The following Letter to the Editor appeared in the 
Anacortes American, September 9, 1998.

LAKEWOOD PARK PROJECT
BUILDER'S MOTIVES PROPER.
I read with incredulity your two articles and an 
editorial in the Sounder about Lakewood Park and 
Randy Previs.  A response is in order.

I will explain that I am purchasing Block 22 
(approximately 2.25 acres) of the Lake Campbell 
plat from Mr. Previs.  I have had this transaction 
in escrow with Island Title Co. for more than four 
months.

I first reviewed the Lakewood property over a year 
ago before Mr. Previs acquired it.  At that time I 
drove the property with Mr. Previs.  An existing 
road about 15 feet wide and sufficient in several 
places for two vehicles to pass took us to the top of 
the hill.

Mr. Previs did not cross "vast wetlands with a new 
road" as your article states.  What he did was to 
rock surface an existing road and remove and 
replace an existing culvert which drained into an 
existing man-made retention pond.  The widened 
road, including its ditch is about 25 feet wide.  

The clearing at the top of the hill, which 
constitutes about one acre of the 45-acre site, is for 
his new home, the plans for which I have seen.

There are not "burn piles covering the entire site" 
as your article states.  The debris, which is 
stacked, is only along the roadway and at the 
Previs homesite.

All widening and clearing has been done in such a 
manner as to leave the cedars and firs and retain 
the natural beauty of the site.

Your newspaper has quoted false statements 
apparently made by Ms. Barnett, a Skagit County 
Official, about the facts here.

I know for a fact that Mr. Previs had received 
completes water main construction approval from 
the City of Anacortes and that the road in question 
was surveyed prior to and after its widening.

I also know for a fact that a 37-page wetland 
report was completed and submitted to Skagit 
County prior to you Aug. 19 article.

I have known Mr. Previs for 20 years and viewed 
numerous projects he has completed.  Each and 
every one has been built to the highest standards 
and are an asset to their respective communities.  I 
am purchasing property at Lakewood for the very 
reason that Mr. Previs is involved and I am 
confidant in the quality of the finished product and 
its natural beauty.

Again, statements made by Ms. Barnett are 
exaggerated and misleading.  I am appalled that a 
county official would make so many blatantly false 
statements to the news media while documents 
that clearly show the facts are in possession of the 
county at the time of the interview.

My question is why would a county official 
deliberately make such misleading, exaggerated 
and untrue statements?

After reading your Aug. 26 article, it appears that 
the Department of Natural Resources is trying to 
cover up a serious county-sponsored mistake to 
Mr. Previs's detriment.  Why didn't the DNR read 
the full report, which states that there is only 2,106 
square feet of disturbed area?  This doesn't even 
require Army Corps notification.   Again, Mr. 
Previs has made every effort to retain all cedars 
and firs to preserve and enhance his homesite.  
Since when do you need a permit to partially clear 
approximately a 1-acre homesite out of 45 acres?

In June, Mr. Previs, through his attorney Alan 
Souders, took steps to preserver the Lake 
Campbell plat for Lakewood.  On July 2, Skagit 
quit-claimed title to all public roads and alleys 
with the plat to Mr. Previs.

This process was a requirement of my purchase 
and sale agreement with Mr. Previs.  What right 
does DNR or Ms. Barnett have to publicly question 
the motives of Mr. Previs or the two county 
commissioners who signed this document?

I doubt very seriously this sort of activity fits in the 
job description of either party.  Furthermore, DNR 
should read the filed wetland report before backing 
unfounded county sponsored allegations of 
violations.


M. Neagle
Seattle