Facts offered on proposed apartment project

Sat., March 26, 2011

Since the actual facts regarding efforts to rezone a portion of St. John Vianney’s property have been curiously overlooked, allow me to dazzle you with a few.

Fact 1: The property in question is properly zoned, it is only a small section of the church’s parking lot currently under fire.

Fact 2: Low-income senior housing requires stringent vetting of applicants, including background checks. Calling this project “Felony Flats” simply trumpets those naysayers’ ignorance.

Fact 3: The project is aligned perfectly with the church’s mission, which makes all your whining really annoying, but ultimately impotent.

Fact 4: There is already an apartment complex on North Walnut, as well as a liquor store on the corner, and an adult emporium within walking distance. Where was your moral outrage for these projects?

This comment by Shelly Stevens was particularly illustrative: “I wouldn’t want (my children) playing with a low-income renter.” Let’s ignore the mischaracterization of the project (again, low-income senior apartments) and pray that Ms. Stevens never knows the pain of her kind of insults hurled on top of the injury of being poor.

St. John Vianney Catholic Church is trying to be a good neighbor. The law says they don’t need the city’s approval, but they sought it anyway. The battle against the project is being fought with lies, misinformation and fear, and I guess it just proves the adage that “No good deed goes unpunished.”

Meg Doherty

Spokane Valley

This is in regards to the letter written by Gust Abariotes on March 12 (Valley Voice), about the board of directors of Modern Electric Water Company.

I also have attended the shareholders meetings for many years. The board of directors is always voted in by shareholders.

I feel Mike Baker, the general manager, Modern Electric employees and the board of directors do a wonderful job and we have excellent service. We have one of the lowest rates for utilities in this area.

Common sense says “If it’s not broke, don’t mess with it.”

Melanie Jeffrey

Spokane Valley

Local journalism is essential.

Give directly to The Spokesman-Review's Northwest Passages community forums series -- which helps to offset the costs of several reporter and editor positions at the newspaper -- by using the easy options below. Gifts processed in this system are tax deductible.

Meet Our Journalists

Jesse Tinsley

Meet Jesse Tinsley. As a certified drone pilot, this veteran Spokesman-Review photographer often can be seen capturing beautiful aerial photographs of our region. Sometimes though, the job requires getting down with the dogs.
Jim Meehan

Jim Meehan is no stranger to Zag Nation. As the lead writer covering the Gonzaga men’s basketball team, he tells the stories behind the game and gets fans a bit closer to their favorite players.
Molly Quinn

There is no artist in Spokane like Molly Quinn. Her whimsical style is instantly recognizable to readers of The Spokesman-Review. She has painted gorgeous illustrations that instantly elevate the journalism accompanying it. She brings to life the stories that defy photography. She makes our pages better.
Rob Curley

Spokesman-Review editor Rob Curley loves to talk with people and learn about their lives, whether it's a best-selling author or a stranger he meets downtown on his walk to lunch. It's that inquisitive nature combined with a playful sense of storytelling that helps make our newspaper different than most.