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Distributed at Meeting:
2o2S Item# "r
City Council 5/6/25 Planning Commission 5/14/25
Good Evening, I'm , a citizen of Yakima.
Tonight we continue to look at: Who put into effect, without a vote of the people, HB 1110, removing
local control over zoning and planning in Washington State, violating the rights of existing property
owners and consolidating State Control over YOUR land!
One of my first questions was why weren't the ADU(Accessory Dwelling Unit) laws (HB 1056)
passed in 1993 and (HB 1337) in 2023 enough? Why wasn't it enough to allow owners of Single
Family Homes to add 1-2 ADUs to their property?
It's estimated (See Supporting Data below:)that a total of about 1.7 million (1,698,275) residential
properties in the state are Single-family homes. If even a conservative 10% of those added 1 ADU (2
are allowed) it would produce nearly 170,000 extra, smaller, more affordable homes and have far less
long-term impact on existing zoning, infrastructure and single family neighborhoods.
Don't read aloud (Supporting Data: It's difficult to pinpoint the exact number of single-
family homes in Washington state with precise data. However, based on available
information, here's a breakdown):
• Total Residential Properties:
As of April 22, 2025,ATTOM reports a total of 2,527,195 residential properties in
Washington, of which a total of 1,698,275 are Single Family as reported by
Construction Coverage, equaling 67.2 %.
It seems this would solve a chunk of the `housing crisis' for: the elderly wanting to age in place, for
young adults who were working on their education or not quite ready to buy their first home, or to add
a rental income stream for the main property owner while meeting the needs for more affordable
rentals. But obviously, it will NOT meet the needs of the earlier stated 1.1 million undocumented
immigrants in Washington State that have increased the demand for `Affordable'housing to the MAX.
Also as stated earlier, when I first started this research, I thought the Large, Powerful PACs were the
powers behind HB1110. But as I researched, I found that they were possibly just, as named by me,
Suckerfish attached to a much larger and MUCH more powerful force that we named the THE
WHALE last time. Whales are the largest mammal on earth, and to survive they consume an immense
amount of smaller fish and food... constantly!
Could it be that the ADU laws weren't Fast enough or Lucrative enough for the powerful and
influential PACs we talked about last time (Bankers, Realtors, Home Builders, etc.) and their more
powerful WHALE? The `problem'with the ADU laws was that they left zoning
untouched. If you want Fast and Lucrative,you need Multi-family
ZONING that allows massive amounts of RENTAL units and hence
massive income.
Good Evening, I'm , a citizen of Yakima.
To continue - Here are some facts about Multi-family housing:
■ AI: So what type of rental property is most profitable?
• Generally, multi-family properties (duplexes, triplexes, apartment buildings) are
considered the most profitable rental property type. They offer higher cash flow potential
due to multiple units generating income, and usually have lower building costs per unit
compared to individual single-family homes
• Multifamily Households Reach a Record High By Chandan Economics January 16,
2024
• 47.1% (nearly half) of rental households live in multifamily properties, making
multifamily the predominant rental property type.
• Annual household growth (8.6%) in large multifamily properties was the fastest growth
of all types of rental housing...
• Q4 2024 U.S. multifamily market overview: 34.7% of total RE sales activity has been
allocated for multifamily assets, outpacing ALL OTHER Real Estate product types...
So what/who is the WHALE? If you did your reading from the Dept. of Commerce (Unit Lot
Subdivision Fact Sheet Draft) telling the city planning departments how to further subdivide a Single
Family parcel, normally containing one home, into parts containing 4 homes (for cities the size of
Yakima), you many have noticed this very telling statement under the section titled: TIMING:
"For example, the owner of an existing detached single-family residence could use a
unit lot subdivision to sell their backyard TO A `DEVELOPER' who
then builds an accessory dwelling unit or duplex (or triplex) on one unit lot, while the owner
retains ownership of the existing residence on another unit lot."
