Kenmore affordable housing proposal divides city
Saturday, January 20, 2024
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| The proposed Plymouth Affordable Housing development would be built on this lot owned by the city of Kenmore. The Kenmore branch of King County Library is visible in the background. Photo by Oliver Moffat |
By Oliver Moffat
A proposal to build an apartment building for disabled seniors facing homelessness has drawn fierce opposition from some vocal Kenmore residents and prompted the city to enact strict rules forbidding disruptive behavior at City Council meetings.
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| A screenshot from the Kenmore city website shows the proposed Plymouth Affordable Housing development to be located at NE Bothell Way and 67th Ave NE. |
The proposed Plymouth affordable housing development would provide permanent homes with support services to extremely low-income individuals who earn less than 30% of the Area Median Income ($28,800/year) and are facing homelessness.
The property is located in downtown Kenmore at the corner of NE Bothell Way and 67th Ave NE and is near public transit. The development is fully funded and if approved, Kenmore will be making progress towards the city’s top stated priority: affordable housing.
Normally, the only debate on a City Council about a feel-good project like this one would be who gets to hold the giant scissors at the ribbon cutting ceremony.
Normally, the only debate on a City Council about a feel-good project like this one would be who gets to hold the giant scissors at the ribbon cutting ceremony.
But in Kenmore, the council is debating whether to stop the project after residents filled the City Council chambers to overflowing and gave hours and hours of emotionally charged public comments - both for and against the project.
At a nine hour meeting on Monday, December 11 that lasted until 3am, Kenmore’s Mayor Nigel Herbig struggled at times to maintain order and decorum as the raucous crowd expressed raw emotions and frustrations in public comments.
The council voted against the proposal at the December 11 meeting. But a month later the city council reversed course again at a January 9 meeting, directing staff to come back with a revised plan that addresses community concerns. On January 18, the Council again signaled yet another course correction.
At a five hour meeting on Thursday, January 18, the Council again listened to hours of public comments from residents who filled the Council chamber. This time, public comments were limited to only two minutes and Mayor Herbig wielded a gavel to contain order. In a procedural vote, four of the seven Councilmembers voiced opposition to the Plymouth project. The Council will vote on whether to deny the proposal at the January 22 regular City Council meeting.
In public comments from residents, some opponents worried about the cost city taxpayers will pay for the project. As reported by The Urbanist in December the project’s estimated $37.5M cost is funded via a mix of city, state, federal and nonprofit sources. According to reporting by the Bothell-Kenmore Reporter, the city’s $3.2M share of the total cost will come from American Rescue Plan Act funds.
Some opponents raised alarm that the project would bring open drug use and crime to Kenmore’s downtown. While other residents objected to the size of the six-story building that will stand over Kenmore’s core business district and raised concerns that a large apartment for low-income people would harm downtown businesses.
At a five hour meeting on Thursday, January 18, the Council again listened to hours of public comments from residents who filled the Council chamber. This time, public comments were limited to only two minutes and Mayor Herbig wielded a gavel to contain order. In a procedural vote, four of the seven Councilmembers voiced opposition to the Plymouth project. The Council will vote on whether to deny the proposal at the January 22 regular City Council meeting.
In public comments from residents, some opponents worried about the cost city taxpayers will pay for the project. As reported by The Urbanist in December the project’s estimated $37.5M cost is funded via a mix of city, state, federal and nonprofit sources. According to reporting by the Bothell-Kenmore Reporter, the city’s $3.2M share of the total cost will come from American Rescue Plan Act funds.
City staff warned the Council that voting against the project would amount to declining tens of millions of dollars in grants and could make it difficult to fund future affordable housing projects.
The Washington State Growth Management Act (GMA) requires cities to “plan for and accommodate” affordable housing and King County Ordinance 19660 sets affordable housing targets for cities; meaning rejecting the project may make it more expensive to achieve its affordable housing goals in the long run.
