Growth Management, Isn't

The Growth Management Act was adopted in 1990 because Democrats in the Washington Legislature "found that uncoordinated and unplanned growth posed a threat to the environment, sustainable economic development, and the quality of life in Washington."

As with all pie-in-the-sky social engineering projects liberals adopt, such as telling people where to live, where to shop, what to eat and drink, how much to drive, etc., etc., the GMA has been an unqualified disaster.

In a story Wednesday, the Seattle Times reported that:

In just over three years, Seattle already is halfway to reaching its targeted housing growth for 20 years.

And a few sections of town — Ballard, Eastlake, the Central Area, Greenlake, Lower Queen Anne and downtown — already have exceeded their 20-year targets.

Not surprising really. The Growth Management Act forced densification of core areas by prohibiting development outside "urban growth boundaries." So instead of living in suburbs, as has been the pattern since WWII, people are jamming into Seattle area condos and apartments as fast as developers can build them.

Even stubborn refusal by the Democrats in Olympia to address congestion problems that have resulted in Seattle having the 9th worst traffic in the U.S. has not slowed growth, as prayed for by the treehuggers.

The Growth Management Act should actually have been called the Real Estate Broker and Developers Enrichment Act. Land use regulations, concluded a recent University of Washington study, have added $200,000 to the cost of an average Seattle home. In fact, according to the Washington Center for Real Estate Research, housing prices have appreciated significantly statewide since the passage of the GMA. Affordable housing for young families is scarce and growing scarcer.

Silly leftists, Trix are for kids. The Law of Unintended Consequences is immutable. People are like water. They are inexorable, constantly defy expectations, and always find the path of least resistance. God Himself gave us free will. If He cannot control what we choose to do, how can inept bureaucrats in Olympia hope to do so?

TRUE urban planning would account for human choice and behavior and not be based on idealistic and starry-eyed politicans and activists with no knowledge of the real world.

Quote of the Day

When you look at the national housing market, we think the Pullman market is really good.

- Darl Roberts, owner and broker at Associated Brokers, "Local real estate markets stay steady," Moscow-Pullman Daily News, May 19, 2008

It's good if you are currently a home owner or a developer. It's not so good if you are a retiree or a young family with children looking to relocate to Pullman or buy a first home. Statistics from the WSU Center for Real Estate Research show that the median resale price for a home in Whitman County increased 19.2 percent over last year to $211,100. With a 10% down payment, an average amount of monthly debt and a 7% mortgage rate, a buyer would require an annual household income of approximately $75,000 to afford an average priced home in Whitman County.

Until Whitman County loosens land use restrictions, there will never be affordable housing here and the county will never be attractive to high-tech or manufacturing businesses looking to locate here.

"Local developers work to build towns, save schools"

Whitman County's small towns are not agonizing about "sprawl" or "architorture." They just want to survive.

From yesterday's Whitman County Gazette:

While many eyes in the county are focused on the Hawkins’ development and the income it is expected to generate, other developments are popping up on the edges of many small towns in the county. Local residents have been taking on the role of developers to keep their schools viable and strengthen and build their communities.

“We just think we’ve got good options for people here,” said Art Schultheis, co-developer of Southview in Colton.

As a former member of the planning commission, Dale Miller, Uniontown, came to realize the town needed to increase its population. The commission encouraged people to develop and one family started to, but backed away due to costs.

“It’s not cheap to develop land,” he said. Miller noted that since small towns don’t attract developers, locals have to shoulder the load. He is a managing partner of the Rolling Hills development which is located on the land that started to be developed. He said that locals becoming developers in their small towns was an investment in the community.

Miller and Schultheis both noted the need for more houses to keep the school district viable. Schultheis pointed out that the school has the same number of families as when he graduated 25 years ago, but with fewer children per family the enrollment numbers have dropped. The solution is to bring more families into the district which would require more houses.

Paul Hendrickson, Garfield, also realized the need for more housing. As a member of the school board he has seen the number of students dwindle as farms become bigger and the families operating them become smaller. He said that the problem was not that the community was drying up within city limits, but the school district was losing rural families. Rural bus routes that once produced a load of children are no longer taken because there are no children to pick up.

