HomeMy WebLinkAbout09B 80th Street Reconstruction Project – Jamaica Avenue to Keats AvenueDear City of Cottage Grove, Monday November 16, 2020
My name is Cristin De La Forest -Garcia. My husband, Edward Garcia and I have lived in Cottage
Grove since 2009. My address is 9400 801h Street South. We chose this beautiful city to raise our
children because it is a safe, calm community filled with beautiful fields, parks, and a quality
school district.
We are asking that the proposed assessment of $8,300 for the 80th Street South Reconstruction
Project be lowered to a more reasonable assessment, decreased by thousands of dollars. We
understand that the city is within its legal rights to charge us this amount for the repairs that
were done. It is legal but it is not right or fair.
The proposed assessment amount of $8.300 is extremely high. The city can only include five
residential properties in these assessments, which I believe, led to an inflated amount. 80th
Street is a major roadway in Cottage Grove. Many people rely on this street. The neighborhood
next to our property with the streets Jenner and Jocelyn can only access their houses from 80th
Street. Five properties should not carry the financial burden for the repairs of a street and path
accessed by so many.
This proposed amount of $8,300 carries a heavy financial burden for the five properties being
assessed. It would be difficult for any average family to pay this amount in full by the date it is
due, even with ample time to plan ahead. We are not able to set a large sum of money like this
aside, even after months of saving. The only option offered to us by the City of Cottage Grove is
to take out a 15-year loan with a 3% interest rate. This is unacceptable as our family cannot
afford a loan of this size. A loan of this amount with a 3% interest rate leads to thousands of
additional dollars paid in interest. Again, this is unacceptable. We are asking the City of Cottage
Grove to please reconsider and adjust the terms of repayment to an interest free payment plan.
We should not be charged interest on a loan that we did not apply for or seek. In this time of a
global pandemic, finances and careers are not predictable or stable. The amount of $8,300 is a
third of my husband's annual salary. This additional.loan would leave us in impossible financial
circumstances.
We are law abiding, tax paying, home owners who take pride in caring for our property. As a
part of the middle class, we have waivered with financial stability and we finally feel as though
we are making progress towards our financial goals. The repercussions of the assessments
could lead to financial hardship for many years. We are asking you to consider our
circumstances as these decisions are made.
We have relied on the City of Cottage Grove for safety, community and recreation as we raise
our family. We are asking for the proposed assessment amount to be lowered by thousands of
dollars and the terms of repayment be changed to an interest free payment plan.
Thank you for your time and consideration.
Respectfully,
C
Cristin DeLaForest-Garcia and Edward Garcia