The Battle Ground City Council approved future public hearings for two ordinances on Monday, Sept. 15, moving the stalled Eaton Park apartment project closer to construction.
The project would bring 95 new housing units to the city, with 20% reserved as affordable housing, priced for those making less than 80% of the area's adjusted median income. To facilitate the project's progress, the property will be designated as part of the city’s Residential Target Area, thereby making it eligible for the Multi-Family Tax Exemption (MFTE) program. The city council also seeks to amend the city code to allow a 12-year property tax exemption, up from the current eight-year option for the property.
“This would be two parts. This would actually update the Battle Ground municipal code language to include that residential target area parcel … as well as considering adding a tax exemption duration of 12 years,” Community Development Director Kristin Lehto told the City Council.
The MFTE program is designed to encourage developers to build housing in designated areas of a city by offering property tax exemptions in exchange for affordability requirements. By adding Eaton Park’s parcel into a Residential Target Area, the city is creating a pathway for the project to access those exemptions.
The council unanimously advanced both measures to a final reading scheduled for Oct. 20. If approved, the ordinances would open the door for Eaton Park to break ground after years of complications.
The project has faced repeated delays since it was first brought forward in 2023. At that time, council members rejected a request for an eight-year tax exemption, citing concerns about the potential loss of revenue for city services, such as police and fire. Although the developer offered to cover local fire levies, the council remained divided.
In 2024, the project resurfaced in partnership with the Vancouver Housing Authority, which would have provided an affordable housing component. That proposal also failed after councilors raised new concerns about the city’s reliance on tax exemptions. Following that setback, the developer, Principal Properties LLC, chose to move forward without the housing authority’s involvement.
