_Opening_Brief.pdf
As always, a big thank you to everyone for your support and hard work on this issue. It have been a long road since July 2006 when we first learned the property was going up for sale. Along the way, we can be proud of the work we've done both on the project and on related issues citywide.
We hope to see you at the courthouse Friday afternoon. Let's hope justice is on our side this time.
Have a good morning,
David Miller
for the MLCC & Waldo Working Group
Dear Neighbor:
An article in this morning’s Seattle PI talks about the ongoing Waldo Hospital situation. Most of you know this story pretty well, and the article was reasonably balanced, but we thought we’d pass along some additional information to make sure all the facts are straight.
The MLCC has made only two appeals, not four. We appealed to the Hearing Examiner and appealed that decision to the court system. Everything else we participated in – the historic nomination, design review, SEPA review – are elements required by city law that would have happened with or without our participation.
We share a portion of the timeline of this process to remind everyone how committed the Maple Leaf Community Council has been to come up with alternate solutions to this problem:
July 3, 2006 - The Puget Sound Business Journal publishes a short article saying the site was up for sale. The first time the Maple Leaf Community Council learned about the potential for sale of the site was when a community member forwarded the article link to the Council.
July 26, 2006 - The Maple Leaf Community Council contacts Cushman/Wakefield (the listed real estate agent for the property) to set a time on July 26 to walk through the building with Seattle City Council Members Peter Steinbrueck and David Della. This meeting was cancelled when the two Councilmembers had to attend an important civic rally elsewhere. The goal was to get Council interested in perhaps acquiring the property.
August 2, 2006 - Elected representatives of the Maple Leaf Community Council meet with the Executive Director of Camp Fire to explore options to keep Camp Fire in the Maple Leaf neighborhood. Suggested alternatives included offers to help raise funds for renovation of the site, asking for time to come up with funds to purchase the site, as well as a number of suggested alternative financial options. Each alternative was rejected, with the executive saying her only goal was to sell to the highest bidder.
December 2006 - A group of citizens concerned about the unique urban forest located on the site contacted Camp Fire asking for a meeting. This request was denied and they were referred to the real estate salesperson. The salesperson never returned their calls.
February 6, 2007 - The Maple Leaf Community Council asked to meet with members of the Camp Fire Board of Directors. After having to cancel one meeting due to short advance notice, the meeting was rescheduled for March 7, 2007.
March 7, 2007 - Representatives of the Maple Leaf Community Council asked Camp Fire for help in keeping Camp Fire in the neighborhood. Specifically, they asked for some simple facts to perfect an alternative financial proposal that would match or exceed the long-term financial benefits Camp Fire expected from a sale. This request was refused by Camp Fire.
March 2008 - The Maple Leaf Community Council applies for a King County Conservation Futures grant to assist Camp Fire or Prescott financially if they are willing to save more of the grove of trees on the eastern 1/3 of the site.
April 19, 2008 - The Maple Leaf Community Council finds a non-profit with a multi-million dollar budget interested in acquiring half the space at Waldo Hospital. The funds would pay for a complete renovation of the building and the two organizations would be able to share ongoing expenses as co-owners of the building.
July 2008 - The Maple Leaf Community Council wins a $300,000 King County Futures Grant that would be applied to assist in preserving the grove of trees.
August 8, 2008 - The city planner responsible for the environmental review of the project admits under oath the City of Seattle does not know how to control toxic lead dust from demolition from spreading over adjacent homes, saying the city will let the developer figure it out via what amounts to trial and error.
October 2008 - The EPA declares there is no safe level for airborne lead exposure for children, but sets a limit of 0.15 micrograms per cubic liter. The action level for airborne lead exposure suggested by the developer is 30 micrograms per cubic liter, 200 times higher than the safe EPA exposure level. Little league fields, school bus stops, and homeowners with kids live within the area where demolition dust is likely to fall.
When the Maple Leaf Community Council received proof that the building and soil on the site were contaminated with lead well in excess of allowable levels, it brought this problem to a completely different level. This was not just about trees and pedestrian safety, but about the long-term health of neighbors who live, play, and walk near the site. Lead, even in small amounts, causes long-term and irreversible decline in IQ for children. This is too serious to let pass.
We have always remained open to alternate solutions and, as the timeline above proves, have worked harder than anyone to come up with alternatives.
Thanks for your continued support during this process. The next milestone in the process is a court hearing tentatively set for March 13. If you have any questions or concerns, please feel free to ask.