Hendrickson is developing Sunrise Ridge Estates with lots two to six acres each on the 80 acre development. The land was once farm ground, part of which was already within city limits, and was annexed into the city for development. Hendrickson chose to go with the larger lots and have them zoned for large animals.

“We needed alternatives in our housing,” he said. He noted it was difficult to buy only five acres in the county and wanted to increase housing options for people.

“We’re trying to add some growth,” he said. To attract attention, Hendrickson felt smaller communities need a niche to attract new families.

Schultheis also found that to be true. His said the next development plans will include smaller lots for retired people or new homeowners who can’t afford larger homes and/or don’t want to maintain a large yard.

Schultheis has also developed what was once farm land that was already within city limits. In 2003 Schultheis and brother Greg broke ground on the cropland and started putting in lots for a subdivision. Since then 28 lots have been added. At first they sold only lots, but when contacted by buyers who wanted to move into a home, the brothers started to build houses on some of the properties. They are currently building the third house.

Miller noted Uniontown can attract families that commute to different metro areas. He feels the town’s location halfway between the Moscow-Pullman and Lewiston-Clarkston areas makes it a good place for families to split their commute.

The small town appeal for those looking to get out of urban area also works in the small towns’ favors. Miller noted the development could also draw people looking to get into a rural setting, but not have the problems and hassles of living in the country.

“We know we have a really nice little town,” he said.

Despite all the developments, small towns are not about to be inundated with empty lots and houses. The Rolling Hills development has a total of 40 lots on 25 acres, but Miller noted only 15 lots are currently being development with paving and water system installed and other lots will be developed as they sell. He felt the ideal population for Uniontown would be 400 to 600; a number which would support the town and attract business.

Schultheis aims for sales of three or four houses a year, hoping to sell at least one a quarter.

With the increase of families and people, an increase in business is anticipated.

“More people will always influence the community,” said Hendrickson.

Miller also pointed out that more citizens means more people who can volunteer to help out in the community. Each lot that sells also increases the city’s tax revenue with connection fees and property taxes.

“But you’ve got to have people first,” Schultheis said.

EC Hay & Sons is building a development in Tekoa, but could not be reached for comment before press time.

The Rantings of an Arrogant and Contemptuous Jerk

Your blood will boil when you read what elitist WSU archictecture prof Ayad Rahmani wrote in an op-ed that appeared in the October 27, 2007 issue of WSU Today. Some quotes:

WSU’s claims to “world-class” status, while true, ultimately ring hollow because the reality finds no match with those statements. World-class ambitions cannot be met with low-class ideas. High-class faculty will refuse to live in scattered and inconsequential buildings. [And after all, it's only the "high-class" faculty that matter in this town. The rest of us are just low-class. Oh my God. -tf]

The new housing stock in Pullman sadly represents the worst of the effects of a market economy; it has neither respect for art or the environment — or for that matter the fact that within a short walk there is an architecture school with graduates who have gone on to change the world. [So what's stopping them for developing houses with respect for "art and the enivonment?"? Oh yeah, money. It's much easier to tell someone else how to spend theirs. - tf]

Rather than taking clues from cities such as Portland and Seattle — whose architects and developers have joined forces to create a denser and more community friendly environment [and that obsession with "density and community friendly environment" has added $200,000 to the average price of a Seattle home - tf] — Pullman developers have made more suburbs. These offensive McMansions, with garages looking onto the streets, use materials and planning that are highly wasteful and unsustainable. [You mean like wood, which is a renewable crop? Concrete? Seems to me there is a virtually infinite supply of sand and gravel. Vinyl, which can be recycled? What's wasteful and unsustainable? - tf]

