Highlands again, and density discussion

Another exciting council meeting tonight.

We got some good business done for the safety of school kids (young ones walking and older ones driving) reviewed an annexation petition, listened to a gentleman’s concerns about increased business jet traffic at the airport, had a warm introduction from the new Renton School Superintendant, and then moved on to the Highlands audience comment.

Pretty quickly the emotions surrounding the Renton Highlands came to a boil again. It began when the Renton community activist that was recently brutilized in a home invasion crime expressed disappontment that she felt re-victimized by the mayor after discussing the need for more law enforcement in the area.

Then we listened to both Phil and Heidi Beckley, who together leveled numerous criticisms at multitudes of people. Mr. Beckley complained about an article by Inez Petersen in the Fairwood Flyer which was negative about Renton. While he was sharing this, I was thinking that I did not imagine what council might do about it, since Ms. Pettersen is a private citizen, the Fairwood Flyer is not our publication, and we have taken a position as a council of being neutral on Fairwood’s incorporation even while there is strong citizen debate on the issue.

Then Heidi Beckley, a long-time friend of mine, approached the podium and criticized all members of the council for not staying the course on the plan the council was reviewing in April (when Lipstickgate first broke out–which she referred to as that ugly personal thing, or something like that). She felt that all of the council had been bullied into backing off of the Mayor’s plan by a “few people.” She specifically critisized me personally for attending the August 17 Highlands Community Association meeting (even though it was also attended by a State House Representative, two other city council members, our Public Works Director, our Police Chief, Our Community Services Director, Several other city staff, and about forty citizens from the Highlands…not a bad turnout for a warm August day.) Ms. Beckley expressed support for the way the mayor has effectively treated these constituants (they would say they have been shunned), and encouraged me to do the same. (Ms. Beckley mistakenly believes that HCA is the reason I am not in favor of blighting, community renewal act takings, and high density apartments in Renton Highlands.)

After Heidi’s comments, I expressed my belief that she and I still had many common goals, particularly in cleaning up the Highlands business environment, but I clarified that I’ve held my views on not wanting massive new apartment constuction in the Highlands for many years. The same is true for my protection of private property rights, which dates back to the city’s efforts to condemn my backyard for an apartment developer in 1989. I mentioned that making single family non-confoming and building apartments at densities up to 80 units per acre was not a way to get the neighborhood we both were looking for… and suddenly Dan Clawson jumped in and attacked me for “falsely” and “misleadingly” stating that we had ever considered looking at building up to 80 units per acre.

Huh? But here is the current proposed zoning map from the city website:

(To verify the source of the above map, click here, scroll down to the rezone section, and select ‘proposed rezones:draft 2 (currently proposed)’)

Everywhere the map says 80 DU/AC bonus, it stands for 80 dwelling units per acre if the developer includes low income units in the building. Between the dark gray (80 DU) and black areas (75 DU), the majority of the study area can be built with this type of density. Since Dan Clawson is a member of the Planning and Development Committee, he should know this map very well. In light of the fact that Mr. Clawson publically accused me of making false statments (again), and my statements prove honest and true (as they always do) by the above map, perhaps Mr. Clawson could explain to the public whether he was extremely confused tonight, whether he himself was trying to mislead, or whether he had some other motivation when he said that we never considered 80 unit per acre densities.

While you contemplate that, here is some info from a planning firm, the Lincoln Land Use Institute, on “visualizing densities.” Click Here , but you have to open a free profile to get to the good stuff.

We don’t want the “Little Boxes on the Hillside” look!

And below is what 70 units per acre looks like:

And below is what 37 units per acre looks like:

And below, right from the North Highlands study area, is what 10 units to the acre looks like:

Of all the pictures above, the one that would NOT BE ALLOWED in the study area UNDER THE MAYOR’S PROPOSAL is the one immediately above, with the single family homes. This is picture of four homes that replaced one 1940’s era duplex on Harrington Circle. This is also the development that the market forces were giving us eighteen months ago when council slapped an onerous moritorium on this area, thus halting redevelopment. This is also the development pattern that the lawful owners of the property were building, that required no expensive or controversial blighting or community renewal actions, and did not involve tying up potentially tens of millions of taxpayer dollars in public/private partnerships that are subject to risk. These single family projects were refreshing, free to the taxpayers, and provided great opportunities for families to buy their first new home.

I hope that one day the mayor may let go of her bitterness toward me, HCA, and countless other highland residents, and let the council majority restore some sense to the Highlands plan. With all the personal attacks, and conspiricy theories I have to endure just because I don’t want sixteen-hundred apartments replacing the homes near me, I’m going to have to start wearing hip-waders at city hall.

Do I want highland revitalization? Yes, probably more than anyone. With a wife and five kids living right on the boundary of the affected area, I would love some updating and some more shopping. Do I want high density apartments when I could see single family move in, no.

I remember about four years ago when the mayor (then a council member) waged a bitter, hostile fight to try to prevent 40 single family homes from being built on ten acres of properly-zoned vacant land in her neighborhood of Renton Hill. Ironically, four years later, she is using every means (and person) she can muster to convert already occupied low-density land in my neighborhood into sixteen hundred apartment units, at densities up to 80 units per acre…I doubt I’m the only one who percieves this as hypocritical.

Like I say, another exciting night!