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Port Townsend council rejects Affordable Hometown PT settlement offer, authorizes counterproposal and studies
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Summary
After public comment and extended debate about process and potential delays, the council voted to reject a settlement proposal from Affordable Hometown PT and empowered the city manager to present a counteroffer focused on market-tailored analyses, inclusionary zoning study and landlord-tenant protections.
Residents and housing advocates urged the council to take a cautious approach to a settlement offer from Affordable Hometown PT that seeks to resolve a Growth Management Hearings Board appeal of the recently adopted comprehensive plan.
A public commenter noted the hearing board’s Mercer Island decision and asked whether Port Townsend’s plan met the law’s requirements for planning across income bands; council members and staff debated whether the settlement proposal’s requirements — especially a full environmental impact statement proposed by petitioners — would delay affordable housing projects for years.
Council members discussed options including a counteroffer that would commit the city to targeted analyses (a land capacity revision, an inclusionary zoning market study tailored to Port Townsend, identification of funding sources and a landlord-tenant protection study) without locking the city into open-ended procedural requirements that could stall other work. One council motion formally rejected the AHT settlement offer dated 03/18/2026 and authorized the city manager to negotiate and present a counteroffer that included the studies and commitments described above.
The motion passed by voice vote. Councilors repeatedly stressed the need to pursue measures that are tailored to the local market and to avoid procedural steps that would delay near-term affordable housing efforts. Staff and council agreed that further public engagement and an open process should accompany any counterproposal.
