Kenmore City Council is voting on October 10th to Rezone the majority of all single family existing neighborhoods (R-6) up to triplexes (R-M). The only official public comments will be at the meeting on September 26th. The council has voiced that the dark yellow area will be rezoned from R-6 (single family) to R-M (up to triplex) with the very small areas that would remain R-6 (light yellow), would be up for vote next. Rezoning map included below. 

We are concerned Kenmore citizens, writing to oppose the current plan, allow the community time to interact with the Council and create a plan for affordable housing with more thought, input and a plan that doesn't make a sweeping change to target all existing communities. 

Concerns:

The modification of existing zoning for any city should not be taken lightly and should have many public planning committees that take into consideration the voices of its residents. Rezoning improperly can cause undue harm to neighborhoods and a city if done hastily. We, the residents of Kenmore, oppose the current Draft Code Amendments that would rezone all R-6 Single Family Zones. We urge you to VOTE NO and here are a few
reasons why:
1) Too Fast - We are concerned with the speed at which the City Council is pushing to rezone huge areas of Kenmore from Single Family Housing (R-6, 6 houses per acre) to Multifamily Units (R-M) with little to no input from the community, the community in which the City Council and Mayor serve. We, the residents of Kenmore, request to be involved in the rezoning process since these changes will impact Kenmore neighborhoods forever. The City Council has advertised the rezoning presentation on September 21st, then a public hearing the following week on September 26th, and a final vote by the council in October. SLOW DOWN!!! This is too fast and a longer planning period is needed.
2) Not ALL R-6 Zones are the SAME – The City of Kenmore is forward-thinking in wanting to provide affordable houses in the form of duplexes, triplexes, and townhouses but doing it with a Blanket Rezoning of R-6 to R-M is not a forward-thinking approach. During the longer planning period, each R-6 neighborhood or area of Kenmore should be reviewed to see if the current R-6 should or should not be rezoned to R-M. Furthermore, the neighborhoods and council should decide what type of “missing middle” housing is allowed thus taking in consideration the residents’ input rather than leaving it for developers. This approach will allow developers to bid out families, creating higher housing costs and sell triplexes in its place for high prices. 
3) Future Infrastructure– Multifamily homes bring in more people to a neighborhood. This requires more infrastructure which costs more money. The current infrastructure was designed and built for single family homes in R-6 areas NOT duplexes, triplexes, and townhouses. More houses in neighborhoods will require the water, sewers, storm sewers, power, roads, sidewalk, and green spaces to be resized and upgraded. The evaluation of infrastructure needs to be taken into account for any zoning change. This
seems to be completely lacking.