Affordable housing not a NIMBY issue | LETTER TO THE EDITOR

Published 10:35 am Sunday, February 28, 2016

To the editor:

Why is it people are “in support” of affordable housing, but believe there must be a better location for it than next to their neighborhood? Imagine if everyone felt this way. Where would we build? Believing in affordable housing requires making a commitment as a community.

Take the proposed Suzuki development now under review by the city council. Multiple individuals, some neighbors, some not, have said they believe in housing but just not at Suzuki. They state, “There must be a better place.”

Suzuki is that place. This property was identified over a decade ago as a potential opportunity for affordable housing by our city. The very reason the city requested proposals is due in large part that our community continues to identify affordable housing as a top priority.

I think it is worth taking a look at these proposals and see for yourself the scale of the proposed development compared to the adjacent neighborhoods, including Commodore. I believe you will see the proposed solutions are compact and sensible, and will protect large portions of the site, including mature tree stands.

The approach to Suzuki is a sustainable way to look at creating neighborhoods, one which requires balancing the protection of our land as well as protecting the diversity our community.

I say, let’s move from saying “not in my back yard” to “yes” on my Bainbridge Island.

CHARLES WENZLAU

Bainbridge Island