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| A screenshot from the Kenmore Neighbors Facebook group depicts a sketched outline of the location and possible size of the proposed Plymouth development. Social media is the only source of local news in Kenmore. |
Some opponents raised alarm that the project would bring open drug use and crime to Kenmore’s downtown. While other residents objected to the size of the six-story building that will stand over Kenmore’s core business district and raised concerns that a large apartment for low-income people would harm downtown businesses.
To address these concerns, the proposal will require all residents to be 55+ and disabled; the building’s ground floor retail must match the city’s goals for the downtown district; a community engagement forum including residents, businesses and police will be founded; and Plymouth must commit to a “good neighbor” agreement to address public safety and other concerns.
In response to emailed questions, Mayor Herbig and Councilmember Srebnik said the Council cannot comment because of the “quasi-judicial” nature of the situation.
An email to the editor of the Bothell-Kenmore Reporter asking if their publication would be covering local politics was not answered. As reported in The Seattle Times, the owner of the Bothell-Kenmore Reporter is attempting to avoid bankruptcy and recently announced it has been sold - leaving Kenmore without an independent local news source.
In response to emailed questions, Mayor Herbig and Councilmember Srebnik said the Council cannot comment because of the “quasi-judicial” nature of the situation.
Earlier this month, the new City Council passed revised rules of behavior for public comment.
The new rules of decorum restrict comments to agenda topics, forbid interruptions such as shouting, booing, and sign waving, and give the council the authority to expel people engaging in disorderly conduct from the council chambers.
If a meeting continues to be disrupted, the Council can order the meeting room cleared except for members of the press.
An email to the editor of the Bothell-Kenmore Reporter asking if their publication would be covering local politics was not answered. As reported in The Seattle Times, the owner of the Bothell-Kenmore Reporter is attempting to avoid bankruptcy and recently announced it has been sold - leaving Kenmore without an independent local news source.
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| A billboard at Kenmore’s southern border on Bothell Way proclaims “Kenmore Welcomes You” Photo courtesy city of Kenmore |
Local news and politics are vigorously debated on the Kenmore Neighbors Facebook group where comments mirror the divisive and emotionally charged public comments directed at the City Council.
A post on the Nextdoor app about the development was taken down after comments devolved into mudslinging, disinformation and hate speech. A Nextdoor moderator who asked to remain anonymous because they have faced hostility and threats said that although discussions of local political topics are allowed on the app, disinformation and hate speech have risen on the platform.
Founded in 1980 by members of downtown Seattle’s Plymouth Congregational Church, Plymouth Housing owns 19 buildings and is one of the largest permanent supportive housing providers in the region with over 1,200 residents.
Founded in 1980 by members of downtown Seattle’s Plymouth Congregational Church, Plymouth Housing owns 19 buildings and is one of the largest permanent supportive housing providers in the region with over 1,200 residents.
Plymouth provides supportive services to its residents and practices a “housing first” approach which emphasizes getting people into homes before anything else - without asking people to "prove" they are ready for housing.
This would not be the first institution in Kenmore offering housing support to people in need. According to reporting by the Bothell-Kenmore Reporter Hopelink’s Kenmore Place shelter has been operating as a homeless family shelter in Kenmore for more than 30 years. Kenmore Place (owned by the King County Housing Authority, and operated by Hopelink) provides shelter for families in crisis.
Mary's Place Northshore is another homeless shelter that has been operating in Kenmore since 2017. In emailed comments, a spokesperson from Mary’s Place said
In emailed comments a spokesperson from Plymouth Housing said,
“On the heels of Martin Luther King Jr. Day, we believe this important project is a chance to move closer to Dr. King’s vision of equity and justice - including for vulnerable people who want to be your neighbors in Kenmore…
"We truly hope that […] a small fraction of Kenmore residents or a few Councilmembers will not stand in the way of 100 new homes for vulnerable people who need them.”
