Affordable housing debate ignites as Hayden's expansion plans unfold
Planning and Zoning recommends approval for over 400 new units
The Hayden Planning and Zoning Commission agreed to recommend city council members approve a Planned Unit Development of 127 acres on Hayden Avenue east of Huetter and west of N. Carrington Street.
“All things considered, I think the properties should be developed,” Commissioner Keith Gibson said. “I don’t think it’s great that it would be developed with this many roofs: this many cars.”
If the city council ultimately approves the project it could add just over 400 single family and townhome units. The neighborhood would include 15 acres of park space and some light industrial space, and would be connected with green spaces throughout.
“I like what they’re trying to do with trying to bring in some affordable housing,” Commissioner Joel Johnson said. “The house that I currently live in, I couldn’t afford no matter how much I work. It took my grandmother passing away to be able to afford that house. I’d like to see this done. I don’t really recognize anywhere else in Hayden that has this. I don’t really see affordable housing in Hayden.”
The roughly 412 units would add up to about 3.12 homes per acre, which is under the maximum allowable 4 units per acre in Hayden city codes for residential zones.
“There is a need for affordable homes regardless of what the price point truly is,” Commissioner Brandon Bemis said.
The commissioners were not without their reservations. Concerns about growth, infrastructure and density were mentioned, particularly around traffic on Hayden Avenue before a roundabout is completed at Hayden Avenue and Ramsey or Atlas roads.
“It’s just more trips, more cars,” Commissioner Ben Prickett said. “I’ll just have to be mindful of that in ten years.”
Ultimately the commissioners recommended allowing the project to move forward.
Commissioner Mary Howard recently attended a Connect Kootenai seminar where presenters discussed the need for affordable housing in Hayden and Kootenai County, and what that will require from developers and landowners.
“I was really energized by some of the out of the box thinking on how to create housing options for people who actually live here and don’t just come to invest here,” Howard said. “But you have to start with a developer who’s willing to think outside the box and create a variety of housing choices like this development. I appreciate that they did not seek further density bonuses and they just went with what is. I don’t see this development to be driven by greed. I see it driven by ‘what does our community need?’”
The project was presented by Jeramie Terzulli of Olson Engineering.
“If we don’t provide that variety of housing in our community, we are going to export the next generation of Kootenai County residents and replace them with transplants,” Terzulli said. “As a community it is incumbent on us to try to look toward solutions for that.”
If the project is approved it could take between 6 and ten years to build, which could give the city time to complete some proposed road projects in the interim, like a roundabout.
The next step for the project will be to go to the council for public hearings and review for approvals. In following steps, commissioners can request conditions for approval or the city council members can ask for conditions, changes or revisions.
A likely condition will include infrastructure improvements like the widening of Hayden Avenue, City Engineer Rob Wright said.
The proposed site plans are still in early and conceptual drafts, but they can be viewed online at the city of Hayden’s website.
