A massive #housing development in Washington DC, applied for in 2014, has cleared its final appeal. The project will create needed housing options in that metro area, but those who appealed the development argued (in part) it would displace too many existing residents.
Could this be a preview of the next frontier of growth management battles in the region around Seattle? Absolutely.
Adoption of VISION 2050 last fall by the Puget Sound Regional Council established multi-county planning policies for the area’s counties and cities, requiring new land use goals and policies be added to address displacement of existing residents.
Those local policies are now being drafted and will impact the required comprehensive plan updates in 2024, exacerbating the challenge for cities and counties across the region struggling with how to create more density and affordability, but also limit displacement and make little (if any) changes to the areas where urban growth is allowed. #landuse #landuseplanning
Land use projects can expect a greater range of future legal fights, which regionally will slow housing creation, constrain the existing inventory, and inflate housing prices.