The Council voted 9-0 this week to submit a plan to the federal government that would allow the city to redevelop the soon-to-be-closed Army reserve base at Fort Lawton adjacent to Discovery Park in the Magnolia neighborhood. If approved by the Department of Defense and the Department of Housing and Urban Development, 28 acres of Army property would be used for park land and for up to 216 units of housing, including both market-rate units and a maximum of 85 units dedicated to low-income, formerly homeless individuals.
Some in the Magnolia community have objected to this plan either because they want Fort Lawton incorporated into Discovery Park, because they object to low-income housing in their neighborhood, or because they believe the proposed density of the new development is too high. Others in Magnolia have worked with the city to refine the proposal more to their liking and now support it.
I've watched the public process carefully, read most all of the plan documents, and listened to hours of public testimony about the proposed plan. The plan we adopted on Monday is a good one. It correctly balances the need for low-income housing with wise development philosophy, resulting in a new mixed neighborhood where nearly two-thirds of new homes will be market-rate. It limits, consistent with city policy, the percentage of extremely low-income units to less than 20% of the Census Block. And, it is socially equitable. Every neighborhood in Seattle needs to do its part to help address our pressing need for workforce and low-income housing. This plan shows Magnolia is stepping up.