Neighborhood Group Rips Shopping Center Plan Nearby Residents Oppose Rezoning At 32nd Avenue Site

Most of about 60 Valley residents who attended Wednesday’s hearing strongly opposed plans to rezone land at 32nd and Highway 27 to allow a shopping center with a 24-hour grocery store.

Leading the opposition during the four-hour hearing were members of the Southeast Valley Neighborhood Association. The group’s attorney, Steve Eugster, and dozens of neighbors tried to persuade Hearing Examiner Mike Dempsey to deny the request of San Francisco-based Farallon Real Estate Services Co. to rezone the seven-acre parcel on the southeast corner of the busy intersection. The proposal is for a $5.4 million shopping complex which would include a 24-hour Albertson’s store. The land currently is zoned residential.

County Building and Planning Department staff oppose the rezoning request because the project is larger than the county’s comprehensive plan recommends, said county planner Steve Davenport. Dempsey said he will issue a decision by Nov. 27. An appeal to county commissioners is likely.

Neighborhood association president Don Erickson likened the experience as “a David and Goliath syndrome.”

He said the association has tried to muster opposition to the project by knocking on neighbors’ doors and talking across their fences.

At the hearing, resident Denis Himes said the Valley has eight major grocery, pet and dry cleaning stores, 14 banks, and 47 restaurants between Argonne and Barker.

“The community is already well-served and no need has been established for this project,” Himes said.

The developers, Alan Roodhouse of Portland and Steve Leonard of San Francisco, commissioned Robinson Research Inc. of Spokane to survey by telephone 400 residents in a 1 mile radius from the site. The survey was done between Oct. 28 and Nov. 3, said Bill Robinson, president of the research company.

Residents noted that the developers scheduled a meeting, attended by many opponents, on Oct. 29, one of the nights the survey was conducted.

Robinson said 72 percent of those surveyed who opposed the planned development cited lack of traffic controls at the intersection. He also said 71 percent of those surveyed indicated they likely would shop at the center, if it were built.

Whether or not the project is developed, a traffic light will be installed at the intersection next spring - something residents have been seeking for more than three years. Turn lanes also will be added to accommodate increased traffic.

Farallon has agreed to pay for a portion of the traffic light’s installation.

Cindy Hallett, an area resident who has opposed the development since it was announced, said “It’s a just a hop, skip and jump to commercial out there if a rezone is approved.

“Before you know it, we’ll have another Division out here.”

, DataTimes MEMO: This sidebar appeared with the story: Neighborhood meeting The Southeast Valley Neighborhood Association will meet at 7 p.m. next Wednesday, Nov. 20 at Sunrise Elementary, 14603 E.24th.