Rather than building inward and promoting walking and bicycling, these suburbs force those who live in them to use their cars. And rather than building with materials that have a low-carbon footprint and reflect an inventive approach to scarcity, these same suburbs persist with a cookie-cutter mentality. [So why did Pullman just get nationally recognized as a "pedestrian-oriented" city? And where in the hell are we going to build "inward" in Pullman??????? College Hill?? Downtown?? There's no room left but at the periphery of town. But in any case, there is no "suburb" in town that is more than two miles from the WSU campus. What a joke to call that "sprawl." And that "cookie-cutter mentality" is otherwise known as "affordable family housing." How dare you insult my home as "cookie-cutter" when that is all I can afford, you snobby asshole. - tf]

The university also cannot rely on the town to resolve this problem; the town is too bogged down in trying to increase tax revenues to worry about the role of architecture in improving matters. The university must lead the way in not only improving its own grounds but in transforming the town. [Oh sure. The poor townies are so plebeian wanting to pay the bills for parks, police, fire and emergency services, schools, etc., etc. Let the highly-educated solons take over. I have read some elitist and snobby crap before, but this takes the cake. - tf]

"Pullman recognized as pedestrian-oriented city"

Daily News editor Doug Bauer wrote in a recent editorial that "'Smart' growth isn't as big a buzzword in Pullman as it is on the other side of the border..."

For that matter, we didn't waste tens of thousands of taxpayer dollars on a "New Cities" project that produced absolutely nothing.

You see, we don't need fancy buzzwords or overpriced consultants to be a "pedestrian-friendly" city. History took care of that for us already.

The town's main employer, Washington State University is located roughly in the center of town. Parking, like at any major university, is scarce and expensive. Therefore, many university employees and students walk from nearby College Hill.


Pullman is also landlocked in a sea of wheatfields. Decades of stringent agricultural land-use regulations have prevented the town from growing very far outside its borders, making it very compact (and housing very expensive.) If you have ever seen Pullman from the air, you know what I mean. Virtually any point is within easy walking/biking distance of another. Even the so-called sprawl-creating Wal-Mart will be in close proximity to housing developments on Sunnyside and Pioneer Hills.

"Urban sprawl in Pullman" is a non-sequitur.

From last Saturday's Moscow-Pullman Daily News:

Paul Funston is one of thousands of Pullman residents who walk to work each day.

"I find it more economical to walk than drive," he said. "It's also an enjoyable time to unwind."

Pullman recently was recognized as one of the top pedestrian-oriented communities in the country by streetsblog.org. The city was ranked No. 10 nationwide among "walk to work" communities containing more than 20,000 and less than 250,000 residents.

Of the approximately 25,000 people who live in Pullman, more than 5,000 walk to their destinations each day.

"The city has developed decent, safe walking paths for people," Funston said.

Planning Director Pete Dickinson credits the acknowledgment to the city's location.

"The fact that we're in a relatively isolated location with students, staff and faculty means that pretty much everyone lives in the community of Pullman," he said.

"We try to provide for a sizeable population to have the ability to walk to work."

The streetsblog Web site is sponsored by the Open Planning Project of New York. The streetsblog obtained its information from the "Bike at Work" database, which used U.S. Census figures to show how many people walk to their jobs in cities across the country.

The top three cities in Pullman's classification bracket were Ithaca, N.Y., Athens, Ohio, and State College, Penn., each of which have more than 40 percent of their residents walking to work.

All of the cities identified in the 20,000-to-250,000 list contain major institutions of higher learning or military installations, which raises the amount of pedestrian traffic.

According to the streetsblog report, it "would seem there are two major factors that influence the walkability of a city or town: institutional presence and pre-auto urban design. The key to both appears to be co-location of housing with the various destinations that people need and desire."

Dickinson said it's an honor for Pullman to be included in the list.

"It's a nice distinction and it shows that we're a pedestrian-oriented city," Dickinson said. "We'd like to maintain that distinction."

Can We Afford "Smart Growth?"

A new UW study of Seattle housing prices says "No":

Between 1989 and 2006, the median inflation-adjusted price of a Seattle house rose from $221,000 to $447,800. Fully $200,000 of that increase was the result of land-use regulations, says Theo Eicher — twice the financial impact that regulation has had on other major U.S. cities.

