||| FROM LARISSA NASH for SAN JUAN COUNTY HOME TRUST |||
After a half decade long process of working towards expanding affordable housing on San Juan Island, there has been a stamp of approval for a 99 year ground lease between San Juan County and the San Juan Community Home Trust for the 4 adjacent lots on Argyle St.
In 2018 San Juan County and the Council decided that their lots, purchased from the Land Bank in 2002, would be best used for the development of affordable housing that is consistent with the historical preservation of this neighborhood. The San Juan Community Home Trust was selected in 2023 as the development organization to work in partnership with San Juan County to develop an affordable housing neighborhood.
Since the selection of the Home Trust, both parties have been working in unison to provide affordable housing for residents of Friday Harbor and San Juan Island, focusing on maximizing the potential for the property and its location as well as implementing the requirements of the historic preservation easement.
The ground lease for 99 years allows the Home Trust to pay $1 dollar a year, a total of $99 dollars for the entire life of the lease. The access to such low-cost land from the county helps the Home Trust leverage additional resources to build permanently affordable housing for the San Juan Island community.
The lease agreed to between the two parties does have specific requirements that the San Juan Community Home Trust must abide by. The neighborhood must be developed as densely as possible within reason with a minimum of 35 homes, all targeted to moderate and low-income households. The breakup of the homes will be structured as 50% of the units restricted to low-income families that are 80% or below the area median income and the other 50% of the units will be restricted to moderate-income families with a cap at 115% of the area median income. At least 30% of these homes must have 2 or more bedrooms.
The development of this neighborhood is subject to all Town of Friday Harbor ordinances, and the Home Trust will need to acquire a density bonus which must be provided by the Town.
San Juan County has been working towards this accomplishment for 6 years, 12 months of it hand-in-hand with the San Juan Community Home Trust. The Home Trust is thrilled to move this project forward and full community engagement finalize the proposed design will get started in late Fall 2024.
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This is an example of the Land Bank playing a key role by securing lots in Friday Harbor for permanently affordable housing. The Land Bank purchased the lots and held onto them until the County began planning for affordable rental housing 6 years ago. Good things take time!