For the rest of the Waldo Working Group,
David
PAST EVENTS
JANUARY 9,2009
In February, our appeal of the city's decision on the proposed development at Waldo Hospital will get its day in court. We'll certainly keep you posted on everything that's happening with that part of our effort. In the meantime, we need your help with more e-mails to City Council concerning a proposed interim tree ordinance. We have been working for some months with Council on an interim tree ordinance. The outcome is not perfect, but it is a step in the right direction. The proposed ordinance will be in front of a Council committee early next week. We *absolutely* need to have an change in the proposed ordinance to amend SEPA rules to clarify language relating to tree groves like Waldo Woods. These amendments are critical to the effort to protect our city's at-risk groves as well as the overall tree canopy in the city. Please send an e-mail to City Council asking the following: "I greatly appreciate Council's effort to create an interim tree ordinance. The ordinance as written needs to be amended, however, to clarify SEPA language relating to the protection of tree groves. I agree with the Maple Leaf Community Council's proposed amendments and strongly urge you to include them in the proposed ordinance." Please feel free to include in the letter your thoughts on the importance of trees and tree groves to our city. The paragraph above is the technical part of the message we need to get across. We've placed our suggested amendments on our web site at: If you don't have time to write all nine Councilmembers, please write at least Council President Conlin and Councilmember Burgess. They are most likely to be willing to offer the amendment as they are big supporters of the overall interim tree ordinance. Here are the Councilmembers' addresses: Richard.Conlin@Seattle.gov Tim.Burgess@Seattle.gov Richard.McIver@Seattle.gov Nick.Licata@Seattle.gov Tom.Rasmussen@Seattle.gov Jan.Drago@Seattle.gov Bruce.Harrell@Seattle.gov Sally.Clark@Seattle.gov Jean.Godden@Seattle.gov There is also an opportunity for public comment at the beginning of the EEMC Council Committee meeting on January 13 at 2pm. Comments would be limited to about 2 minutes. I'm going to be out of town, unfortunately, so it would be nice if others could testify in support of these amendments. Let me know if you have any questions. Thanks, as always, for your willingness to lend a hand with this important effort. Have a good evening, David Miller
DECEMBER 1, 2008 UPDATE:
Dear Neighbor --
It's been a few weeks since the last update on Waldo Hospital so I thought I'd take a few moments to catch everyone up.
We look to have our case heard in King County Superior Court in January. We do not expect any contruction activity or tree cutting at the site until the verdict from the court case is known. Since the case will be based on the record contained in the hearing examiner appeal, there is strangely not a great deal for the community to do in terms of preparation for the case. As soon as we have a firm court date, I will let you know.
HOWEVER, please hold out the evening of December 15th on your calendar. At 5:30pm downtown at City Hall, there will be a public hearing on a proposed tree ordinance. We really need a good turnout to impress upon the city that there is a desire for smart rules that preserve trees in situations like Waldo.
We have been working for several months with the Seattle City Council and other tree advocates to pass an Interim Tree Ordinance. We submitted a good one, the Mayor submitted one that was more show than solution, and unfortunately the version that is moving forward is closer to the Mayor's proposal. We'll get details to you over the next couple of weeks, but we have some persuading to do in order to get something useful in terms of tree protection for the city. It's not there yet, but we have a chance to get it there.
So, please put December 15th at 5:30pm on your calendar and plan to be at City Hall that evening to provide testimony.
That's about it for the Waldo update. I hope you'll forgive me for tossing in a few other items I think are important for our neighborhood.
The passage of the Parks & Green Spaces Levy provided $5.45 million for the development for the existing Maple Leaf Park and the park that will go atop the reservoir lid. We've been holding meetings concerning the design of the new park. If you're interested, we've got a great web page here:
http://www.mapleleafcommunity.org/cc_ULMP_pg.html
The 15th Avenue NE bridge over Thornton Creek will be under construction for 10-12 months starting this summer. This includes 2-4 months of closure and at least that many months of the Metro 77, 73, and 373 being re-routed. The initial plan is to re-route them to Lake City Way, but that seems silly to us. Check the following page for more information:
http://www.mapleleafcommunity.org/15th_bridge.html
We made an effort to send a Maple Leaf Community Council membership form to every address in the neighborhood. If you haven't officially joined, please take a moment to do so. We make it easy to do by credit card or by mail:
http://www.mapleleafcommunity.org/pp/start.html
Our next general community meeting is January 28, 2009. Each of the issues, and more, listed above will be discussed in some detail. Please join us:
http://www.mapleleafcommunity.org/act-iss_page.html
And finally, please consider signing up for our other e-mail lists to help keep abreast of developments outside the Waldo issue:
http://www.mapleleafcommunity.org/mail_list_join.html
Thank you again for all your help on Waldo Hospital and for your willingness to stay informed on Maple Leaf issues. It is a distinct pleasure to serve such an active group of people.
