Housing was very much at the forefront of discussion at the city council’s meeting on Jan. 9 as a 456-unit housing development in northwest Redmond and a 156-unit affordable housing project in southwest Redmond both moved onto city radar.

An extensive development planned by Hayden Homes for northwest Redmond is called Spruce Northwest. The development, according to Redmond senior planner Kyle Roberts, would consist of 456 units of mixed housing types spread across 74 acres of land. The first homes would be finished and ready for residents in 2025.

The plan would require extending streets so that Northwest Spruce Avenue, which bisects the proposed development, connects to Northwest Way. The development would be connected north and south by Northwest 30th and 31st streets, and from east-to-west by Northwest Spruce Avenue and Northwest Quince Avenue, Roberts said.

Roberts said that mix would include detached single family, townhomes and multi-family construction across 356 lots. Roberts said the project would also leave “approximately nine acres of open space” and build “multi-use trails within the development,.”

Roberts said the city did a housing needs analysis in 2019 to comply with state housing goals and said the proposed development fits projected needs.

“That housing needs analysis essentially determines Redmond’s housing needs over the next 20 years based on projected population growth, the current inventory of housing, and buildable land supply,” Roberts said. “And why this is important, in relation to this proposal, is the applicant is proposing housing types that align really well with what our housing analysis spoke to.”

The breakdown of housing types include 174 detached single-family homes and 182 townhomes. Development tracks on the eastern side of the development along Northwest Way would include about 100 units of multi-family dwellings. Lot sizes vary from 2,600-square-feet at the smallest and the 12,425-square-feet at the largest.

After the presentation, councilors voiced concerns about the scope of the development, including about transportation options and traffic flow through the area.

Councilor Cat Zwicker was concerned that the housing would not be affordable to most working families.

“It is not just the numbers of units. It is housing types across the board that fit the income of the people who live here,” Zwicker said.

Megan Norris, forward planning manager with Hayden Homes, said she believed the company was doing what it could to provide affordable housing options.

“We have the multi-family units, we have the smaller lot types. I do think that that meets in the range of 100 to 120, which are some of those estimates,” Norris said. “We are affordable by design, so a lot of our plans are focused on affordability so we can provide homes at a cost that folks in secondary markets like Redmond can afford.”

Zwicker asked Norris for a price estimate for the average price for homes in the new development, but Norris did not have an answer.

Councilor Tobias Colvin said he echoed Zwicker’s concerns about affordability.

“We as a council, have made it a point to say we want to build housing for our community. My fear is that we build these market rate units and we attract people from other states, I won’t say the C-word, but other states that have higher wages, and they will come in and they are not locals,” Colvin said. “They are not people that are working in the community and then they push out the local communities that we need.”

Councilor John Nielsen said he agreed.

“If it is not affordable to regular blue collar and no-collar folks, it doesn’t matter how many of them we build, it doesn’t really solve the problem,” Nielsen said. “We are not trying to bring in folks from out of state to grow the population base without meeting the needs of the folks that live here.”

Nielsen said the way other communities in Oregon have developed is not how he wants to see Redmond develop.

“I don’t think an endless stream of urban sprawl at 600,000 is the answer,” Nielsen said.

The city council decided not to take action on the proposed development until more information can be provided on the possibility of commercial development in the area, and providing child care nearby, among other questions. Mayor Ed Fitch said the council will not consider making a decision on the matter until Jan. 23.

Council considers tax exemption for housing project

Council also considered a 20-year property tax exemption for the planned 156-unit affordable housing development called Redmond Landing located at 1850 SW Umatilla Avenue that would be designed for individuals, seniors and families. The development would include two-, three-, and four-bedroom units. Rents would be restricted to below 60% of area median income for 45 years, according to Zac Baker, development manager with Southport Financial.

“We would like to reduce rents at Redmond Landing by about $250 per unit per month. About $3,000 per year per unit, which is about $450,000 a year in total savings to residents of Redmond,” Baker said.

Linda Cline, the city’s housing coordinator and program analyst explained the city adopted a rule in 1995 which would allow tax exemptions for 100% affordable housing projects for 20 years if the exemption were approved by 51% of the local taxing district.

Cline said the same process was used to build Bridge Meadows Redmond, a multigenerational affordable housing development at 2582 Northwest Kingwood Ave. She said the developers of the new project would need, along with the city’s approval, approval from other taxing districts like the Redmond School District to qualify for the exemption.

The council decided not to take action on the proposed exemption until it could consult with other local tax districts like the district covered by Redmond Fire & Rescue.

Also covered during the meeting was a brief update on the possibility of implementing a development fee as a way to generate funding for more affordable housing that was last discussed in November.

Additionally, the police department requested $186,000 to purchase four new vehicles. The city also sold a small parcel of land located at 777 SW Deschutes Avenue to the Deschutes Public Library District.