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Resident urges council to reject DDA for 230 Main Avenue, cites parking, height and affordability concerns
Summary
A North Bend resident told the council she supports affordable housing broadly but opposed deviations proposed in the development agreement for 230 Main Avenue, criticizing a 50% reduction in parking, a three-story height proposal and concerns that 60% AMI rents would not be affordable locally.
Jenny Hennessy used her three-minute public-comment slot on Nov. 4 to urge the City Council to reject the proposed development agreement (DDA) for an affordable-housing project at 230 Main Avenue. Hennessy said she supports affordable housing in principle but objected to requested deviations from North Bend code on parking and height and questioned whether “60% of AMI” in King County produces rents affordable to seniors and local workers.
Hennessy said the proposal would reduce parking by roughly 50% compared with city code; she cited an example figure in the proposal of about 20 parking spaces for a 40-unit building and said that is unrealistic given multiple-vehicle households in the area. She also said a proposed three-story building would obstruct mountain views and change the town's character. "That's not what I'm here for today, but I agree with Michael's comments," Hennessy said, referencing the prior speaker's concerns about Truck Town; she asked the council to adhere to current parking and height standards.
What happened at the meeting
- Public comment only: no council action or vote on the 230 Main Avenue DDA was recorded at the Nov. 4 meeting. - Concerns raised: 50% parking reduction, 3-story height, 60% AMI rent levels in King County (speaker cited an example of $1,800 for a one-bedroom and said that would not be affordable for seniors or some local workers).
