Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Housing topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Developer outlines regenerative demonstration housing plan in Vashon Town; says project aims for net-positive water and energy
Summary
Developer Morgan Brown presented a proposed regenerative demonstration project in Vashon Town intended to test living-building standards, net-positive water/energy and mixed-use housing; Brown cited voluntary affordability targets and said the demonstration ordinance would not increase permitted unit counts but could allow regulatory adjustments for green standards.
Morgan Brown, founder of Whole Water Systems and the project developer, presented a draft regenerative demonstration project included in the King County comprehensive-plan materials that would sit on largely multifamily-zoned land near 178th and 103rd in Vashon Town.
Brown said the demonstration project "is to determine whether innovative permitting processing, site development, and building construction techniques can facilitate development that goes beyond sustainability and results in significant community and environmental benefits, including net positive energy and water use." He explained the ordinance allows requests to adjust regulations that impede such high performance but does not automatically increase allowed-unit counts or change base zoning.
Brown described voluntary affordability commitments: he proposed that 10% of for-sale residential units be placed into a community land trust at 80% of area median income (AMI), at least 15% of rental units be affordable at 80% AMI, and that many rental units be targeted at workforce housing (Brown cited a goal of 70% or more of rentals oriented to workforce households). He acknowledged those numbers are voluntary targets, not requirements of the demonstration-ordinance framework.
On scale and zoning, Brown said the assembled parcels carry base allowances of roughly 95–100 residential units and higher maximums cited in the comp-plan materials (he mentioned maximums of 143 and up to 200 in different mixed-use calculations); he also said any buildout would be phased. Attendees asked about water supply and water shares; Brown said the living-building approach emphasizes onsite water capture, reuse and returns to aquifers and that the team had acquired additional water shares as insurance but that permits would deny construction if water needs could not be met.
Council members and residents raised transportation and parking concerns for 100–200 units, including traffic loads on 178th and Bank Road; Brown said the project would prioritize walkability, shared vehicles and design strategies to limit car trips but conceded infrastructure impacts would need detailed study with county transportation and permitting staff. Brown also committed to share an FAQ and further details with the affordable-housing committee and the council.
No permit was sought or approved at this meeting; Brown’s presentation was informational and intended to elicit community feedback before formal permitting steps with King County.
