As Redmond’s population grows, Mayor John Marchione has often voiced his desire to concentrate urban development in the Downtown and Overlake areas, so that outlying neighborhoods will be less dense and retain their character.

Yet some Viewpoint citizens are worried that a proposed Idylwood Innovative Housing development, at 17259 NE 36th St., will disturb the character of their quiet neighborhood and create safety, environmental and parking problems for longtime residents.

POTENTIAL OVERCROWDING

The main concern, for neighbors Athena Rospo, Debbie Beye and Kurt and Denise Glaser, is that the 0.85 acre site, currently occupied by one house, could soon be home to many as nine families with as many as 18 cars.

The building applicant, Rob Gunther, is proposing seven detached homes that are each 1,545 to 1,600 square feet in size, along with two 700 square-foot accessory dwelling units (ADUs), sometimes known as “mother-in-law” dwellings, over garages in a “carriage unit” style.

Because the property backs up to a wetland, a buffer is required — approximately 15 to 20 percent of the property, which further reduces the amount of space for actual buildings and driveways.

Of the neighbors who shared concerns with the Reporter, among the most dramatically affected would be Rospo, whose family lives directly next to the proposed building site.

Parking stalls would closely face her living room and a bedroom in her home, creating noise, pollution and headlight glare. In addition, Rospo is fearful that icy conditions or a careless driver could cause a car to crash into her house or her yard.

Storm water drainage has already been an ongoing problem for Rospo and her downhill neighbors. Removing vegetation at the proposed construction site could greatly exacerbate flooding and have a negative impact on wildlife in the creek behind the site, they said.

“The grass and roots, now, are absorbing run-off,” said Rospo. “They say, ‘We’re going to use experimental methods,’ to mitigate run-off, but how do we know how those will work?”

On-street parking on in their neighborhood is already at a premium, added Rospo, Beye and the Glasers. When cars are parked along the curb, the street is narrow and difficult to navigate, especially for school buses and garbage trucks. The situation worsens in the summer when visitors to Idylwood Park look for extra parking on adjacent streets. Guests of the residents at the Idylwood Innovative Housing development would likely be parking up and down the street, too.

And also with regard to garbage trucks, these neighbors are concerned about the number of trash and recycling containers which will be lined up in front of the property if the Innovative Housing development is built.

WHAT IS “INNOVATIVE HOUSING?”

According to Sarah Stiteler, a senior planner for the City of Redmond, the Innovative Housing Demonstration Program was established by ordinance in 2005 for a three-year period. It was extended by the Redmond City Council in August 2008, with the provision that it would “sunset” after five projects were built and/or not exceed an additional time period of five years. The Idylwood project would be the fourth.

Programmatic goals, as stated in the city’s Innovative Housing Ordinance (2409) are to:

• Increase housing supply and the choice of housing styles available in the community.

• Promote housing affordability and greater choice by encouraging smaller and more diverse home sizes and mixes of income levels.

• Promote high-quality design.

• Allow flexibility in site and design standards while promoting projects that are compatible with existing single-family developments.

• Help identify a work plan and any zoning code amendments that are necessary to support the development of innovative housing choices within single-family neighborhoods in Redmond.

More information about Innovative Housing is available on the city’s Web site at http://www.redmond.gov/insidecityhall/planning/compplanning/innovations.asp

WHO WILL DECIDE?

Referring to city officials, Denise Glaser expressed frustration, noting, “They say ‘high-density neighborhoods must fit into the character of the existing neighborhood.’ But who is defining the character? They say they will hire design architects to determine that — they’re not asking the people who live here.”

In an e-mail to the Reporter, another neighbor, Tanya Hankins, agreed, “The questions become what is the real purpose behind this particular project and does it outweigh the interests of the Viewpoint community? This is a community that is so against this project.”

Hankins stated, as did Rospo, Beye and the Glasers, that an overflow crowd of Viewpoint residents attended a July meeting at Redmond City Hall to air their concerns about the Innovative Housing proposal. Stiteler confirmed that at least 60 people attended that meeting.

After that meeting, according to Stiteler, the applicant was given 90 days to resubmit a proposal for Review Panel consideration and he did, in fact, submit that on Oct. 9.

But according to Rospo, Beye and the Glasers, they were not adequately notified about an August meeting with the building applicant.

Stiteler said the city followed proper procedures, by posting legal notices in the Seattle Times and at the Redmond Regional Library.

Rospo, Beye and the Glasers said they expected to receive mailings from the city, as well as announcements in the Redmond Reporter.

We asked Stiteler about next steps and how the public could weigh in on the decision about the Idylwood Innovative Housing proposal.

Stiteler explained that “the Innovative Housing Ordinance calls for a Review Panel meeting to review the proposed project, not a public hearing. Of course, all meetings of an ordained body are open to the public. Although the ordinance is silent on this issue, we believe that the public should be able to make comments about the project at the Review Panel meeting.”

At least one and possibly two Review Panel meetings will be held in November and about half the time will be apportioned to public comment, Stiteler said.

The meeting date(s) have not yet been announced. The Innovative Housing Review Panel is expected to review the proposal within the next six weeks or by Nov. 20, said Stiteler.

The panel will decide whether to authorize the applicant to proceed with a land use entitlement application and the panel’s authorization can be appealed to the City Council.

Citizens with questions or comments about the proposed Idylwood Innovative Housing development and those who wish to be notified of meetings, should contact Sarah Stiteler at sstiteler@redmond.gov or (425) 556-2469.