Kenmore planners outline anti-displacement options, debate mobile-home park preservation and STEP housing models

Kenmore, Wash. — The Kenmore Planning Commission on April 21 continued its update of the city's Housing Strategy Plan, pressing staff and consulting firm Arch on concrete steps to reduce displacement as the city increases housing density, and weighing whether to preserve, convert or phase redevelopment of manufactured-housing communities.

Todd Hall, principal planner for the city, opened the session and introduced Arch consultants Mike Stanger and Andrew Bjorn; Stanger told commissioners he plans to retire June 15 and said Arch will transition Bjorn into the project role. "My retirement date is June 15," Stanger said.

The commission prioritized two interlocking concerns: protecting residents of mobile-home parks and ensuring new affordable housing meets deep-need populations. Chair Banashinsky said Kenmore should "revisit our tenant protections" and consider options such as relocation assistance, community preference policies and community land trusts for mobile-home residents. "I was particularly interested in the relocation assistance that it mentions that Shoreline offers," Banashinsky said.

Why it matters: Kenmore's housing element directs higher density in parts of the city. Commissioners repeatedly flagged a tension between that goal and the risk of displacing long-term, lower-income homeowners who live in manufactured-home communities that often sit on leased land. Commissioners said the plan must address both preserving affordability and the practical limits of city authority over private lease and ownership arrangements.

Commissioner Van der Linde summarized a common view: "The best response to displacement is more homes," but he added cities the size of Kenmore must coordinate with neighboring jurisdictions and programs to create placement and mitigation options. Other commissioners urged the commission to explore phased redevelopment that would give existing residents priority access to units in new buildings and consider expanding the legal definition of manufactured housing to include modern modular units.

Arch staff and commissioners discussed the core economic drivers for manufactured-housing vulnerability: lack of land ownership and depreciation of units. Andrew Bjorn said land ownership is the primary pressure point and cited recent state reforms that affect where manufactured units can be sited; Arch described nonprofit and cooperative models that convert parks to more stable ownership structures but cautioned those approaches require substantial outside investment.

Commissioners also debated emergency and permanent supportive housing (STEP). Arch noted some providers successfully operate small-scale models that convert single-family homes into deeply affordable supportive units; commissioners questioned whether supportive services achieve economies of scale in small-scattered models versus clustered or campus-like configurations. "Any deeply affordable housing beats no housing every time," said Commissioner LaSalle, while also noting service logistics can favor clustered sites.

On community engagement, Vice Chair Dorian (via clerk) recommended contracting with Eastside for All to center renters, BIPOC residents and manufactured-home residents in codesign outreach. Commissioners stressed that engagement should be driven or coordinated by the city, not only the developer, and that expectations should be set clearly about what community input can and cannot change.

Implementation and monitoring came up repeatedly. Arch staff described how affordable units are monitored through covenants and annual reporting; they noted inclusionary zoning thresholds exist in Kenmore's code (for example, a 20-unit threshold in downtown residential zones) and explained how resale covenants limit future appreciation to preserve affordability.

What happened procedurally: The consent agenda moved by unanimous consent at the start of the meeting. There were no public comments.

What's next: Staff said the housing strategy discussion will return in May or June for continued work. Arch will remain the city's subject-matter expert while the team transitions; commissioners encouraged continued outreach to mobile-home residents and partner agencies.

Quotes pulled from the meeting: "We acknowledge that the city of Kenmore is situated upon the ancestral lands of the Snohomish, Snoqualmie, Selksewetl, Duwamish, Stillaguamish, Tulalip, Suquamish, Muckleshoot, and other tribes who are part of the Coast Salish peoples," Commissioner LaSalle read as the meeting's land acknowledgement. "My retirement date is June 15," Mike Stanger said when introduced. "The best response to displacement is more homes," Commissioner Van der Linde said during debate on mitigation strategies. "Rents that can be raised raised at 5% annually" (describing mobile-home park lot-rent practices), a point Arch staff reported hearing from residents.

The meeting adjourned at 9:14 p.m.