Warm Regards,
David
==========================
David Miller, President
Maple Leaf Community Council
David.Miller@MapleLeafCommunity.org
WALDO WOODS and the Maple Leaf Community
http://www.mapleleafcommunity.org/savewaldo.html
The decision for WALDO WOODS has once more been a Designation of Non-Significance. The WALDO WOODS team is asking for email to be sent to the City Council to encourage a strong Interim Emergency Tree Ordinance. It is imperative that trees be protected.
richard.conlin@seattle.gov, sally.clark@seattle.gov, jan.drago@seattle.gov, jean.godden@seattle.gov, Tom.Rassmussen@seattle.gov, bruce.harrell@seattle.gov, tim.burgess@seattle.gov, nick.licata@seattle.gov, richard.mciver@seattle.gov
Don't miss our emails! http://emailtransmit.com/util/addressbook.php?a_i=4528777&ac_i=290&t=o&l_i=5235,5211,5237,5210&t_i=30153
Having trouble with this message? View it online.
Dear Neighbor --
An update on where we are with Waldo Hospital.
1. Our lawyer has been in contact with the lawyers from Prescott and the City. We'll be filing for an injunction to halt development at the property at least until our King County Superior Court appeal of the Hearing Examiner's decision can be heard. That hearing has not yet been scheduled, but is probably towards the end of the month.
2. Some of you have received a response e-mail from the city concerning
the toxicity (lead dust) issue. In it, the city makes the argument that
what they have required from the developer is protective. Further, they
minimize statements made by city staff during the hearing that
demonstrate the city really doesn't know what it is doing when it
comes to lead dustfall from demolition. This is not accurate, and let's
review the facts.
FACT: Even small amounts of lead are toxic to children and adults. Those of you who are Angie's List* members may have read the latest edition of their mailer and seen the article on lead. On page 36, there is a photo that illustrates why we're so concerned -- even the tiny amount of lead dust in that vial can contaminate a 1,500 sq ft home to dangerous levels. Click here to access a PDF of the page (slow loading):
http://e-ditionsbyfry.com/Repository/ANG32/2008/10/01/ANG3208
1001.
pdf#OLV0_Page_0036
FACT: During testimony under oath, the city admitted that they knew
how to *prevent* lead dust fall -- by tenting the building during
demolition.
FACT: The city admitted, under oath, they currently do a poor job of
controlling lead dust from demolition. They also admitted that they
need to "figure out how to deal with it" because there are no city codes.
CONCLUSION: When someone knows for sure how to do something, then decides to do something different, reasonable people call that "something different" an *experiment*. Even if we take at face value the city's assertion they used poor word choices, something those who attended the hearing would tend to dispute, this does not change the fact their decision represents an experiment on our neighborhood.
3. Some of you may have seen information about the Mayor's proposed
interim tree ordinance. A new wrinkle to the Mayor's proposal is to change internal departmental rules to define a grove as eight or more trees 12" or more in diameter, and call that grove "exceptional." While this is certainly an improvement over current policy that ignores groves
altogether (in violation of city code, according to the City Council), the
Mayor’s is a hollow proposal.
As an illustration, there are two "Exceptional" trees located on the Waldo site that the city will allow to be taken out. One is the tallest tree on the site, a 100+ foot tall Douglas fir on 86th that is over three feet in
diameter. The second is the western white pine that is at the southeast
corner of the Waldo building. Therefore, a designation of "exceptional"
does not require the city to preserve the tree. The Mayor's proposal
makes for good press, but doesn't actually force a developer to save a
tree.
The proposal does tighten the loophole that the Seattle School District
tried to use to take down the grove next to Ingraham High School,
however. This is an improvement over the current code.
We're continuing to work with the City Council to pass an Interim Tree
Grove Ordinance that actually protects trees. Council has a piece of
legislation under consideration that will protect groves and put that
protection in both SMC 25.11 and SEPA codes, giving it the force of law.
We've testified in front of Council in support of the bill and continue to
work with them to get it passed.
As you can see, even though the headlines have been quiet we've
been busy. I look forward to seeing you at the Maple Leaf Community
Council Candidates & Issues Night on October 29th, 7-9pm, at Olympic
View Elementary. Bring some good questions for the lawmakers and
ballot title pro/con speakers!
