Editor:

Bills were introduced in last year’s legislative session around issues of land use, zoning, and housing.  When these ill-advised bills were defeated, the sponsors said they would be back this year. A half a dozen bills are before the legislature now that are extreme and draconian and that would revamp land use and zoning statewide. They propose unworkable solutions to problems not anticipated in Edmonds until at least 2035 to meet GMA growth goals, and not resulting in affordable housing.

The Alliance of Citizens for Edmonds has created a petition on Change.org to counter these bills. ACE invites and encourages people to review and sign the petition. When the Edmonds Citizens Housing Commission surveyed citizens circa 2020, it was clear that three-quarters of citizens do not favor rampant growth that will result from a group of proposals like these. There is a surprising disconnect between the wishes of the electorate and the intentions of their elected representatives. ACE wants to remind Olympia of voters’ priorities via many signatures on this petition.

The petition is entitled Oppose Takeover of Residential Zoning by Washington State and can be found at this link: https://chng.it/JTpwhDzDjQ

These bills could result in the following, if approved:

– Usurp local land use/zoning decisions, eliminate single-family residential zoning by the State.

– Allow splitting single-family lots into two, doubling residential density.

– Expand exponentially detached ADUs, “allowing at least two on all lots.”

Please visit the petition and sign!

Larry Williamson
Alliance of Citizens for Edmonds Board
aceedmonds.org