I believe, in reality, the State expects very few individual homeowners to split up THEIR yards and put
a Triplex on it. For a HUGE percentage of Americans, their home is their primary and only nest egg.
They don't have the cash or credit to get a construction loan to build a triplex in their backyard, even if
the law allows them to.
if someone offers them cash for their yards they may have MANY reasons to sell! According
to this quote from the Commerce draft publication, they believe 'Developers'will be the builders
for most of the `Affordable' multi-family housing being built under the new laws.
I've attached a Seattle Times article from late March of this year that states that even some more
Liberal Seattle City Council members are having a tough time understanding this...it's worth the
read.
I've also attached an add from a Real Estate Education firm that is starting to recruit Realtors to act
on these new laws...so the locusts are being unleashed!
So, to end tonight: Who are these Developers? Or more importantly, Who
owns the Developers? THE WHALE - Institutional
investors/Wall Street
...still for next time!
Legislature is leading WA's housing policy. That
isn't sitting right in Seattle
March 28, 2025 at 6:00 am Updated March 28, 2025 at 6:00 am
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Mayor Bruce Harrell has proposed 30 "neighborhood centers" where low-rise apartment buildings
would be allowed near commercial areas, such as Maple Leaf. (Steve Ringman/The Seattle Times,
2021)
By
David Kroman
Seattle Times staff reporter
When it comes to housing, Seattle City Council member Cathy Moore thinks of herself as an "old-
fashioned Democrat."
To her, that means government should take the lead on funding affordable homes for its residents. She
has been the member of the council most vocally questioning Mayor Bruce Harrell's proposed
comprehensive plan, which would bring the city in line with state housing mandates—and add a little
more density in some areas. (LOL!)
Moore at times struggles to understand the push from some of her fellow Democrats in the Washington
state Legislature toward empowering private developers as the path toward cheaper housing—by way
of zoning reforms, changes to parking rules and added state oversight.
Seattle City Council member Cathy Moore, District 5, speaks in Seattle City Hall council chambers
shortly before Mark Solomon is sworn in as a temporary replacement for former council member
Tammy... (Ellen M. Banner/The Seattle Times)
"Suddenly, now Democrats are big fans of developers, and that was really never the case," she said.
"And I remain puzzled by that."
It's that kind of mentality that mobilized Jessica Bateman, a Democrat from Olympia, who has
successfully led the Legislature in housing policy that for years had been driven by local government.
She's one of the chief architects of the 2023 law requiring jurisdictions to allow fourplexes or sixplexes
throughout their city and this year is championing policies to roll back parking requirements, allow for
more development near transit and give the state stronger oversight of local housing policies.
Where the state for many years had relinquished its authority to drive housing policy, "we've since
taken that back in a number of situations," Bateman said.
It's a shift born out of widespread housing shortages and frustration with the pace of action at the local
level, as data continues to show housing costs rising where supply has lagged and plateauing or even
falling where supply has increased.
Compared with even five years ago, the housing center of gravity in Washington has shifted to
Olympia, where bipartisan momentum for more and faster development has accelerated.
For state lawmakers like Bateman, it's a needed redirection of a process that's been bogged down by
the crush of feedback that follows—and sometimes kills—any new housing conversation.
For local elected officials like Moore, the new dynamic is a tightrope walk between the demands of her
constituents and the requirements of the state.
She supports new density, she said, and understands that the state has a role to play in housing policy.
But as she bears the wave of backlash that may not always reach state legislators, Moore has warned of
policies that could be "shoved down our throat" by the state.
Ground-level opposition
In 2015, then-Mayor Ed Murray briefly proposed changing Seattle's zoning laws to allow for at least
duplexes and triplexes in every neighborhood. The proposal, unveiled right before a City Council
election, ran into intense opposition and was quickly dropped.
