For a mere $100,000 you too can purchase the city of Edmonds as we know it  At least that seems to be the going price according to our State’s Commerce Department. They are offering our city a $100,000 grant to transform 30% of our current single-family zoned property into higher density, multi-family “missing middle” housing (“duplexes, triplexes, fourplexes, fiveplexes, sixplexes, townhouses, courtyard apartments, cottage housing, and stacked flats”). Transforming our city from a neighborhood suburban environment into a denser urban one.

Make no mistake about it, their motivation is clear. The requirements for the grant are:

“Grantee jurisdictions must conduct actions relating to adopting ordinances that authorize middle housing types on at least 30% of lots currently zoned as single family residential”.

Read it for yourself on their website, which includes the grant requirements, guidelines and grant application form at Growth Management Grants – Washington State Department of Commerce.

Those who argue we should accept this grant will suggest that this is free money and that we would need to do this work anyway as part of our Comprehensive Plan update. They will also tell you that there is no commitment to enact anything. I would counter that this grant comes with many strings attached and is a blatant attempt to steer our city in a direction toward an outcome we may not like or want. It diverts attention, and more importantly, resources away from a comprehensive look at our needs and attempts to focus us towards their predetermined destination.

An example of their tactics; “Budget managers should be aware that the final twenty percent (20%) of the grant amount is contingent upon completion of the final deliverables (i.e., draft middle housing ordinance).” In addition, part of this grant money is also earmarked for subcontracting with community-based organizations who need to be identified as part of the grant application. I wonder who the city has identified?

Let’s look at the grant application itself. Citing one excerpt, it requires the city to fill out the following table:

You tell me how you read this. Seems to me that the city needs to propose the outcome even before the study is conducted! I wonder how the city would fill this out? This, along with a few other criteria, will be used by Commerce in determining who gets grant funding.

So to suggest that there is no “commitment” seems naive. Just submitting an application for the grant exposes the city to highlighting intentions which may not be in the interest of either the city or its citizens and could be used in some disingenuous manner in one way or another.  The deliverables are complex, the timeline is too short and the “commitment” identifies a preordained outcome.  Hard to spin it any other way.

Yes, we need to develop a vision for our city, but let’s do it on our terms and not with the “help” of some outside influence.  I would rather see that the city engage the community outside of this grant and look holistically at what our city needs and not for the wants of a few politicians.

Our mayor may have already signaled his desire to apply for the grant since there was a June 9 deadline to do so. The grant application itself is required to be submitted by July 5^.. At Tuesday’s council meeting they will be discussing and voting on this issue. So there is still time to contact our city council and tell them we think it’s a bad idea to accept this grant. Spread the word and let’s tell them to reject this grant. We’re not for sale!

Reprinted with permission of author Jim Ogonowski