What land-use regulations you say?

A key regulation is the state's Growth Management Act, enacted in 1990 in response to widespread public concern that sprawl could destroy the area's unique character. To preserve it, the act promoted restrictions on where housing can be built. The result is artificial density that has driven up home prices by limiting supply, Eicher says.

And who is it that pushes for these onerous regulations?

According to the Wharton study, cities such as Seattle that have high median incomes, high home prices and a large percentage of college-educated workers tend to have the most land-use regulations.

Sjoblom says that makes sense: "People with higher incomes want the kind of amenities that regulation provides," he says. "If you're a homeowner and growth controls are imposed and housing prices shoot up, you're grandfathered because you own the place. In theory people will say it's [rising prices] a bad thing, but in practice it's not hurting them."

[...]

In the final analysis, Eicher believes Seattle's regulatory climate exists because its residents want it. "My sense is land-use restrictions are imposed to generate socially desirable outcomes," he says. "We all love parks and green spaces. But we must also be informed about the costs. It's very easy to vote for a park if you think the cost is free."

Ah, now I see. The same old unholy alliance of left-wing no-growthers and selfish NIMBYists.

Pullman suffers from the same sort of problem as Seattle does to a lesser extent: artificially high home prices created by regulations created by snobby eltitists. For example, the PARDners say they want affordable housing while at the same time pressing for even more restrictive land use regulations. And let's not forget Cheryl Morgan and the League of Women Voters who also work to do everything they can to make development more difficult in Pullman.

Say What?

Here in Pullman, homes on Pioneer Hill and the new Sunnyside Hill development facing the Wal-Mart site are likely to decline in property value due to aesthetic blight, light pollution and other negative impacts.

- PARD Position Paper, March 20, 2005

Suggestions of..the intrusion of undesirable social classes...were presented in great detail [by the Pullman Alliance for Responsible Development]

- Hearing Examiner's Findings of Fact and Conclusions of Law and Decision, February 24, 2006

The Pullman Alliance for Responsible Development is proud to have sponsored an informative discussion seeking solutions to the serious lack of low-income housing in Pullman.

- Deirdre Rogers, chairwoman, Pullman Alliance for Responsible Development, Moscow-Pullman Daily News, December 14, 2007


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"Water dominates Pullman meeting of public officials; Council, legislators discuss effects on growth"

We have an excellent legislative team for Pullman. They all understand that environmental regulatory overkill causes the lack of affordable housing for working people and stifles economic development in Pullman. From today's Moscow-Pullman Daily News:

Water issues dominated much of the discussion in a town hall meeting between the Pullman City Council and Washington's 9th District legislators Tuesday.

Council members were joined by Sen. Mark Schoesler, Rep. Steve Hailey and new Rep. Joe Schmick to discuss state issues of concern to Pullman leaders. Other topics of conversation included funding for infrastructure, support for Washington State University projects and affordable housing.

Hailey said the solution to many of the concerns relates to water.

"It's a very high priority for me," he said. "If you run out of water, you've got nothing."

Hailey said water issues often slow the construction of new homes - especially those considered affordable housing. Water rights and environmental studies are expensive, and questions regarding recharge of the Palouse's two aquifers are seen as a roadblock by some developers.

He said research efforts must be increased to determine how to maintain water levels and support growth.

Legislators will convene for their 2008 session Jan. 14. Much of the agenda will revolve around the state's supplemental budget, but Hailey said he plans to push the need for more water research in the coming months.

"You have to have sufficient water to support more housing," he said. "I see that as a hurdle that has to be crossed in relatively short order ... In my mind, if we can solve the water issue, we can tackle the affordable housing issue."

Hailey also said a multimillion dollar water reclamation project - a joint effort between the city and WSU - could be funded in 2009-2011. The project would treat citywide wastewater for irritation.

"It's very doable," he said.

Schmick said he plans to defend the city's needs for funding in order to meet what he considers obscenely high requirements pertaining to stormwater management.