This would not be the first institution in Kenmore offering housing support to people in need. According to reporting by the Bothell-Kenmore Reporter Hopelink’s Kenmore Place shelter has been operating as a homeless family shelter in Kenmore for more than 30 years. Kenmore Place (owned by the King County Housing Authority, and operated by Hopelink) provides shelter for families in crisis.
Mary's Place Northshore is another homeless shelter that has been operating in Kenmore since 2017. In emailed comments, a spokesperson from Mary’s Place said
“We are fortunate and so grateful to have a wonderful relationship with the community – lots of donations and volunteer support! … We find that the Northshore community cares deeply for their neighbors and want to help. It’s our hope that the same will be true of the Plymouth development.”
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6 comments:
They already have public housing in Kenmore. Did they know that, nothing wrong with having more low income housing
This is affordable Senior Housing 30%. This type of housing is needed very badly. Worry about the homeless in your neighborhood not quality affordable housing for Seniors.
The Kenmore community is supportive of the development of low-income housing. The significant concern arises because Plymouth Housing has a low-barrier policy, meaning residents can continue drug use as long as they consume the drugs in their apartments. The low-barrier policy also includes those with disabilities, implying that residents may experience instabilities or struggle with mental illness. Plymouth Housing does provide case workers and wrap-around care for both drug addiction and mental health, but residents can choose not to participate in the offered programs. Another issue is that the Plymouth Housing complex would be located in the middle of Kenmore's little downtown center, next to the library and children's play area, which includes a popular water splash pad. Plymouth Housing residents will likely need more crisis care, necessitating increased resources from the city's police and fire departments. Kenmore is a small community of around 24,000. The city does not have its own police department; instead, they rent their police from King County. The city's budget is also strained, with a projected $2 million structural deficit by 2026.
Sadly this is not the first time that misinformation and sensationalism has been used to negatively impact housing policy in Kenmore - it’s just the most extreme example.
Mary’s Place shared in a comment on Jan 18th that they faced opposition when they proposed moving in to Kenmore.
A group of very vocal “small landlords” (one with around 150 units in Kenmore alone… so.. small?) opposed renter protections with similar vitriol in the local social media groups.
Those same folks used Middle Housing discussions to recruit others to their cause to berate council over several long comment sessions in September and October 2022.
They threatened running candidates against housing, did run them, they lost (heavily) in elections last year, but those candidates aligned with the original anti-renter protections voices used their social media sway (some of them are admins of the main social media group in Kenmore) to push at best exaggerated and at worse false information to rile up a crowd.
This was punishment to Kenmore council for daring to consider equity and inclusion in their priorities, and to pass renter protections and even consider Middle Housing (which is now State Law).
It’s sad but also no wonder State legislators are considering taking away local control on these issues when bad actors are willing to use misinformation and bully pulpits to punch down to those most in need.
What a gracious article. Such a shame that a Facebook group - that literally drew a picture of this housing building burning up in flames and posted it as their banner - spooked the Kenmore City Council away from supporting life-saving housing for 100+ people.
For all the Kenmore locals who are worried about Plymouth’s plan for Housing First: please note all ALL housing providers will use Housing First. This is the HUD guideline and funding standard for all PSH and veteran housing. You can spit and swear at Plymouth all you want, but Habitat for Humanity, Mary's Place, Imagine Housing and others also use Housing First. (And let's hope that these other organizations are willing to work with the city after this very public protest against homeless housing.)
Best wishes to all the existing homeless adults living in Kenmore now. Hope a nearby city will build you housing ASAP and welcome you in, because it seems like some Kenmore residents are adamant you live outside on the library steps a little longer.
Update: The project that Kenmore voted down because it wasn't a good fit for our small city and limited resources is going to be built in Redmond. The city of Kenmore and Redmond along with Plymouth worked to transition the project to Redmond. On February 13th the Redmond City Council voted to transfer a land parcel valued at 4.4 million dollars to Plymouth. Redmond also plans to give them 3.2 million in cash. Plymouth indicated with the land transfer and the Redmond city cash they will be in a good position to keep the other funding sources for the project.
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