I am a longtime member of Group Health and would like to respond to the Sustainable Redmond group petitioning the court to save trees.

Group Health is not in the business to sustain trees for the community. It is in the business to provide the best health service it can for the entire region, the best doctors, facilities, equipment and research for better treatment.

Anticipated funds from the sale of that vacated property have been tied up since a previous developer backed out of a deal on the last day of 2007.

Now after long study and work with the Redmond City Council, a new plan has been accepted. It appears to have many benefits for the community, such as construction jobs, future jobs in retail and hotels, taxpayers to help with city service costs and others.

Sustainable Redmond and its “friends” should drop their lawsuit, let Group Health use proceeds from the sale of this land to improve the health care they provide and then they could all buy a couple of trees from the Big Tree Nursery and plant them on their own property.

Jack Stahlheber, Redmond