Cottage Housing Proposed for Ravenna PCC Site

One of the developers interested in purchasing the old Ravenna PCC site, Catapult Community Developers, came to the Sept. meeting of the Ravenna-Bryant Community Association to explain their idea. The board members thought it interesting and potentially beneficial to our neighborhood. We would like your opinion about it; please reply to this note if you have the time and interest and let us know what you think. We will then draft a letter to PCC telling them how many positive and negative responses we got to this proposal and what the comments were (not including names). This will be a way for the community association to have a voice perhaps affecting PCC's decision about what to do with the property.

A very short summary is that Catapult Community Developers proposes to put the land into a land trust (defined below) and build cottage housing on the site leaving the brick portion of the PCC building for retail. For the retail portion, we told Catapult Developers we have heard some retired folks say they want groceries available at that site, and the "Save the Co-op" group wants PCC to have a store there.

The most important questions are: Would you like a housing land trust in the neighborhood? Would you like cottage housing instead of higher density housing? If you have reasons to like or dislike either, please reply to this note.

Here is a longer description: "This plan would include the sale by PCC to a community-based non-profit group formed to develop the land in a manner consistent with the desires of the neighborhood. We envision PCC entering into a purchase and sale agreement with Catapult Community Developers who would ultimately assign its interest in the property to a newly-formed (or an existing) community land trust. The trust would develop, own and operate cottage housing, small street-front commercial/retail, and creative live/work space. The older, brick portion of the PCC building would be saved and expanded to accommodate these new uses.

Population growth, increases in density and economic investment are driving up real estate prices in Seattle so that fewer and fewer working people can afford to live in the close-in communities where they work. Fewer still can afford to buy homes or own workshop space in desirable neighborhoods like Ravenna. Only very limited public funds are available to subsidize housing costs for these moderate income, working households, and the gap between the amount of subsidy needed and the amount of subsidy available continues to widen as housing costs soar.

A community land trust is one proven solution to this complex problem. These CLTs control housing costs by permanently limiting the land cost and 'locking in' this subsidy so that it benefits one homeowner after another in perpetuity. If desired by the trust, additional affordability can be achieved over time by limiting the amount of appreciation that each owner can receive upon the sale of his or her property."

Please see this web site for more information about Community Land Trusts: http://www.iceclt.org/clt/cltmodel.html which starts with this definition: "A community land trust (CLT) is a democratically controlled nonprofit organization that owns real estate in order to provide benefits to its local community - and in particular to make land and housing available to residents who cannot otherwise afford them."

Apparently at the PCC board meeting Tues. Sept 25 they heard from multiple development groups wanting to purchase the Ravenna store property. I don't know if we will hear about all of the proposals at the Oct. 9th public meeting; probably not. (PCC has scheduled a meeting 7 pm 10/9 for interested PCC Ravenna neighbors and friends to review proposals for the old Ravenna store site. Confirm at 206-547-1222 ext. 126 or e-mail kathyb@pccsea.com.) It may be that the board will decide on their favorite and only tell us about that one on Oct. 9th. If they don't select this land trust/cottage housing one to present to us, we can ask it be discussed also.