EVERETT — Concerned residents say the Park District apartments would become the tallest buildings seen between Seattle and Vancouver.
Fifteen stories would be taller than either the Tulalip Resort Casino or Providence Hospital. Those are 12 stories high.
But 15 stories here? At the former Baker Heights housing site a mile-and-a-half north of downtown Everett? Adding upwards of 3,640 more residents? The Delta Neighborhood’s leadership is petitioning city officials to commit to fixing deficits in local infrastructure to accommodate this level of growth before it approves the proposal. It also seeks services complementing the project are built, such as a library and a community center.
The Park District is mapped out as a mixed-use development of multiple buildings encompassing 16 acres.
The Everett Housing Authority is the developer. It is asking the city for a special overlay rezone to allow up to 15 stories for four of the buildings.
It’s “not a simple question of verticality,” Jason Morrow, Everett Housing Authority’s Chief Real Estate Officer, told the Tribune.
To enlarge the amount of civic space on the site, plus arranging parking and other elements, while retaining the density needed to have the project pencil out, the only way is up.
The plan includes a central square of open space.
The Everett Housing Authority introduced its request for 15 stories in the past few months. Prior plans had the tallest buildings at 10 and then 12 stories tall.
The city’s planning commission will hold a public hearing and vote at its Feb. 20 meeting that starts at 6:30 p.m. at 3002 Wetmore Ave., and the City Council will decide whether to follow the commission’s recommendation at the council’s March 6 meeting.
The Delta Neighborhood also will hear updates at its monthly neighborhood meeting Feb. 15 at 6:30 p.m. at 2710 14th St. inside Madrona Square, which incidentally was built as phase one of the Park District complex.
Current zoning restricts heights to four stories.
An alternative proposal within the newly released final environmental impact statement document asks for a set of buildings up to 10 stories tall to accomplish the same general density. A rezone would be needed to reach 10 stories, too.
If no rezone is approved, it would cap at 458 housing units with no retail
mixed-use, Morrow said.
Planning Director Yorik Stevens-Wadja said at November’s planning commission meeting that he supports the idea because it places growth outside of a major arterial.
The plan dedicates at least 139 of the up to 1,500 units as affordable housing to replace the 139 units lost when the former Baker Heights single-family houses were removed a few years ago.
Overall, the residences would be geared for multiple income levels.
It would also have retail spaces, a Bezos Academy school and a space for the YMCA, Morrow said. A 5,000-square-foot space for a new Everett Library branch is mapped in, but Morrow perceives the city won’t open a library branch considering it is in a budget crunch.
Current Delta neighbors are concerned by the height but also that the project continues to concentrate low-income residents in Delta.
“Our neighborhood isn’t being a ‘NIMBY,’ no, we support supportive housing,” resident Sonja Bodge said. “But we feel neglected and run over and it looks like more affluent neighborhoods can stave off affordable housing,” referencing how in 2020 the Port Gardner Neighborhood fought and won preventing a rezone to allow a housing project for homeless children in Everett Schools because the City Council disagreed with the location.
Delta’s neighborhood leadership say the area needs more infrastructure to handle more density, but they haven’t seen a commitment showing road improvements, parking improvements.
Responding to a statement the neighborhood issued, Morrow said “almost the entirety” of what Delta seeks are items directed at the city, not what the housing authority can do.
He objects that the neighborhood is using bulletpoints about deficits in city infrastructure as the argument basis to have city leaders refuse the additional building height.
Delta leaders mention wanting the adjacent Wiggums Hollow Park preserved. The Everett Housing Authority owns part of the park’s land.
Morrow called it a misconception the park will be developed upon.
“Absolutely not,” Morrow said. “We have never indicated that.”
Councilwoman Mary Fosse last week asked city planners to follow up with the neighborhood.
Council President Don Schwab said he wants “the scope of the project to be very narrow with what we finally approve.”
Those comments were during the city council meeting recorded here: https://www.youtube.com/live/
hQHA8L4dWzI?si=eqrbP8iO2tSfjBGM&t=4165