Earlier this year, the Washington State Department of Ecology issued statewide permits designed to manage the quality and quantity of runoff from development and to control stormwater discharges into sewer systems. Implementation of the requirements are expected to cost more than $4 million for Pullman. The city has received a grant for $75,000 and may be issued an additional $50,000 to jump-start the five-year permit program.

"There has to be a balance between environmental concerns and those of the cities and towns," Schmick said. "Our side of the aisle is very sympathetic to that."

Hailey agreed that the Department of Ecology has set unrealistically high standards for cities like Pullman.

"We'll try to get you some relief," he said. "I don't know what the answer is, but we'll keep pecking away at it."

Schmick, who was recently appointed to his position, said the meeting with Pullman leaders was helpful.

"We're here to represent the 9th District," he said. "We take this information back to Olympia."

QUICKREAD

WHAT HAPPENED: The Pullman City Council met with Washington's 9th District legislators Sen. Mark Schoesler, Rep. Steve Hailey and Rep. Joe Schmick for a meeting Tuesday. Water issues dominated much of the conversation which also inlcuded affordable housing and Washington State Department of Ecology requirements.

WHAT IT MEANS: Legislators and the council agree that water is a major issue of concern in Pullman and Whitman County.

WHAT HAPPENS NEXT: Legislators will convene for their 2008 session Jan. 14 in Olympia. Schoesler, Hailey and Schmick said they will pass along their constituents' concerns to other state leaders.

"Is PARD's concern genuine?"

On July 20, 2005, I wrote in an open letter to TV Reed and the Pullman Alliance for Respnsible Development:

At this point, you have two choices.

You can immolate yourself on the pyre of Wal-Mart or, if you are sincere about responsible development in Pullman, save whatever political capital you have left and move on to another issue.

Obviously, two-and-a-half years and three appeals against Wal-Mart later, he and PARD chose the former. Now, if they have another legitimate agenda for Pullman, they have long since burnt all their bridges and lost all credibility with Pullman residents. For example, this letter appeared in today's Daily News with regards to PARD's Affordable Housing forum last week:

Hillary Hamm's article (Daily News, Nov. 30) regarding the Pullman Alliance for Responsible Development concern about the cost of housing in Pullman seems incredibly ironic. Deirdre Rogers, the chairwoman of PARD, said in the article that PARD's goal is to bring together community leaders to find a solution to the affordable housing issue. One way for the residents of Pullman to have more of their income available for housing, would be to decrease other household expenses. This could be done by allowing a Wal-Mart to be built in Pullman.

Wal-Mart provides merchandise at lower prices, saving its customers money. Also, Pullman residents could save much in gas expenses if they did not have to drive to Moscow or Lewiston for an item not available for sale in this town. The residents of Pullman would further benefit from the presence of Wal-Mart by increased tax revenues of approximately $500,000 per year, as estimated by Mayor Glenn Johnson in a Nov. 27 article also by Hillary Hamm.

Think about what $500,000 in additional annual revenue could do for our parks, police, or fire department. If PARD is really concerned about the quality of life for the residents of Pullman, they would put a stop to the endless litigation against Wal-Mart (which, by the way, according to Troy Woo, Pullman finance director, has already cost the Pullman city taxpayers more than $36,000 in legal fees).

How about it PARD? Since you have already lost in court two times, please stop the stall tactics, give up the battle, let the free market reign and show genuine concern for our community.

Laura Zeller, Pullman

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"PARD shows need for Wal-Mart"

In a letter to the editor in the Moscow-Pullman Daily News yesterday, Don Pelton provided a great analysis of the Pullman Alliance "We're Not Just Wal-Mart Haters Anymore" for Responsible Development's Affordable Housing pathetic staged PR event last Thursday night.

We need to thank Deirdre Rogers, chairwoman of Pullman Alliance for Responsible Development, for organizing a conference (Daily News Nov. 30) to seek solutions to ease the burdens placed on the great majority of our residents by the high price of housing.

At the conference, City Councilman Francis Benjamin pointed out construction costs are just naturally higher in Pullman. Realtor JoAnn Sellen brought out the fact that "people don't have the kind of income that allows them to buy a home in Pullman."

