Council asks for more information after Housing Authority of Snohomish County seeks authority to operate and buy Lake Apartments

City Administrator Deborah Knight briefed the Monroe City Council on July 15 about a request from the Housing Authority of Snohomish County (HASCO) to be authorized to operate within Monroe city limits in order to acquire a multi‑building apartment property on Blueberry Lane (identified in HASCO materials as the Lake Apartments or Lakeview Apartments).

Knight said HASCO is an independent housing authority organized under RCW 35.82; the authority’s request requires that the city adopt a declaration of need under RCW 35.82.070 (subsection cited in the packet) to allow HASCO to exercise its powers for acquisition and management in Monroe. The property under a purchase‑and‑sale agreement is described in HASCO’s materials as roughly 10.33 acres with 112 multifamily units built in 2019; unit sizes range from one‑bedroom (~630 sq. ft.) to three‑bedroom (about 1,000+ sq. ft.), and HASCO materials cited advertised rents of roughly $1,850 to $2,500 per month.

Knight said HASCO’s stated objectives are to preserve current affordability (targeting that at least 50 percent of units be for households earning less than 80 percent of area median income), limit rent increases to inflation and operating costs, preserve existing tenants in place and, as vacancies occur, move toward the 50 percent‑at‑≤80% AMI target. HASCO also mentioned the possibility of future on‑site development, management offices and community amenities; Knight said any future development could require separate legislative or land‑use approvals such as comp‑plan or zoning amendments or SEPA review depending on scope.

Council members asked several follow‑up questions and asked staff to return with additional information before any authorization. Council Member Beaumont asked whether authorization could be limited only to the Lake Apartments parcel rather than granting broad operating authority in Monroe; staff committed to research whether the resolution could be tailored. Beaumont and others also raised traffic and neighborhood impact concerns at the Blueberry Lane/Kelsey area, noting the site is a busy corner and that any future development of roughly 50 additional units (a scenario cited in HASCO materials) could affect circulation.

Council Member Walker and Member Fisher expressed concern about ceding long‑term authority to an outside agency and asked for details about vouchers and who would be eligible; Administrator Knight clarified HASCO administers housing vouchers (Section 8 style rental assistance) countywide but that the current request was an operating/ownership authorization to acquire this property and not a separate proposal to start a new voucher program in Monroe. Council members asked staff to return with vacancy and turnover data for the property, the terms of HASCO’s purchase agreement, whether the city could limit authorization to the single property, and the traffic/transportation implications of potential future development.

Ending: Staff said it will follow up with the council, supplying comparative examples, vacancy/turnover statistics, the proposed purchase‑and‑sale terms as available in the due‑diligence period, and a recommendation on whether a site‑specific authorization is feasible. No formal action or vote was taken on July 15.