REDMOND, OR -- A local home builder is accusing Redmond City Councilor and Mayoral candidate Anne Graham of interfering with the building permit process. Kevin Fitzpatrick, of Alder Creek Homes, told Council last week that the Planning Department rejected his design six weeks after he submitted plans for a home to be built next door to Graham. And, he says it’s not the first time she's gotten involved in his projects.
Fitzpatrick claims the design for the project on SW 41st Street was rejected because he refused to make what he describes as a minor change to the roof-line. He asked the city to refund or defer his permit fees. Fitzpatrick claims city staff told him they denied his permit because they have to “keep Councilors happy.” At the Council meeting, Graham categorically denied the allegation. She admitted to viewing the plans at the Planning Department, but said she did not speak with staff. Fitzpatrick told Councilors, "If Anne says she didn’t say one word, she just looked at it and left the room? That’s too much without asking permission." He added, "There’s a track record here, too. This came up the year before. This particular Councilor, the year before, interfered with one of my houses. We don’t need to go into it tonight."
"I am very unhappy that the City review of this submission did not appear to me to meet the intent of the design codes we worked so hard on in Planning Commission."
"The bones of this home are the same as the bones of my home. All the exterior walls are the same, all the exterior windows are the same, the front visible deck will be the same, etc. As a private citizen I would like to ask the City what we might be able to do at this point about the home currently half-built..?.. and then, more importantly, perhaps with my Councilor hat on, what can be done to insure the codes about this are more carefully enforced."