Monday August 31, 2020
Affordable Talaris Working Meeting 7 - 8 pm
by Share The Cities
Stop Luxury Housing at Talaris and Build Housing for Everyone
Background
Share The Cities Seattle started a petition 2 years ago to Seattle City Council. At that time, we urged the City Council to deny permits to Quadrant Homes for the current proposal at Talaris in Laurelhurst. Despite sitting in the heart of a growing city in desperate need of affordable housing, this location is slated to host 60-70 suburban-style homes — starting at 2 million+ each — with no affordable units whatsoever.
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Our meeting on Monday is a working meeting to determine what we will write to SDCI in response to their call for public comments by September 17.
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An online public scoping meeting hosted by the City of Seattle will occur on Wednesday, September 15, 2020 at 4:00 p.m.
You can look this up using Project Number: 3030811-LU https://cosaccela.seattle.gov/Portal/welcome.aspx
Before the Monday meeting:
Please read our op-ed in The Stranger (Guest Editorial: Luxury Homes for Rich People or Housing for Everyone? May 2, 2018)
If you've been to a land use hearing in the last 10 years, you've no doubt heard homeowners declare that they're not against development, but they want to do it right. Affordable Talaris organizers believe development should provide many more people with the opportunity to live near sought-after schools, abundant open space, grocery stores, a Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) line, two major regional hospitals, the most useful bike trail in the city, and a major state employer, the University of Washington. During a global climate crisis we want many more people to be able to walk, bike, or bus to the Husky Stadium LINK light rail station. Building much more housing on or near Talaris is a chance to do development right.
Lack of permanently affordable and workforce housing in the current Talaris plan means more displacement in places like South Seattle where communities of color don't have the resources to fight with lawyers. Our housing solutions can be fair and just with considerations for geographic equity.
Laurelhurst residents have seen their home values--and their net worth--rise by more than $700,000 in the last decade. Why should Seattle's richest neighborhoods be allowed to reserve spots for only the wealthy? We collectively scratch our heads and ask each other, “It doesn’t have to be this way, does it?”
What do we want?
Let’s work together for more welcoming, eco-friendly, sustainable, and equitable cities. Once luxury houses are built at Talaris, we are stuck with them for generations. Seattle will regret it. We urge the City Council to deny permits to Quadrant Homes for the current proposal. Let’s implement an equitable development outreach plan. This city can't afford to let inequitable developments move forward on lots this large without evaluating how more people, more jobs, and more students impact the need for homes in Northeast Seattle. Let’s ensure that more people have access to the natural beauty and historic buildings at Talaris and beyond. The best time to act on an equitable development plan for Talaris was many years ago, but it is not too late to act now.
Who has attended Affordable Talaris events?
Affordable Talaris’ meetings have generated interest from the Department of Neighborhoods, Seattle City Council staff, two recent mayoral candidates, and the president of the Laurelhurst Community Council. Other attendees included climate scientists, climate justice activists from 350 Seattle and Sierra Club, tenants’ rights advocates, building professionals, students, and citizen journalists. We have held four public meetings and a well-attended walking tour of the site.
We stand in solidarity with efforts throughout Seattle that are led by the people most impacted by housing insecurity and climate injustice. We acknowledge that Seattle is on the stolen land of the Coast Salish people, including the Duwamish, Muckleshoot and other Indigenous peoples.