NEWS

Annexation Public Hearing - November 20, 5:30 pm, Grange Hall

Mark your calendar now! The Friday Harbor Town Council has set the date for the public hearing regarding the annexation of the Buck/Boreen property. 

It is critical that the Town Council hears from members of the public who are in support of this project. You can support our efforts by speaking at the hearing, explaining why this project is so important, and/or you can write a letter to the Town Council expressing your support. Letters should be sent to: Friday Harbor Town Council, PO Box 219, or e-mailed to:  towncouncil@fridayharbor.org. 

Key points about this project are that it will: 

• Dedicate 15.5 acres for permanently affordable homes 

• Expand the Town where growth should occur (in an Urban Growth Area) 

• Utilize the $1,125,000 in state grants that have been awarded for this project 

• Create a new, well-planned residential neighborhood 

• Use low impact development to conserve water and energy 

• Spread the costs of maintaining town infrastructure among more taxpayers 

• Help maintain a stable population of children living on the island, easing the burden on our financially strapped public school system 

• Create housing for a variety of income levels, from those in need of housing subsidies housing to those who can offord to pay market rates 

• Provide phased-in development over 10 to 20 years 

• Provide public pedestrian access from town to nearby park and beaches 

• Create a native landscape protection area 

• Contribute to a strong local economy by housing working islanders here, rather then exporting dollars for imported labor from the mainland. 

With your help, we can succeed in these efforts and strengthen our community for years to come!

THE COMMUNITY HOME TRUST ANSWERS THE TOUGH QUESTIONS ABOUT ANNEXATION:

Q. Does our community really need affordable home ownership?

A.  We are losing young families from our island at an astonishing rate, as can be evidenced by the struggling public school system.  We are also losing many of the workers who sustain our economy, because they can barely earn enough here to be able to cover their living expenses.  Would you want to live someplace where you were pretty certain that you would never have the chance to own your own home?  The Home Trust believes that hard-working people should be able to afford housing and still have enough money to pay for groceries and other basic necessities.  Our homes will sell for an average of $145,000 or less, allowing a diversified range of people to make a long-term commitment to our community.

Q. Aren’t there plenty of homes on the market now that are available to buy?

A.  None that are affordable to island workers earning average wages. Our qualified home-buyers could not afford ANY of the homes now on the market, even those at the lowest price of around $300,000.  Our homes are priced to be permanently affordable, allowing hard-working households home ownership with enough money left over for other basic expenses. 

Q. Why should the Town of Friday Harbor be party to a deal like this that will directly benefit members of the Buck family?

A. It is true that the Buck/Boreen family is likely to make money from developing their land, although with the economy as it is now, they are actually taking a risk in terms of both their ability to ultimately sell the residential lots that will be created, and the high cost of extending utilities into the property.  The three Buck siblings who currently own the land (and by the way, this branch of the family is NOT in the real estate business) have not only offered to sell one third of their property at a below-market rate in order to create a neighborhood including forever affordable homes, but will also be providing a public trail through the property and dedicating another five acres for open space and wildlife corridors.  This is truly a “win-win-win” situation: the Buck/Boreens win because they are getting the benefit of having their land annexed by the Town; the citizens of San Juan Island win because 15.5 acres of land will be forever dedicated to affordable home ownership; and the Home Trust wins because this amount of land will keep the supply of permanently affordable homes growing for decades to come.

Q. Is there any precedent for this kind of annexation?

A.  The Town has expanded its boundaries 11 times during its history.  Three major annexations occurred in the last 30 years, with Fox Hall being almost identical in size (47 acres). The 46.5-acre parcel that is currently under discussion is already surrounded by the Town boundaries on three sides and looks like a missing jigsaw puzzle piece that has been excluded from the Town. 

Q. Is it true that the Buck/Boreen annexation will cost Town residents an additional $53 million for infrastructure improvements [sewers, water pipes, stormwater systems, roads, etc.)? 

A. No! The just-completed study of the Town’s infrastructure capacity concludes that $53 million would cover all costs for a 243-acre expansion of the Town, assuming a doubling of the Town’s population over the course of the next 20 years.  Moreover, it has not been shown that development of the Buck/Boreen parcel will trigger any major utility upgrades (such as raising Trout Lake Dam.) 

Q.  Who will pay the cost of infrastructure in the Buck property annexation?

A.The Home Trust will pay for the installation costs of infrastructure on the 15.5 acres that is dedicated to affordable housing; the Bucks will pay the costs of infrastructure on the remaining 31 acres that they intend to develop. The Home Trust has already secured over $2 million in grant funding and private contributions to pay for the extension of utilities into its new neighborhood, sparing taxpayers from having to provide any of the development costs for this new neighborhood. 

Q.  Will annexation of the Buck/Boreen property force utility rates to go even higher for Friday Harbor citizens?

A. Currently the Town bills each property-owner on a pro rata share basis, meaning that the more people there are in the Town, the bigger base there is to spread the cost over. And hook-up fees alone from build-out of the Buck/Boreen parcel will eventually bring over $4 million to the Town in additional revenues.  Building permits will provide the Town with another significant source of revenue.

Q. What about studies showing that residential development always costs more than it collects in tax revenues? 

A. These studies frequently conclude that residential development requires more services than farmland, with the largest expenditures going towards public school systems. Since Friday Harbor schools are actually declining in enrollment, new residential growth might actually benefit the schools.  Furthermore, since Home Trust residents are already living on the island (we have a three-year residency requirement), they are already being provided with these services. 

Q. Why isn't it possible for the Town to annex only the small portion of the Buck property that is planned for affordable housing? 

A. The Buck siblings who own the land under discussion have offered a portion of that land for affordable housing on the condition that the entire parcel be annexed by the Town.  This annexation makes it financially feasible for them to sell the affordable housing portion to the Home Trust at a price that is significantly below market value. 

Q. There are still empty lots in Friday Harbor. Why not build on those instead of annexing more land?

A.  In order to keep our costs down, we need to be able to buy land at rates that are below market value.  And just as important, the land that we now have an option on is more beautiful and varied than any of the current lots in town. We’re really excited about working on this site, and working with the Bucks to create this wonderful new neighborhood of mixed income homes. 

Q. There are vacancies at low rent apartments in town. Aren’t these sufficient to meet our affordable housing needs?

 A. In general, these affordable apartments serve as temporary rentals for the people living there.  Individuals or families wanting to settle down typically look elsewhere for a place they can call “home” over the longer term.  This new neighborhood will create an opportunity for people interested in making a long-term commitment to the island; who want to put down roots, raise their children here, and otherwise contribute to our community.

Q. If the Town Council were to decide not to move ahead with this particular project, are there any other viable alternatives for affordable housing? 

A. Homes for Islanders provides an alternative mechanism for the creation of affordable housing, but their model can work for only a small portion of those people seeking affordable housing here.  It can be very difficult for a home-buyer who has a full-time job to commit to putting in the required 35 hours a week constructing their own home.  Asset limits for their required USDA mortgage are also extremely low, excluding many potential buyers. Furthermore, because Homes for Islanders allows re-sales with few restrictions, their homes may not remain permanently affordable, a fact that has already been demonstrated through re-sales.