Anh K. Huynh

22505 56^th Ave. W

Mountlake Terrace, WA 98043

September 21, 2008

Hearing Examiner

700 5th Ave

Suite 4000

PO Box 94729

Seattle WA 98124-4729

Re:         The Dearborn Project, 1400 South Dearborn Street, proposed by Darell Vange, Ravenhurst Development

Dear Madam Examiner and City Council Members:

My name is Anh Huynh. I am a resident of Mountlake Terrace and a Seventh Day Adventist.  I do bible teaching to the Vietnamese-Americans in the Seattle area. I have many conversations with them and understand their deep concerns and cultivated interests in the matter related to the Dearborn/Goodwill project.  We share the same feelings and awareness in maintaining and promoting the vital cultural characteristics of Little Saigon. It appears meager but gradually blossoming in contribution to the diversity of the City of Seattle.

In its recommendation DPD has not fully defined the project impacts nor clearly or completely conditioned the project to address impacts as they are required to do by the Municipal Code.  A project–as large and complicated as this one–should be carefully and fully examined.  Here are just the three impacts that come to my minds:

o   Significant traffic will be added into already congested arterials. Heavy traffic discourages the Vietnamese Americans from coming to Little Saigon for shopping, attending cultural and religious activities.

o   Bus service in the area are not capable to handle the demands of such an immense project. A large part of Vietnamese elders are currently using bus to attend churches and temples right in the Little Saigon and Jackson Place.

o   Introduction of formula retail and big box into an area that is primarily ethnic and small business. This will efface the unique characters of an organically growing commercial district where small merchants provide cultural-specific and appropriate goods and services.

We urge that the Hearing Examiner and Council members consider the impacts of the project and to ensure that they are fully addressed before approval.

Sincerely yours,

Anh K. Huynh