I can only hope that every Moscow P & Z member, and every city council
member has visited the Cameron property, as I and three others did today.
There is nothing like seeing the morphology of the land, which is not
revealed at all in the two-dimensional map of the proposed development.
Although I regret that I cannot attend the public hearing on Monday
evening in the council chambers, I would welcome anyone attending to raise
the following questions, or to submit my remarks for the public record.
Initially, I was encouraged by the fact that the Camerons hired Arendt,
and also persuaded by Wendy McClure's previous post. However, visiting the
land (with a geologist) has clouded my earlier enthusiasm. Several
critical issues must be raised.
1. The rocks beneath the soil are granite (the same as Moscow
Mountain) rather than basalt. Drinking water, not to mention an adequate
water supply in the case of fire, is surely problematic. Wells will be
unproductive relative to the Moscow area. Is there a common water system
proposed for the entire development? Is it anticipated that water will be
drawn from a tank that pumps water from another source? Is each
parcel owner on their own for water as on Moscow Mountain?
2. The septic system or waste water impact raises additional
concerns:
a. What is the history or policy of the health district in siting
septic systems in similar soils, and what are the slope criteria for
drain fields? (This is seriously steep land if the housing is located on
the ridge.)
b. Given the added water that a septic system produces, coupled
with the potential saturation in the winter and spring seasons, what is
the risk of landslides? Some of the property is currently not plowed or
farmed, which I assume is due to the steepness and possibly the
instability of the slopes.
3. The existing gravel road was seriously snow-drifted today
(following warming temperatures and little snow accumulation). Who assumes
responsibility for clearing the road so that it is passable? We had to
park at the end of the pavement and walk off road due to the drifts.
4. Since the open space is in low ground and the construction sites
are on high ground, the soil will be heavily disturbed leading to the
likelihood of runoff and erosion that could match what we have
seen across the road from the Chinese Village.
There is no question that the vista is a "gold mine" as one of our group
observed. Yet, once we evaluated the land use, I couldn't come to any
other conclusion than this is a better plan for the WRONG SITE. I applaud
the introduction of an open space concept, but 25 one-acre lots are not
exactly clustered housing, and the contour of the land does not invite
development for anyone with vision.
If not here...where? If not now...when? All I can say is...not here,
not now.
Susan
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