Submitted by Paul F. Nimmo.
A City that passes legislation to create a Heritage Tree Program and has equally tough requirements to save the Garry Oak, should have additional focus… the preservation of the single family home.
Oh yes, we have plant of single family homes, a drive through Oakbrook with their $500,000 priced homes, or a look at the majestic homes lining Steilacoom and Gravelly Lake is proof that only the wealthy deserve single family homes. But older neighborhoods, which have reasonably priced older (perhaps fixers) homes that may be attainable for first time home buyers, are the first to be pushed under for the sake of progress.
One such area is the “island” created by the neighborhood trapped within Gravelly Lake Drive, Bridgeport Way and Steilacoom BLVD. One of Lakewood’s oldest parks has been located here for at least 60 plus years. Small streets, Fairlawn, 59th and Gerlings, along with homes on the outer edges, were full of older smaller single family homes. You know the ones, that are affordable to first time buyers. These are purchased by developers to develop multifamily dwellings, with rents only slightly lower that the mortgage payments of the homes they forced out.
Lakewood is full of unused, empty, rotting retail & commercial spaces. Yet the City has no issue rezoning Residential /Residential 4 (R4) to Neighborhood Business District (NBD)/Neighborhood Commercial 2 (NC2). This simply makes no sense.
I own one of the adjacent properties. A once serene street of 5 single family homes. Now, this street will be adjacent to the properties recently acquired by LASA. This location, home of the current LASA offices and 18 units, is a planned 25 units and additional future 25-30 units planned on property that currently holds 3 single family homes.
Would this occur if this was a project slated for Agate Drive? Perhaps a great Lake view along Interlaaken Drive? Of course not. Too many Council members and people of wealth live there. The polarization of Lakewood continues.
I live in a private area with covenants requiring only single family homes. However, the state of Washington could care less. We have had a number of homes rented as multip[le use facilities, Western State Hospital, for one.
When I queried the state about our covenants, the reply was, “We don’t care about your covenants, We go by state law.”
Unfortunately, these multiuse facilities have had a negative impact on our property values for resale, but not reduced our property taxes.
Higher taxes; fewer individual rights; more and more subsidy for those who produce nothing;
“Legal” and Illegal substance abuse rampant; standards be damned.
Smells like communism.
Correction Brian. It’s called “capitalism.” Elementary!
👏
Sayeth the meandering poet.
I imagine a free house and free utilities, and free insurance, and free maintenance, and no tax obligation would be mighty appealing to one with no shame, who can hoodwink another into paying them.
Correction Bob. Brian is correct. It is COMMUNISM. I hope you enjoy it when your neighborhood is brought down by it. All brought to you by the majority of Washington voters.
Bob,
I just had an interesting conversation with my neighbor over a cup of coffee.
That’s a lot of c-words, but wait, there’s more.
He is an accomplished academic as was his father, one of the original engineers at the fledgling Rand Corporation – you get the picture – well read intellectual family.
Always an interesting chat.
We were discussing communism vs capitalism, and he as always added complexity to the subject.
His perspective is as such and I agree:
There is small c communism and large C communism.
Small c communism is for the grassroots true believer in redistribution, fairness, equity, and so on and so forth, regardless of input.
Many millions perished in wars of the last century, being hoodwinked into zealotry of this ideology by none other than large C communism.
Large C communism resides in the upper strata of communism, mascarading as large C capitalism.
Large C capitalism is your major corporations and the 1/10th of 1% who have woven themselves into the fabric of government to the point where it is difficult to find the seams.
Large C capitalism has put enormous pressure on or has eliminated much of small c capitalism, to the point that most people are becoming discouraged from the pursuit of small business entirely, choosing instead a cog in the wheel of large C capitalism/ government.
As if that weren’t enough of a shell game, when you peel away the curtain of large C capitalism/communism, it spells “Control”.
So when you see your elected leaders trying to convince you that giving up essential liberties is in your best interest, for the greater good, you should know they are talking about themselves and those who own them.
Once “they” have a majority of the population living a heavily subsidized life, by crushing the middle class into minority status, “they” have complete “Control”.
I think your article a bit extreme. The west side (98498) of Lakewood is mostly single family homes. And there has been a lot of new construction of single family homes over the last few years as well. It’s called growth. You’re bitter because it’s next to your property.
You are correct in two points… I am bitter and the WEST side is mostly single family homes, thank you for making my point. Those single family homes being built are only affordable to the affluent. Older homes, the ones being replaced, can still be affordable.
The West side, the more affluent side of Lakewood, and where a majority of City Council members reside, seems to be protected from such projects. Of course, if Lakewood had true representation, maybe there could be some equality. It is time for City Council positions to be elected by districts, assuring equitable representation.
Oakbrook does have single family homes, more and more of them are becoming group homes. Drive through the neighborhood and notice long gated ramp entry, no front yard in lieu of a parking space for staff and front door posted with licenses required for the group home. It is tough being a member of a community where needs are diverse. Embrace your neighbors, be grateful and choose happiness!
The City of Lakewood is slowly evolving and more improvements like sidewalks are finally being built for the people who use them. We have a long way to go but it won’t happen over night. We need a library and other community gathering places to truly bring Lakewood’s citizenry together. Living spaces for people are what we need not more warehouses.