VMICC Land Use & Natural Resources Committee Meeting
 May 15, 2002 at McMurray Middle School Library


Attendees: Pat Booth, Enid Dolstad, John Gerstle (Chmn), Sam Hendricks

Discussion with Sam Hendricks, Director of Vashon HouseHold on affordable housing

Sam provided a brief history and description of Vashon HouseHold (VH) activities. Over the past 12 years, VH has provided over 100 small loans to low and moderate income islanders. In addition to the five homes built in the Vashon Cohousing project on Bank Road, VH manages the Charter House, nine subsidized apartments for low income seniors and people with disabilities, and is moving forward on the J.G. Commons Senior Housing Project, a planned 21 unit apartment project for low income seniors and the Roseballen Community Land Trust, which will provide 19 single family homes .

The Roseballen homes will be partly owner built (60% sweat equity) and will be clustered on 3 acres of a 19 acre parcel so that most of the land will be preserved for open space and small scale farming. Homeowners and farmers will lease the land. There are 110 families on the waiting list for these homes. Construction is expected to start this year.

The J.G. Commons project ( named for Joy Goldstein and Grace Crecelius) will be built within walking distance of Vashon  town center. Ground breaking is expected soon. There are 45 Vashon seniors on the waiting list.

There are other projects in planning stages, including the Sunflower Land Trust, which could provide up to 8 homes close to the town center and possibly use of some of the old Vashon Elementary School for low income housing.

Sam said that the VH Board feels that the future of affordable housing on Vashon lies in scattered housing and that they are seeking people who are willing to donate homes.

Change of Chairperson: John said that he has been serving as chair for 3 years and since the Vashon-Maury Island Community Council (VMICC) by-laws call for a 2 year limit he would like to be replaced. Pat Booth said that he is the newly appointed VMICC representative to the committee and is willing to serve as the new chair, upon confirmation by the VMICC

Next Meeting: TBD.  The Committee, rather than meeting monthly, will continue to meet only when there are timely issues of sufficient interest.

The meeting was adjourned at 9:00 pm.