JET CITY MAVEN - VOL. 3, ISSUE 4, APRIL 1999

Copyright 1999 Park Projects. Please feel free to use the article and photos below in your research. Be sure to quote the Jet City Maven as your source.

LETTER TO THE EDITOR: Are you listening, Mr. Steinbrueck?

While your article on City Councilman Peter Steinbrueck (see last issue) was very interesting, I would like you to know that I don't share the same respect for him.

As Chair of the City's Housing Committee, he was instrumental in getting an ordinance passed that would give homeowners that converted their homes to multifamily residences a 10-year moratorium on their property taxes.

There is a multifamily residence across from my home in Lake City. It is not only an eyesore because of its structure, filthy yard, and presence of old broken, down cars, but it has also had a constant revolving door of tenants one would not want for neighbors.

Just about every department of the City has been there, more than once, inspecting the property (Building Department) or the house itself (Public Health), or responding to 911 calls to break up fights.

I wrote to Peter Steinbrueck, noting how multifamily residence can be detrimental to a single-family residence zoned area, and voicing my concern that the City was just passing on its problem of not enough low-income housing to the citizens of Seattle.

With multifamily residences, the City does not have to spend the money to build the necessary housing for people in the low-income bracket.

I received no response from Mr. Steinbrueck - maybe it's because he doesn't have a multifamily residence across from his home in Haller Lake. I will hope someday he will, and I will hope it's worse than the one across the street from my home.

- DARLENE COX,

Lake City