At its January 25th Board Meeting, the Fremont Neighborhood Council (FNC) invited members of the City of Seattle Department of Planning & Community Development to discuss proposals coming under the Housing Affordability & Livability Agenda (HALA).
To a packed house, of Fremont residents along with those of Maple Leaf, Ravenna and Wallingford, Geoffrey Wentlandt promised, “There will be no changes on the ground until we got through an engagement process. There is time before we will see anything changing in the neighborhoods.”
HALA is a multi-pronged approach to providing more housing for the more than 4,000 people currently living without housing, and the 45,000 households that pay more than 50% of their monthly income toward housing costs. The HALA recommendations include:
- Investing In Housing/Passing A Mandatory Housing Affordability (MHA) program
- Preventing Displacement/Source Of Income Discrimination
- Creation Of New Affordable Housing
- Strengthening Tenant Protections
- Renewal of the Seattle Housing Levy (On Nov 2016 Ballot)
The MHA currently includes zoning changes that could generate 6,000 units by adding one story onto all multi-family buildings constructed after acceptance, which Wentlandt said couldn’t happen until spring 2017. He very clearly explained this increase would not be done in single-family areas – only those areas zoned multi-family (which may currently contain single-family houses.) The extra floor is intended to encourage building more affordable units within new developments.
Patrice Carroll also spoke, on behalf of Seattle 2035, the new name for the revised Seattle Comprehensive Plan. The revisions are scheduled to be accepted this year. The Comp Plan originally was intended to dictate where and how the City would increase density and place jobs. Carroll said that they’ve tried to align the new Comp Plan with HALA. They’ve also been discussing changing boundaries of ‘Urban Villages’ including adding a few blocks to Fremont’s.
From there, FNC President Stephanie Pure opened up the floor to questions and comments. As neither Carroll nor Wentlandt seemed ready to give answers, most questions were noted as comments for later consideration.
Comments concerned:
- Residents living in northeast Fremont are in the Wallingford Urban Village, and many live in single family homes but they see large multi-family buildings being constructed next door. Many voiced displeasure with having even taller buildings put in where houses currently stand.
- The HALA recommendations were perceived by some as encouraging development – incentivizing developers – which they don’t understand with the huge number of new buildings already going up.
- Residents mourned the loss of front porches, and homes, in favor of big, box buildings full of small, unattractive units. The eclectic look of Fremont could be lost with the development of large, homogenous structures.
- The Comp Plan (Seattle 2035) is about absorbing an increase of housing, and those targets have already been met and surpassed, one resident pointed out. Wentlandt pointed out that, “HALA is about affordability,” and getting more affordable housing units built.
- A couple of residents commented on the lack of infrastructure, including parking, to support such an increased number of residents expected to live here. Residents raised alarm over how increased density creates dangerous situations for cyclists and pedestrians without creating adequate infrastructure.
- Another resident voiced a passionate need for affordable units to keep people inside the city, and to not displace affordable units already here with new, more expensive, structures.
- Those in the middle income bracket need some protection too, it was noted, as houses around them get replaced and price them out of the neighborhood.
- Low income housing, and affordable housing, should be in all neighborhoods.
- Fremont has as much density as some residents want to see. New development construction creates dangerous situations for pedestrians.
The discussion was concluded, by Pure, when time ran out. She pointed out that the FNC is coordinating a neighborhood workshop on land use, and HALA, issues. The FNC Chair of Communications, Linda Clifton, encouraged those interested to follow the FNC website and Facebook page, for updates about all FNC plans.
Also, the April 25th (at 7p at Doric Lodge #92) FNC meeting is the Annual Election with special guest speaker District #6 City Council Member Mike O’Brien. Councilmember O’Brien represents Fremont, west of Aurora, and Ballard, and is the ideal person to whom to address concerns – about HALA and all civic matters in Fremont. President Pure mentioned that Councilmember Rob Johnson, who represents District #4 (Fremont, east of Aurora,) will also be invited.
In addition, Pure, on behalf of the FNC Board, made a point of giving a big THANK YOU to Jessica Vets, Executive Director for the Fremont Chamber of Commerce, who resigned her post, after eight years. Thanks for her help with the FNC – and attending this meeting!