Twilight Zoning in Bellingham: Open Discussion on Population Planning

Wednesday, January 21, 2009

Open Discussion on Population Planning - Citizens' Forum

For the last 18 months, I have been writing about zoning and density issues which are linked to the overall problem of growth and affordable housing in the city of Bellingham. My views are clear. I reject the city's approach to infill by default, i.e., allowing the proliferation of illegal rooming houses as a means of absorbing not only our huge student population but population growth in general.

To date, the overall conversation about this problem has largely been controlled by the city through its Planning Academies and its City Council meetings. Opportunities for the general public to come together on these issues are virtually non-existent.

A number of concerned citizens recently formed a group called the Citizens' Forum whose mission is: "to provide an opportunity for Bellingham Citizens to participate in open dialogue, to exchange ideas, and to debate important issues regarding the future growth of our community."

To that end, the group is hosting an open discussion on the subject "Why Should We Care About Population Planning?" on January 31st, from 10am to noon at the Fountain Community Church. (click on image to view flyer) I encourage all my readers to attend this discussion.

1 comment:

Anonymous said...: Zonemaven considers affordable housing a problem? Well I can't say I'm surprised.

Some of us consider scarcity of affordable a problem.; November 27, 2010 at 9:09 AM

The Rationale for Rental Licensing

There is the definitive experience of cities that have already adopted rental licensing and inspections in the face of exactly the same opposition as we saw in Bellingham over the last decade. Ultimately, each of these cities was proven correct in its resolve to move ahead to protect the safety and health of the renters. We already know that the city of Pasco, WA found that 15% of the units inspected under their program had serious life/safety issues. 10% had mold problems. A full 85% had problems of varying degrees. The city of Gresham, OR performed over 1600 inspections in 2009 and issued, as a result, over 4,000 citations. Lexington, KY performed inspections of units near the University of Kentucky and found that 50% had life/safety issues. Sacramento, CA began an inspection program during which one third of the units inspected had serious safety and health issues. The question why does anyone believe that the condition of rental housing here in Bellingham does not mirror that which is found in cities that have the statistics to show that time and time again the condition of rentals in our cities is problematic? All we have had to date from those who oppose licensing are broad statements by the landlords and their paladins that are completely and utterly unsubstantiated. The Zonemaven has searched in vain for the horror stories that these opponents of licensing and inspections have predicted. On the other hand, The Zonemaven did find over 100 cities that have licensing AND inspections without the catastrophic effect for the rental markets that the landlords would have you believe. (See this blog's sidebar at bottom left for list)

One Reason Illegal Rooming Houses Do Not Work

The limit for unrelated persons at a single family home rental is three residents. Leases are signed by three people who then invite additional renters to join them to lower per capita rental rates. The perverse effect is that rental rates tend to rise under these circumstances making it difficult for single families to rent single family homes. Some local rental agencies facilitate this practice.

"To say that a family is so equivalent to a ragtag collection of college roommates as to require identical treatment in zoning decisions defies the reality of the place of the family in American society, despite any changes that institution has undergone in recent years. Only the most cynical among us would say that the American family has devolved to the point of no greater importance or consideration in governmental decision making than a group of college roommates." (Stegeman v. City of Ann Arbor)

That being said, accommodation ought to be made for protected classes, especially non-traditional unions and group houses for the disabled. These classes are laid out in federal and Washington State law.