Quote:
Originally Posted by mhays
I can buy that maybe half of the houses in West Seattle have families, which would be way over the city average for houses. What's your source?
We're talking in circles, and I don't think you're reading. Did I suggest reducing the number of houses, or anything that would reduce the number of cars?
Four packs won't sell in WS? They do get built and they do sell, so you're wrong. They currently happen in multifamily zones, hence much of their high price.
Yes, supply is a huge part of affordability, though obviously not a panacea. Things like not requiring parking and continuing/enlarging the voted levy are also factors.
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Look.......lets get clear what's going on here.........you don't want to hear that your ideas may not be as popular as you think. You want to believe all pod people walk or bus. You want to believe that bldg a 4 pack in SFR neighborhood will be accepted in W. Seattle. You want to believe that building lots and lots of units will improve affordability; that reducing parking requirements will increase affordability.
Surprisingly enough, Seattle is doing exactly that..........its experiencing the biggest bldg boom in decades and has relaxed parking requirements........even allowing apodment developments all over the city. And yet, rents are skyrocketing.........Seattle is in the top five cities for rent increases since the Great Recession.
Why? Because land and labor costs here are going up as demand has increased. Construction costs are high here because labor gets paid well. Land is dear because there is no west side except for Elliot Bay and the east side is constricted by Lake Washington. If it were feasible to get 20K units built in 2014, rents may go down temporarily while the units get absorbed. However once they got absorbed, rents would resume their climb. But not to worry, there is no way in hell lenders would approve 20K units in one year in Seattle.
Density doesn't create affordability. Significant production creates affordability only temporarily. You want affordability go to a metro on the open prairies..........Dallas, Kansas City, OK City etc. Those cities are surrounded by lots of flat land. Land prices are very cheap and labor costs more reasonable.
In the meantime, read the reaction to the latest proposed development in W. Seattle..........40 units with 5 parking spaces. Read the comments carefully.........people are getting more and more pissed:
http://westseattleblog.com/2014/03/w...-4439-41st-sw/
I am not opposed to reduced parking requirements but Seattle planners are pushing the concept too much too soon.