Pro-density advocates noted the swift defeat of what they saw as a modest change and began shifting
their strategy. The Sightline Institute, among the most well-recognized pro-housing development
organizations, largely gave up on lobbying at the local level and instead focused on the state.
"The politics at the local level make it difficult to do land use changes," said Dan Bertolet, housing
researcher for Sightline. "People come to City Hall and yell at you if you're an elected official who
wants to do that."
In the years since, the need for more housing has become even clearer. Seattle needs an estimated
112,000 homes in the next 20 years just to keep pace.As housing costs continued to climb, pressure—
both nationally and locally—to build more has heightened.
But as Seattle charts its housing path, city leaders continue to encounter much of the same opposition
as it did in 2015.
Since Harrell released his more detailed plan, public pushback has grown. The bulk of the plan is based
on bringing Seattle into compliance with state law by allowing up to six units on lots within residential
neighborhoods. Harrell's major addition to the state plan was to propose 30 "neighborhood centers"
where low-rise apartment buildings would be allowed near commercial areas, such as Maple Leaf or
Madison Park.
Residents of neighborhoods like Montlake and Greenwood have written petitions seeking to strike their
nearest neighborhood centers from the plan. Several groups have filed formal appeals to how the city
studied the possible impacts of such development.
On the campaign trail, Moore came out in favor of the highest-density option for the city's growth plan.
She also said she supported a Bateman bill allowing more housing in formerly single-family
neighborhoods.
Now, as Moore hears strong opposition from some of her constituents to some parts of the plan,
particularly regarding the neighborhood center in Maple Leaf, she's taken a more skeptical posture.
She's receptive to her constituents' concerns and wishes local representatives in the Legislature heard
more of what she heard.
"They don't necessarily have the same pressures, they don't necessarily have the same facts on the
ground," she said.
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Everything Real Estate Agents Need to Succeed with Middle
Housing and ADUs
Change is coming to communities across Washington State. In
2023, Washington State passed House Bills 1337 and 1110,
also known as the Middle Housing (duplexes, triplexes,
cottages, and more) and Accessory Dwelling Unit (ADU) bills. ' •
n
Their passage is already disrupting real estate markets across
the state. Real estate agents are beginning to get calls from
clients asking questions like, "How much is an ADU
worth. o r "My neighborhood is being rezoned to al/ow a
fourplex on my property. Do you know anything about that?"or
even, 'I got a call from a developer who wants to buy my
properly. Should I sell?"
Real estate agents have to know the answers to theses
questions - NOW. Most managing and designated brokers •
aren't talking enough about it in their sales meetings. The few half-day classes out there
barely scratch the surface.
Agents who don't take the time to learn how this complex topic is changing the way we
value, market, and sell real estate will be left behind.
So, aside from doing hours of research yourself, how are you going to get the training
you need AND gain an edge?
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IDDLE HOUSING
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Htg Re21 Estate iy'nts Need to know About
MkI.k Iloi I.ng and AI)t
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The Middle Housing Resource Center is your ticket to learning
about this pivotal topic.
_lust look at some of the CC
HB 1337 Deep Dive
HB 1110 Deep Dive
Valuing a Property with an ADU
Marketing a Property with an ADU
Finding a Property with Middle Housing Potential
Valuing a Property with Middle Housing Potential
An.n MANY Mnr,r
- - ADi • • Middle s. # 416 _, - 6
Weekly updates on Middle Housing through-out Washington State.
Your ADU and Middle Housing Questions - answered!
Resources for staying on top of your Middle Housing game.
The Weekly Report is Free!
GET THE FREE
REPORT
first issue starts mid-May
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Additional guidelines for addressing the City Council are on the reverse side of this form. Directrices
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Please note that the Council meeting is being televised on Y-PAC, cable channel 194. Tenga en cuenta
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When addressing the City Council, state your name and whether you live inside or outside City of
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Please note that the Council meeting is being televised on Y-PAC, cable channel 194. Tenga en cuenta
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