Posted Thu, Feb 24, 2:54 p.m.

Slope, would you please check the link and re-post it. Thanks.

Posted Sat, Feb 19, 2:45 p.m.

Well Mr. Anderson, sometimes silence is more powerful than words. Clearly you cannot be troubled to respond to comments on your own letter to the editor, especially when your response would belie the claims of your letter. It’s a shame that Crosscut’s editors publish letters from those who refuse to ...

Posted Mon, Feb 7, 10:34 a.m.

Mr. Anderson, Just following up on the questions I posed in my earlier comment. I’ll repeat them here: 1) Is the “Snoqualmie Model CAO” an ordinance enacted to protect public health, safety, and welfare? 2) Does the Snoqualmie Model CAO terminate vested rights? 3) Or, would members of your organization ...

Posted Fri, Jan 28, 9:43 p.m.

Mr. Anderson, Thanks for confirming my understanding that “vested rights are limited to protect the public interest.” And, specifically, that “vested rights may be terminated by legislation enacted to protect public health, safety, and welfare.” I can only assume your intent in making these claims is to assure the public ...

Posted Fri, Jan 14, 7:06 p.m.

Thank you, Mr. Simmons, for providing an update of the Chuckanut Ridge / Fairhaven Highlands issue. One aspect I find especially interesting is the difference of opinion between the partners of the joint venture that owns the property. On one hand, Washington Federal Sr. VP Kenney assures local residents that ...

Posted Thu, Jan 13, 12:59 p.m.

An often overlooked aspect of vesting is its interrelationship with laws specifically designed to protect public safety. For example, a model Critical Areas Ordinance (CAO) for King County’s Snoqualmie Watershed cities is available on the state’s Dept of Commerce website (see link below). Subsections A and B under Section 20.05.111 ...

Posted Thu, Nov 12, 7:39 p.m.

Think of it this way: Tomorrow is Friday the 13th, and the FDIC is reprising the role of "Jason".

Posted Thu, Nov 12, 7:38 p.m.

“Any Given Friday”

Posted Thu, Nov 12, 10:15 a.m.

Dead Bank Walking

Posted Tue, Nov 3, 12:43 p.m.

Horizon Bank filed its 3rd Qtr FDIC "Call Report" on Oct 30 and posted a $34+ million loss for the quarter. It's Tier 1 capital fell to $10.4 million and its Tier 1 leverage ratio fell below 1%. In its March 2009 Order, the FDIC required Horizon Bank to increase ...

Posted Mon, Oct 26, 10:55 p.m.

Mr. Simmons, I'm not sure if you read follow these comments; however, I just re-read the subtitle to your article referring to the community's concern that the fate of this project rides on the FDIC's willingness to enforce its 1994 Order. I'm not sure I agree. It's true that the ...

Posted Mon, Oct 26, 4:19 p.m.

bjohn, At the outset of this fiasco was greed. What was lacking was integrity. If decision makers act with integrity, such perversions of the public interest might be prevented in the future. Absent integrity, self-interest overwhelms the public process. The public cannot attend every meeting and, of necessity, must rely ...

Posted Mon, Oct 26, 1:23 p.m.

FYI, The Street.com list of "Undercapitalized Banks" referenced in the article is sorted by state (not a very useful sort). The same data, which shows the worst banks as of Aug 21 (based on June 30 financial info) but sorted by "Worst Capital Ratio" can be viewed at: http://nwcitizen.us/documents//Undercapitalized%20Banks%206-30-09.pdf Horizon ...

Posted Mon, Oct 26, 11:47 a.m.

bjohn, Couldn't agree with you more. No way is there a market for this project. There was an article in yesterday's paper about banks foreclosing on unsold condo projects in Bellingham. Like I said, it's the permit they're after, not the project. Of course, they cannot even get the permit. ...

Posted Mon, Oct 26, 10:33 a.m.

bjohn, Didn’t mean to overlook your 2nd question re: “Is this project being proposed under existing development regulations, or is the developer asking for changes?” The simple is answer is: The developer’s application has requested several – mostly minor – variances. A more complex answer relates to the significant issue ...

Posted Mon, Oct 26, 10:16 a.m.

bjohn, You asked, "how did this proposal get as far as it did?" Those who oppose the project are also scratching our head over that question. The best answer likely involves the city's willingness to look the other way more often than you can imagine. You see, for more than ...

Posted Mon, Oct 26, 8:55 a.m.

Mr. Simmons, Thank you. Thank you for taking time to write about Horizon Bank’s eagerness to adversely impact the quality of life in south Bellingham, where many of its (former) customers reside. How stupid can a community bank be? And they wonder why every good account has fled this sinking ...