Residents say sidewalk and permitting rules make single-family housing harder; council hears concern about housing mix

Multiple speakers raised housing-related concerns during public comment, telling the council that permit rules and project requirements are discouraging single-family development and making housing costs harder to manage for working residents.

Local business owner and resident Steve Palleo said the city issued only 12 single-family dwelling permits in 2024—down 50% year-on-year in his summary of 15 years of data—and warned that prioritizing multifamily and affordable rental housing without supporting single-family options could deepen economic differences with neighboring cities. “Port Angeles needs all types of housing,” Palleo said, adding that the city’s housing-action planning appears to focus on lower-income brackets while nearby communities continue to add single-family stock.

Resident Tara Arns described a development experience at 1126 West Lauridsen Boulevard where the city’s requirement for sidewalks triggered a need for an engineer-designed stormwater plan and raised costs. Arns said she opted for a smaller manufactured home to afford the sidewalks and that she now faces paying utilities on an undeveloped lot; she asked the city to permit appeals or variances where the comprehensive plan is not practical for working-class buyers.

Speakers asked the council to review how permitting rules, sidewalk requirements and grant-eligibility criteria affect small-scale owners and working households and to consider more flexible appeal or variance pathways. The council did not take formal action on these comments during the meeting; the remarks were entered into the public record for staff follow-up.