TOMORROW: HALA (etc.) open house for West Seattle/South Park

| Arbor Heights | West Seattle housing | West Seattle news

One more reminder before the weekend begins:

If you have questions or comments about the proposed rezoning for the Mandatory Housing Affordability component of the city’s HALA (Housing Affordability and Livability Agenda) plan, you’ll want to start your Saturday at Westside School (10404 34th SW; WSB sponsor) in Arbor Heights, where various city departments are teaming up for an open house, 10 am-noon. HALA MHA and how it would affect West Seattle and South Park (see the interactive map here) is at centerstage – with something new, as we reported earlier this week – but other city departments will be there too, with information about a variety of projects. It’s an informal meeting, like the one back in December – but much more room this time! – so you can just drop in during that 2-hour window.

P.S. The city has had workshops about the HALA MHA proposals in all five of the West Seattle/South Park Urban Village areas. It’s posted most of the presentations and summaries on this page if you want to review them before the open house; while the Morgan Junction feedback summaries still aren’t there, two months after the final workshop, they were just sent to the Morgan Community Association, whose president Deb Barker forwarded it to us – see the documents here, here, and here.

Overthere May 5, 2017 (9:23 pm)

It really doesn’t matter what anyone say, The city has decided this dumb plan is how we move forward I have been to two of these meetings and the cities consultant we so full of excrement. Between taxes, HALA and traffic I just bought a house in Bellevue, end of June. Many of my friends are moving as well. See ya. Keep putting up with this garbage

Swede. May 6, 2017 (12:36 pm)

Good for you that you could afford a house in an even more expensive area than Seattle, but why keep complaining about what happens in West Seattle now when you are ‘Overthere’?

Scarlett May 6, 2017 (7:07 am)

I will not roll over and let them ruin my neighborhood at the expense of my neighbors, and the livability of West Seattle. I can’t wait until the big legal battle comes. I will generously contribute to any organization who wants to sue the city over this crap plan. The city hides behind the slogan of racial equity and affordable housing, that is really developer pandering and profiteering. I am offended that this plan will bring no affordable housing to West Seattle.

They call us racists and Trump supporters. Those are fighting words and I will fight back and not be insulted. I want mandatory affordable housing in my neighborhood, and not massive market rate housing and condos that cost at least a half a million dollars.

A close examination of the political contributions to most of the city Council, and certainly the mayor, shows that this program is an effort to line the pockets of developers, who line the pockets of our ostensibly leftist politicians, who are no different than any other self-serving politicians who who wants their money to stay in office. Rob Johnson and mayor Ed are at the top of this list

The city doesn’t give a damn about racial equity. They have already admitted that the tiny fees for HALA, scant as they are, will buy property where it’s cheaper to build affordable housing. That just perpetuates redlining from the past and puts poor people in the poor neighborhoods. That is just BS.

The city wants to chase the fixed income elderly out of their homes in the urban villages. Minorities who made it to the middle class and bought homes near the urban villages are being chased out too with this scheme. And the city has the nerve to call home owners of color racist?

The whole purpose of the upzone of single-family is to get those homes demolished as quickly as possible and drive the people out of their homes so developers can make millions of dollars on one lot putting in six townhouses, and netting a cool $1.5 million on one single-family lot.

Go to the meeting DON’T ROLL OVER AND GIVE UP!!!!!

Captin May 6, 2017 (8:50 am)

Have you seen the repeated headlines in the Seattle Times concerning this very topic? How home prices and rent in Seattle are rising faster than any other city in the United States?

I don’t think HALA is perfect by any means but once I would like to hear someone who vehemently rails against it on the WSB offer even a small 10 bullet point synopsis on what their better plan is. Like really a plan, a real plan, a real 20 year plan, not just “HALA is dumb do something else.”

Please someone tell us what the solution to all of this growth is. If it’s not HALA and MHA tell us what it is; inaction is not an option. I’m all ears. I just hear anger,anger,anger but no answers.
- Steve May 6, 2017 (12:43 pm)
  
  First bullet point: get rid of the mayor.
  
  second: get rid of the council.
  
  third: get rid of Dow.
  
  fourth: get ride of Petey Holmes.
  
  fifth: get rid of scott kulby.
  
  sixth through ten: elect competent people who are not activist but capable managers to oversee Seattle!
  - Captin May 6, 2017 (3:23 pm)
    
    Still no answers to the problem of managing the inevitable growth happening in OUR city.
    
