The New Neighbors Respond

In my last post, I had just dropped my letter to the new neighbors in the mailbox. This was my way of expressing in writing how their decisions to level a house and build a 3 story home in its place affected me. I wanted this couple to "get it", to understand that others are affected in not so trivial ways by these gargantuan changes to the landscape of the neighborhood and that things don't occur in a vacuum. Did my letter accomplish this goal?

Two days after the letter left my hands, there was a note and a small loaf of homemade gingerbread on our front doorstep. The note said,

"Dear Kate,
We are sorry for not communicating with you. We wish to be good neighbors and coexist peacefully. We apologize for the noise and the inconvenience construction will cause. We hope to have a positive relationship, moving forward. Happy Holidays to you and your family.
Sincerely,"

Then later that day, while I was at work, Mr. stopped by and spoke with Denny for a few minutes. He wanted to acknowledge receipt of the letter and talk with me personally. Denny gave him the home phone number. Twenty four hours passed and then Mr. called me on the phone. We had a four minute conversation. He spoke. I listened. I spoke. He listened. There was acknowledgment that communication could have been better (on their end) but the emphasis was on the hope that they could be "good neighbors" and that their home would be a nice addition to the block. "We'll do everything we can to be good neighbors and keep our lawn and yard up". He talked about his wife and three children and how excited they were to join such a neighborhood. I thanked him for the call. He offered to come by in person to talk. I told him no need and that we'd meet up at some point during construction.

I was left feeling on the one hand that I had written a good letter and received a prompt response. Good for them. Score one. I was also left with the feeling that the full impact of Mr. and Mrs.'s decisions to level and rebuild said property did not sink in. But, I've done what I could to openly communicate directly to the source of my pain just what it feels like to be on the receiving end. For that, I feel strong and proud. It is what it is and we move forward from here. I am keeping a keen eye out for the huge trucks that move in and out as they have bounced along the grass alongside our house more than once (see picture) and have come close to sprinkler heads not to mention the back end of my Honda parked in the driveway. The construction crew asked me to move it from the street to the driveway this morning. It's a small request but I wish Mr. and Mrs. knew that I was still in P.J.'s drinking my coffee on my day off when they asked.

As I moved my car I noticed the two neighbors who live on either side of the destruction were out front talking to the contractors in the chill and drizzle of this December morning in Seattle. They are very concerned about possible damage to their properties as they should be....the excavation may impact their fences and plantings as well as the stability of the ground. With any extra rain, there could easily be the equivalent of a mini-mudslide into the cavern left by the back hoe's work over the last days. They are also more than a little annoyed by the seeming lack of concern from Mr. and Mrs. and the poor communication. I encouraged them to write them a letter as I did. Wouldn't it be nice if Mr. and Mrs. received several letters?

Mr. and Mrs. have a lot to do in the way of damage control. I hope they have learned something about civility. I really, really do.