New development: Laurelon is currently considering a substantial buyout package from the Hospital, so the number of Laurelon residents opposed to HB3071 has significantly decreased (Seattle PI and Seattle Times). At the request of a Laurelon resident engaged in these new negotiations, we have removed the Action Alert on HB3071 from the top of this site.
Nevertheless, we bring you one Laurelhurst neighbor's personal opinion on HB3071:
HB3071 is bad public policy because it gives developers an unnecessary leg up against homeowners. It lets a developer take over a pre-1990 condo complex after obtaining permission from only 80% of residents. Would you want your neighbor (the one who signed up for a huge mortgage than he can't afford) deciding whether you have to sell your home (the one you finally paid off after years of thrift)?
Yes, Laurelon residents should be free to negotiate with the Hospital and must be well-compensated for the loss of their homes, if they choose to accept an offer.
However, HB3071 would lower the bar for all developers and take away important protections for a much larger group of home owners than just Laurelon residents. What might the Hospital's offer have looked like if the threshold for takeover of Laurelon had stood at 80% instead of 100%?
Food for thought: HB3071 would help the Hospital eliminate over 20% of the moderately priced housing units in Laurelhurst/Sandpoint. If HB3071 makes it easier for developers to buy out older condo complexes, could other neighborhoods face similar losses of housing? How often do developers replace moderately-priced housing with expensive housing? Hmmm...
