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Dear Greg, heidi and kate,
I try not to let my business life cross with my 'JC resident' life as much as possible, and I should probably let my wife read this before I send it... but I've absolutely lost patience
with this county and I need to vent. As you three well know, the SDR is the end result of your effort to kill the Dave Clarke development on Cape George rd. That development, which
would have (as we speak) been listing a new home every week for 350-400k and be located right beside the larry scott trail for easy access to town. We had 50 affordable modern homes
ready to go! You decided to enact the moratorium and kill the project to maintain the 'rural feel' of a property not 500' from the city line. Then, to make sure you quashed any other
affordable development in the county on buildable residential land, you decided to enact the SDR as a way to disqualify even more buildable, liveable parcels from development. Regardless
of how ridiculous an SDR would be in some instances...Now almost a year later, The SDR is becoming a huge burden on anyone who wants to build, buy or just use the property that they
own!
To be clear, you didn't open up MORE land to be built upon, you enacted a means to reduce the buildable land while slowing down the already slow process in place.
I was showing property to a 33 year old emergency room nurse yesterday. We went to see a 1992 347,000.00 Manufactured home <https://portal.onehome.com/en-US/share/1073509y84365> in
Towne Point. It was an abomination on a 4000sf lot. She said when we left ( I would be happy to give you her number if you'd like to speak with her) "As much as I like it here, I think
I'm going to have to move at the end of the year, I can't spend this much on so little". Well, Guess what? She could have had a new home on 1 acre off Cape George for 400k if you hadn't
decided that your pals who live close by need to maintain the 'rural feel'. You had the means to solve this problem right in front of you and you chose to win brownie points instead
of grease the skids and innovate.
I'm absolutely disgusted by some of the county commissioners. Talking a whole lot about affordable housing solutions- (as though a young professional wants to live in a habitat for humanity
home) while at the same time managing to do nothing but stifle growth, development and prosperity. Affordable housing at any cost... as long as we don't use manufactured homes, or build
anywhere near existing homes, or use land that perks perfectly for septic and has PUD water and Public Transport in front of it... that has trees... or frogs or... or... or... It's
obscene and I firmly believe that in 10 or 20 years people will look back in shame at what you've done here in the past few years. It would be laughable if you hadn't permanently altered
the very nature of this county already.
Another 'for instance'; My friend Gus who lives on Hastings is building an unheated workshop on his 4 acre parcel. His home is on this same property that he's raised his kids on- a nice,
permitted home... Well, Get this! He had to do an SDR in order to build a shop on HIS OWN PROPERTY WHERE THE HOUSE IS!!! This honestly seems criminal. Now he's been waiting 3 months
for the SDR just so he can build a simple covered structure to work in at his own residence. He's running out of time to use his loan and for what social benefit to the county? $800.00
in fee revenue? I Say B.S.!!! What in the world are you thinking!?
I've got a half dozen more stories. We need homes and we need to find ways to open up development instead of bending over backwards to remove developable parcels from the county tax
roll. We need some damn leadership!
Sincerely,
Jim Fox, (Lifelong Democrat!)
__________________________
Jim Fox
Windermere Port Townsend
1220 Water Street
Cell- (360)531-3201
Fax (360)385-9345 <tel:%28360%29385-9345>
jimfoxrealtor@gmail.com <mailto:jimfoxrealtor@gmail.com>
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