February 6, 2016

Snohomish County Planning & Development

3000 Rockefeller Ave

Everett, WA 98201

To the Hearing Examiner:

Subject: The Forest on Filbert Development, file 16 100928 SPA

The Shenandoah Woods Home Owners Association (SWHOA) submits for the Examiners review, the attached list of current owner signatures, indicating our collective concern regarding the subject development’s plan to interconnect with Shenandoah Woods via 187th Place Southwest.

Currently Shenandoah Woods is only accessible via 10th Place West at Filbert Road (SR524). The absence of through traffic is a characteristic that maintains the tranquility, uniqueness and appeal of our neighborhood. It is our contention that this attribute is a significant factor influencing the value of homes in this neighborhood. The planned interconnection would substantially change the character of the Shenandoah Woods development, and potentially negatively impact the value of our homes.

We ask that the Examiner consider the fact that the two developments are substantially different in style, value, footprint and character. Lots in Shenandoah woods are typically a third of an acre or more. Home values are approaching or exceeding $500,000. Mature landscaping surrounds all of our homes.

Conversely, the Forest on Filbert appears to require the elimination of almost all of the current mature trees that lend their name to the development. The current site plan for the Forest on Filbert also places the development directly on the Western edge of Shenandoah woods with no indication of any landscaped buffer zone between the two developments.

For these reasons, we request the Snohomish County Hearing Examiner require the following:

• That the Forest on Filbert Townhomes not interconnect with Shenandoah Woods at any location by any means.
• That a landscaped buffer zone be retained or created, to the maximum extent practical, given the current site plan, to aid in visual and noise screening between the two developments on their shared boundary.

SWHOA Point of Contact: Steve Lucas, 425-412-3001, [email protected]

We the undersigned home owners of Shenandoah Woods agree with the requested Examiner actions as stated above.

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