Residents Oppose Housing Project

About 35 Dishman-Mica area residents turned out Thursday to protest an affordable housing project planned for their neighborhood.

They cited fears of property devaluation, neighborhood deterioration and increased traffic. Many disagreed with developer Jim Frank’s philosophy that mixed-income subdivisions, which include a wide range of home values, are good for a neighborhood.

“I don’t believe that philosophy at all,” said Bob Collins. “I’ll fight tooth and nail to keep the low income and apartments out.”

Frank, who is helping Northwest Regional Facilitators, a non-profit organization, plan the project, told residents it’s unrealistic to expect all new development in their neighborhood to consist of single-family homes on large lots.

“You’re lucky to have what you have, but nobody else can afford it,” Frank said. “The average family income in Spokane is about $30,000. All of those people have a need and right to own a home…”

Northwest Regional Facilitators hopes to build the development, called Dishman-Mica Village, on an 11-acre parcel south of 16th Avenue and just east of Dishman-Mica Road. It would consist of about 67 dwelling units, including single family homes and multi-family housing.

While the subdivision’s 33 houses haven’t been designed, Frank said they would probably range from $80,000 to $120,000 in value. They would be on small lots, measuring about 45 feet by 100 feet. Most of the units would be owner occupied, although some might be rentals.

The owner of a small parcel just to the west is planning an additional 76 multi-family units, Frank said.

Northwest Regional Facilitators held Thursday’s meeting to inform neighbors and collect input. It sent notices to more than 100 households within 400 feet of the proposed development.

The non-profit will seek plat approval, a zone change and permission from the county to create a homeowner’s association and build a small park. A public hearing has not yet been set.

While some residents remained staunchly opposed to the plan, others agreed to work with Frank and the non-profit to make the plans more palatable to the community.

Simply fighting it could backfire, said Mike Frucci. If this project fails, he said, the next plan could be worse.

“There’s every bit as good a chance that the whole lot will be apartments,” he said.

Frank assured the crowd that Dishman-Mica Village would not decrease the value of their property. He promised to give one resident a guarantee in writing.

“The intent here isn’t to create some kind of ghetto,” he said. “They are going to be houses for moderate- to low-income people.”

, DataTimes