Letters

Official must protect neighborhood

Someone explain this to me like I am a 5-year-old. But it seems that the Spokane Valley Planning Commission got it right.

In reading last week’s article about St. John Vianney Church versus neighbors, it is obvious that the Planning Commission was not only right, but the neighbors’ biggest obstacle is convincing the City Council of this. This puts all residential property owners at risk, not just the neighbors of St. John Vianney.

What about the concept of separation of church and state, which refers to the distance in the relationship between organized religion and the nation state? Religious institutions fought for this separation, yet St. John Vianney is embracing the Religious Land Use and Institutionalized Persons Act of 2000, which does not even apply in this case. It also does not apply for commercial use or on property that can be resold. The neighbors aren’t saying you can’t build it, they are saying you can’t build it in our “residential” neighborhood. Not only that, but the destruction of this neighborhood in Spokane Valley is a compelling governmental interest.

Seems to me that the City Council and the mayor have a difficult decision to make, hence the developers agreement. These are our elected officials, people. We put them in office to protect our rights, not to make deals that insulate them from doing their jobs. We spend hundreds of thousands on snow plowing every year, but we won’t spend money and time on protecting this charming, historical neighborhood?

Once it is gone, it is gone forever.

Michael Smith

Spokane Valley

Animals lost unflagging advocate

The abandoned and forgotten pets in our area lost a strong advocate with the passing of Chris Anderlik of Liberty Lake.

Although she lived in debilitating pain for the past several years, she never gave up her crusade to alleviate the suffering of animals.

With a tear in my eye, I say goodbye to a truly remarkable woman.

Sally Jackson

Spokane Valley