On behalf of the entire Executive Board and the Waldo Working Group,
thanks for all your support.
Have a good weekend,
David
David Miller
President
Maple Leaf Community Council
David.Miller@MapleLeafCommunity.org
* We mention Angie’s List not by way of endorsement, only because
the picture in their article so strikingly illustrates why we are concerned.
Tree Groves Ordinance Submitted!
Really, Past News Events (IN CASE YOU REALLY NEED TO CATCH UP!)
Save Waldo rally well covered in the media
A rally was organized by your neighbors to draw attention to the
situation at Waldo. We (the Maple Leaf Community Council) didn’t
sponsor this event. There were as many as 80 people out there on
Thursday night, and they were cheered and received appreciative
honks from hundreds of cars who passed by during the evening commute home.
This event was well covered by the media.
KING-TV did a nice story on the protestors and the rally.
http://www.king5.com/localnews/environment/stories/NW_091808WAB_
waldo_woods_condo_battle_TP.8ca05de5.html?ocp=1#slcgm_comments_anchor
KOMO TV and KIRO TV ran video and short stories about the rally twice that
evening.
The Seattle PI ran a story in Friday’s paper about the rally, too.
http://emailtransmit.com/util/clickthrough.php?a_i=4528777&t_i=29440&t=o&url=http://seattlepi.nwsource.com/local/379874_
waldo20.html
I believe it is important to note, given the critical quotes in the PI article, that our City Council has been supportive of our efforts and the efforts to save trees in Seattle. They unanimously passed the Tree Resolution, and we are hopeful we can get a meaningful Tree Ordinance passed. The Mayor, however, has been a hindrance to our efforts as we’ll get to in a minute. Please make sure to thank Councilmembers for their help next time you have contact with them.
When you look at the links above, make sure to provide some comments in the
comment sections. The more comments, the more likely we’ll get coverage in
the future. Make sure to thank the reporters for covering the story.
DPD retracts false statement
A representative from DPD was interviewed in the KING-TV story, and he falsely
stated there would be a bigger tree canopy after the development than there is
now. As those who attended our 9/10 meeting (or looked at the materials on our web site) know, this is false. The developer misrepresented the tree canopy.
Instead of a 350-foot canopy surplus, there is actually at least a 1,600-foot
canopy deficit showing at the time DPD made their decision the project had no environmental significance. The developer subsequently reshuffled his numbers
again, but there is still a 450-foot deficit. We proved this during our appeal and
the Hearing Examiner agreed that the developer mislead DPD but concluded it
didn’t matter.
We demanded DPD retract that statement, and they did. Color me surprised.
Note that these were calculations mistakes made by the developer. The level of
canopy replacement they claim is physically impossible unless they plan to let
the trees they plant grow into the townhomes they are building. Some townhomes will have over 50% of their internal area covered in trees based upon the developer’s plans. Here’s an exhibit presented during our hearing (PDF file):
http://emailtransmit.com/util/clickthrough.php?a_i=4528777&t_i=29440&t=o&url=http://www.mapleleafcommunity.org/files/
waldo/Planted-trees-to-scale.pdf
The accuracy of this exhibit was never challenged. It shows the trees the
developer plans to plant to scale next to the units they plan to build. See how
the circles overlap the units? That means the branches would have to grow INSIDE the units to get the canopy replacement numbers they claim credit for.
This means the 450-foot deficit is actually much larger.
Tips on lead safety
We have not abandoned our effort to positively affect the development at this
site, but we have added to it. We are committed to making sure that if Waldo
Hospital is demolished, it is done in a way that does not endanger
the community.
Lead levels in excess of 5 times safe limits have been found in the soil surrounding Waldo Hospital. There is lead several times above safe limits in the building itself. We proved during the appeal this dust will spread into the community. The City’s only condition on this was to ask the developer to come up with an Air Quality Monitoring plan. This means we would learn there was a health hazard only AFTER (like 24 hours after) toxic lead dust hit our community.
As everyone knows, lead is a terrible toxin. Even tiny quantities can create lifelong learning disabilities in children. It exacerbates adult illnesses. It is also cumulative since it is taken up in bones and deep tissues. A little bit here and a little bit there adds up over time.
Since the city failed in their responsibility to protect its citizens, we must take up the slack. Going forward, we will be undertaking an education effort that involves leaflets, educational meetings, outreach to park users, and more to make sure everyone has the right information to keep themselves safe.
The city essentially said under oath they were experimenting on our neighborhood. This is completely egregious behavior and we’ll do what we can to lessen the potential for harm via education.
