In case you missed it, in the recap of the final Edmonds Citizens Housing Commission (CHC) meeting, the flagship recommended policy to emerge from it, with a slim majority vote, is to upzone the entire town of Edmonds and eliminate all single-family zoning. This is Policy #1, Missing Middle Housing in Single-Family neighborhoods. This two-house-per-lot minimum “Missing Middle” idea is also included in Policy #’s 2, 3, 4, 6 and 7. Even commissioners who originally supported this policy, in the end, voted against it.

Let’s hear from the commissioners themselves: “I spent…time trying to get…data that shows this process actually results in outcomes of lower-cost housing that would address middle-income homeowners. While I can find theoretical articles on the value of doing this, I could not find one article, not one (their emphasis), that said yes, we did this in our city, and it resulted in lower-cost housing.”

A commissioner stated: This policy “if enacted, tilts the playing field to developers and will take single-family homes off the market…they can outbid a modest home in the city and redevelop to two townhomes…with no regard to the neighborhood.”

In reference to this, above  is an example of a 2021 Magnolia “affordable” multiplex with each unit selling for $800,000-plus on a former single-family lot that removed a modest home and garden next to a similar nice single home that you can see is just swallowed up. These zero-lot lines and limited setbacks encourage massive impervious lot coverage, which are also being promoted in the Edmonds housing policy proposals.

Another commissioner who changed their mind agreed: “To do a duplex on a single-family property will be expensive. You have to buy the house, tear it down, remove the foundation” and then build brand new. “For the missing middle this isn’t going to do it. I like the intent of the policy, but don’t think the reality and intent match. A single-family home in a single-family neighborhood has more possibilities for equity than tearing down a house and paying more.”

A detached accessory dwelling unit (DADU) is a second housing structure on a single-family  lot. With zero-lot lines and off-street parking assumed to be easily available, an 800- to 1,000-square-foot two-story house could be allowed right up to your fence line. See the included photo below of one of these. Beware, the state does not count additional persons living in any accessory dwelling unit (ADU )or DADU toward our GMA population count, so these are on top of our future population growth goals.

Above is an example of a 2021 DADU near Carkeek Park built in front of the house to the zero-lot line, subdivided further to allow a third housing structure on a former single-family lot with trees and vegetation — also on a steep slope with no vegetation left. Middle house used to have a view of the water. This is the current type of DADU that could be allowed with these new housing policies in Edmonds. It is no longer feasible to build grandma’s cute little cottage as the costs of land, fees, taxes and construction are at an all-time high, so the rent must be high as well. Basements, garages and storage are not considered in the total square footage. They are often literally half-houses now.

Edmonds is only 8 square miles, with a population density of 4,778 people per square mile, over 7x denser than the entire Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue metropolitan area. With one-third of Edmonds covered by a tree canopy from mostly single-family zoning, these policies will encourage two to fire times more houses on neighborhood lots. With Edmonds looking at this issue right now, how could our tree canopy and wildlife not disappear as a result? Edmonds’ central character is its natural environment. It is a fact that property redevelopment is the largest culprit of proliferation of impervious area and tree decimation.

Above is a current Edmonds fourplex that was presented to staff and approved as “affordable housing.” Four stories tall, almost all impervious surfaces on a steep slope could now be coming to a neighborhood near you if the housing commission policies are adopted. Stay tuned for 2021 prices most likely close to $1 million-plus each. These fourplex developments could be encouraged in all neighborhoods of Edmonds with eventual approval of some CHC policy proposals to be presented to council on March 16.

Not one presentation was ever given to the CHC about Edmonds-specific concerns of local environment and infrastructure impacts of development.

Our council and the community should follow the sage advice in the City Resolution 1427 that formed the CHC, to allow “for sufficient time to be provided for all housing-related issues to be thoroughly vetted to enable policy recommendations to be brought forward that are in Edmonds’ long-term best interests.” To achieve that, it further clarifies that we assess all factors “that expand the supply of diverse housing options while maintaining Edmonds’ character and quality of life.” Is this policy recommending eliminating all single-family zoning and upzoning the entire town meeting this goal? Can we ask for moderation of this?

Please allow us the full time necessary to do just that. Allow all stakeholders to participate when we can gather in person, so we can all clearly discuss and understand the real impacts of these policies on our local Edmonds’ community.

— By Michelle Dotsch