Anacortes’ new Comprehensive Plan appears to encourage the construction of thousands of new housing units. To do so, the City is considering reversing the long‑standing requirement that new developments pay for the utility upgrades they necessitate. If true, who decided this? Where is it documented? The rationale seems to be that adding 3,000 new units will somehow create affordable housing. How does adding market‑rate units in an unaffordable market suddenly make housing affordable for working residents and seniors?
Isn’t our sewage treatment plant nearing capacity? It may require $80–100 million in upgrades for this growth. Will current residents be expected to absorb that cost through higher utility bills? Shifting major development costs onto existing residents already struggling with rising insurance, maintenance, and utility costs pushes people closer to being priced out of this community.
When will the public be able to weigh in on this? Who developed it—local planners or outside consultants who don’t live here? Where is the analysis published? How will residents participate in decisions about who pays for impacts of new development?
Development in Anacortes has been aggressive for years. Why would we “incentivize” more by eliminating public notice, comment periods, environmental review, off‑street parking requirements, and critical‑area setbacks that protect wetlands, streams, and shorelines? These guardrails protect neighborhoods, quality of life, and our environment. Weakening them may make projects easier for developers, but it does not make housing more affordable.
I’m trying to understand why major decisions are happening without clear communication or meaningful opportunities for input. The few opportunities for public input felt overly managed, and too few participated because of other worthy distractions. Did the city realize this? Why don’t we know what’s being proposed, and why don’t we have a say in the future of our own city?