There are two things you can do right now:
A. Write the Mayor, DPD, the news media, and Council. Tell them:
“DPD told the hearing examiner their chosen measures to control toxic lead dust from the potential demolition of Waldo Hospital are an *experiment*. I find this highly objectionable. Neighboring residents and users of the current Maple Leaf Park will be endangered by this experiment. Exposure to lead above community safety levels, like those present at the site now, causes
lifelong learning disability in children and exacerbates disease in the elderly.
Please join me in telling DPD to place a sealed cover around the building, similar to the process of asbestos abatement, and demolish the building only within the sealed cover.”
B. Learn how to protect your family from lead during demolition and in the weeks
after:
-- Limit time outside
-- Remove shoes before entering the house
-- Frequently vacuum, especially rugs
-- Wash hands before eating
-- Wash yard fruits and veggies well
-- Wash cut flowers before bringing them inside
-- Consider other sources (remodeling; plumbing; toys; cumulative exposures)
-- Talk to your health care provider about blood lead levels
Again, we’ll have more details as we roll out our information campaign. Since the developer has not applied for the demolition permit as of this date, we have
some time to get rolling here.
Maple Leaf hires attorney
We are *very* happy to announce that as a direct result of your generous support we have been able to retain David Mann of Gendler & Mann. Mr. Mann
is an accomplished land use attorney with a track record of representing organizations like ours who are fighting to keep our neighborhoods safe and green.
Mr. Mann was brought on board in response to the Mayor’s refusal to step in and accompanying invitation to sue the city to fix the problems his DPD created. We’ll have more information very soon on exactly how Mr. Mann is helping us.
I’d like to take a moment to personally reiterate our thanks to Kathy George and Charlotte Cassady for their help with our appeal to the hearing examiner. Our hiring of David Mann for this next phase of our effort shouldn’t be considered by anyone as a negative reflection of their work. They were fabulous in working within our budget and represented us with integrity and vigor.
There is a world of difference in costs between appealing to the Hearing Examiner and working within the more structured court system. For example, we may be required to generate a transcript of all the 3.5-day long testimony in front of the Hearing Examiner. That alone could cost $2,000.
I know the economy is tough, but the city’s irresponsible approach to handling the toxic dust fall from demolition has moved this issue beyond saving trees to
protecting the children who live nearby and use the park. To say I’m aghast at
the city’s approach to lead dust abatement, which only became clear during
testimony under oath and from exhibits submitted during the Hearing Examiner’s appeal, understates things considerably. “Anger” is probably a better word.
On our web site you can donate by credit card, or there’s an address there you
can send a check. If you are considering a donation and have questions, I am
always available to meet with you to answer them.
In addition to the legal expenses, donations will be used to support our
independent campaign to keep people informed about the hazards of lead dust.
We have secured some pro bono expert help for this part of our effort, but we
have to cover some hard costs.
Here’s the web page for donations:
http://emailtransmit.com/util/clickthrough.php?a_i=4528777&t_i=29440&t=o&url=http://www.mapleleafcommunity.org/pp/
start_donate.html
How you can help (summary)
Here’s the summary of how you can help (details are above):
A. Donate to support our legal, educational, and public safety efforts.
B. Write Council to support the “August 27” Tree Ordinance
C. Write Council, the Mayor, and DPD to ask them to not go through with plans to experiment on our neighborhood outside the auspices of an EIS.
D. Visit the web pages containing media stories about the rally, and comment on them to help build interest in more media coverage.
E. Send this e-mail to at least one friend. This is especially important if they live outside the neighborhood and their children attend school here or visit Maple Leaf Park. We really need to get the word out on this lead toxicity safety issue.
Here are the e-mail addresses for your e-mails to the city:
Council
Richard.Conlin@Seattle.gov
Sally.Clark@Seattle.gov
Tim.Burgess@Seattle.gov
Tom.Rasmussen@Seattle.gov
Jan.Drago@Seattle.gov
Bruce.Harrell@Seattle.gov
Nick.Licata@Seattle.gov
Richard.McIver@Seattle.gov
Jean.Godden@Seattle.gov
Mayor & DPD
Tim.Ceis@Seattle.gov
Robert.Mak@Seattle.gov
Diane.Sugimura@Seattle.gov
---
If you made it this far, thank you so much. Watch your inbox for an important announcement either Monday or Tuesday.
Have a good weekend,
David
==================================
David Miller
President
Maple Leaf Community Council
David.Miller@MapleLeafCommunity.org
