City Councilors voted 4-2 to move forward with a development agreement for the Weaver Creek housing development, including an average of 1.2 parking stalls per dwelling during the Battle Ground City Council meeting on Monday, Aug. 5.
The Vancouver Housing Authority (VHA) Weaver Creek property site’s development agreement will allow the VHA to apply for a site-plan review with the planning department. In June, the council approved the Daybreak Commons project concept, which will bring 100 housing units, comprising 12 studio apartments, 72 one-bedroom units and 16 two-bedroom units. VHA CEO Andy Silver expects the complex to assist residents below the poverty line, according to previous reporting by the Reflector.
At least one councilor expressed concerns about the total parking spots proposed and fire access. VHA is proposing Daybreak Commons offer 122 parking stalls total for 100 units.
Battle Ground City Councilor Shane Bowman shared frustrations and concerns to Sam Crummett, Battle Ground Community Development planning supervisor, that the site development allows VHA to reduce the number of parking spaces to 1.2 stalls per housing unit. City code, however, would require the development to have 150 parking stalls, or 1.5 stalls per housing unit.
To accommodate 1.5 parking stalls per housing unit, the project would have to cut 18 housing units from the site plan.
Bowman said by cutting the number of parking spaces permitted, that would encourage street parking in an already-crowded area and, perhaps, prevent access to fire department vehicles.
Bowman referenced the parking problem along Southwest 15th Avenue, just west of the Alder Pointe Apartments in southwestern Battle Ground, as an example where street parking is difficult to find because of too few parking spaces at the complex. He anticipates this could cause a problem for a fire apparatus to access that development and doesn’t want to see that happen at Daybreak Commons.
Bowman expressed further concern that the development’s parking bleed over will prevent ladder truck access if a fire were to occur.
City Councilor Victoria Ferrer said she was comfortable with the parking lot totals after exploring the proposed usage for some of the housing. She said the two-bedroom units still would accommodate 1.5 parking stalls per unit, while studios and one-bedroom units would receive one stall under the proposal.
She said, while she was initially concerned at the numbers VHA presented, she remembered that 10% of the units would be for school homelessness issues and another 10% for intellectual and developmental disabilities.
“So that might decrease some of the need for parking there alone,” Ferrer said. “So, even if we wanted the 150, dropping that down to 140 may not be needed, plus another 12 for single bedrooms, which would drop us down to 128, comfortably. And then, not every one-bedroom would be needing two vehicles, especially since this is a low-income [development of] 60 percent AMI (area median income).”
The site plan is located on the 4.37-acre Weaver Creek property, situated approximately 20 acres west of Southeast Grace Avenue. Originally, the agreement called for 80 low-income housing units, but the site plan was updated to allow for 100 last year, which required further council approval.
Under the state’s Growth Management Act (GMA), Battle Ground must approve a plan to zone future housing and employment needs based on the county’s estimation. In March, county staff presented the City Council with an early projection, suggesting that the city prepare housing units for 3,000 future residents making below the area’s median income.
The development plan will now go to the city’s Planning Department and fire marshal for review.