    I don’t like our current council either. However, I do think we need a devils advocate on this issue because it is real and it is inevitable.
    
    If this plan is that fubar I want to hear what’s better, I want better. “Throw ’em out” is not an answer to the housing problem, to the council yes.
    
    But people are still moving here no matter who is in office.
    
    So we elect an entirely new council. What if they agree that adding density is a solution? Then what? I still haven’t seen a real proposal here written by average citizens that think they can do a better job. Can we all get on the same page and plan for growth in a smart way (because it is going to happen) or are we all going to just fight?
    
    I agree that there should have been more transparency initially. But I think just like a thesis paper you have to have some sort of plan and “justification” for your idea before you share it. If you start from scratch with nothing how much more convoluted would the process be?
    
    We need to add density. This is a “young” city that is now experiencing rapid growth that many other cities have experienced earlier in time. People are going to follow opportunity and move here no matter what. We need more housing….
- LikeAGoodNeighbor May 6, 2017 (1:16 pm)
  
  @captin We’ll never know if there is a better plan because anyone but developers were shut out – even those that were handpicked to participate in the focus groups stopped attending because of the railroading done by special interests and their politicians.
  
  I don’t believe just do something, anything constitutes a real plan.
  
  I’m with Scarlett, I can’t wait until all this gets thrown out in court and murray is sent back to the neighborhoods to try and find allies.

123 May 6, 2017 (8:26 am)

Just sad. Neighborhoods flooded with cars, people, buildings blocking out the light. Change with no commitment towards the infrastructure necessary to support it… nothing has happened in the last six months that has changed my understanding of how this is going to play out for our community. The HALA neighborhood meetings are a farce, moderators capture an unbalanced version of community feedback and only present false choices… i.e how about NOT upzoning at all? How about converting some industrial areas in SODO to mixed use? Do you truly expect me to believe that defacing established, healthy neighborhoods is the only option the city has? Why do we allow persons so utterly lacking in imagination to create these plans? Speaking out against HALA labels a person as a selfish, anti-change, homeless-hater who doesn’t want economically disadvantaged people in their community – this is nonsense. Don’t forget that developers can pay a fee to not include low income units in their buildings. What do you suppose will be more lucrative in neighborhoods like Admiral? This is not a thoughtful, humanistic plan to support the less fortunate in our growing city. HALA is a money grab. Well played developers – your consultants were worth every penny.

Mark Schletty May 6, 2017 (8:51 am)

Scarlett has got this one exactly right. Thank you Scarlett for telling it as it really is.

JRR May 6, 2017 (9:53 am)

If more people live in a neighborhood, we have more political power to demand transit and services. You don’t have to sell your house to a developer. The city is changing and there is no more land. The only thing I disagree with about the plan is that there is a pool of money for projects rather than a mandate for most impacted neighborhoods. We need affordable housing near transit and in the city. Just because you’re not rich doesn’t mean you should live on the fringes.

Captin May 6, 2017 (5:28 pm)

Thank you for adding some pragmatism. In politics there will never be 100% consensus. Some people wil be happy to be rezoned and some won’t.

Why would someone buy a house two blocks from Alaska Junction? Because that rocks! But if one does that they have to understand that it is a desirable area that is susceptible to change.It makes sense to make areas near commerce and transit more dense. Thinking 100 years out when we’re all pushing up daisies how can someone argue against planning for the future? I can’t wrap my head around that.

Cynical girl May 6, 2017 (10:38 am)

Then don’t rent from Dwellings. They tried to evict a tenant for no other reason than to raise the rent and make more money. Rules and laws be damned here, people want things their way. Dwellings was never fined or punished by the city and Dwellings never apologized to the tenant they tried to kick out.

Swede. May 6, 2017 (12:32 pm)

There is no such thing as ‘affordable housing’ in Seattle anymore and won’t be again. It’s the free market at work… and with only highpaying jobs being ‘created’ prices will keep going up. And it’s understandable that people sell there house to a developer/construction company when they get offered twice (or more) than they paid.

Sunnyday May 6, 2017 (1:49 pm)

I’m in the rezone area, I’ve lived in my house for 18 years and have spent tons of money over the years, remodeling etc., this is our family home, one that I would like to keep. The way the city is forcing hala makes me feel like I’m backed into a corner. If I stay, I have to endure construction and no parking on my block. For my sanity, this is not an option so I feel I have to be the crappy neighbor who sells to a developer and get away from the urban villages. Murray sucks.

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