To overcome the burden of low wages would be a difficult task for PARD to tackle; but to provide ways for residents to enhance their buying power through lower retail prices is something that PARD can and should address.

We are faced with the sad fact that Pullman's retail core has gradually eroded so that less than half our retail dollars are spent here. It is as though we had only enough resources to provide half the necessary support to operate our high school.

The obvious solution open to Rogers in her role at PARD is to work for low retail prices in Pullman stores. The largest anchor-type retailer that has a policy of low prices is Wal-Mart, and it is the only major retailer now willing to come to Pullman. PARD's excellent conference points the way to restore buying power to our people. That is, support Wal-Mart.

Don Pelton, Pullman

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A Brand for the Palouse?

According to today's Moscow-Pullman Daily News:

"A group of representatives from throughout the Palouse are looking to create a branding image for the so-called "Knowledge Corridor."
...
[Moscow Chamber of Commerce Interim Director Janice] McMillan said through the Knowledge Corridor concept she hopes to attract businesses that can help the area grow.

Considering Nancy Chaney, Mark Solomon, PARD, No Super WalMart, stalking herons, frolicking cute bunnies, viewsheds, used $40 bikes, charming valleys, tiny brooks, European cities, sweatshop forums, Main Street, unique rural character, a thousand other places, etc. ad nauseum, here is my entry for the "knowledge corridor" branding contest:


Why not? My brand would accomplish the same thing as what we read in the newspaper every day and save both paper and ink.

Why bother encouraging growth at all when there are people in the community doing everything they can to stop it?

"Affordable homes remain elusive"

From today's Moscow-Pullman Daily News:

Pullman forum outlines problems, alternatives as families search for choices

Eunice Stime tries to find people the perfect home, but the task is becoming harder in today's housing market.

"There's no 'great deal' anymore. There are families that will live just about anywhere they can afford," said Stime, a Realtor for Beasley Realty in Pullman.

Stime recently sold a home to a married couple with a child. The family had been house-hunting for several years and finally settled on a one-bedroom in Colfax. The young couple's struggles are not new.

"People have to settle, and they're discouraged to buy," she said of many house-hunters.

Stime was one of more than 100 people who attended the Affordable Housing for Whitman County forum at the Gladish Community Center in Pullman on Thursday. The event was sponsored by the Palouse Economic Development Council and the Community Action Center. Attendants of the forum included Whitman County staff, representatives from cities across the region, developers, real estate agents, landlords and homeowners.

Three breakout groups provided people a chance to learn more about specific issues such as land development, alternative development concepts and zoning and land use.

Chris Venne, development finance director for Community Frameworks, a Spokane-based organization that provides affordable housing solutions for the Pacific Northwest, said there is no easy way to correct the affordable housing problem. One issue driving concerns is that housing prices are increasing while income levels are not increasing at the same rate, a phenomena Venne described as "the gap."

"The gap is growing. Over the last couple years, the gap is getting worse," he said.

In Whitman County, home values are increasing by about 45 percent, while incomes have upped by a little more than 10 percent.

The problem affects economic development, Venne said, providing anecdotes to describe the national affordable housing issue.

Moderate-level workers around the Inland Northwest are affected, he said. Firefighters and other emergency workers are moving into cheaper, more suburban areas that are farther away from their service area, adding to response times. Teachers cannot afford to purchase homes and often turn down jobs because of the lack of available affordable housing, which causes school administrators to hire third- and fourth-choice teaching candidates. Businesses are finding it difficult to recruit workers because employees can't afford to buy a home and settle down.

"People in the workforce are finding it harder and harder to find homes," he said. "What does that mean for the quality of life in that community? These examples are happening all over this region. It may not ever happen here ... but there are things that may happen if you let your housing problems go too far."

Glen Crellin, director of the Washington State University Center for Real Estate Research, put things in perspective. The average home along the West coast averages about $500,000, he said.

"That certainly makes communities like Pullman look down right affordable," he said. "But, as we know, the devil is in the details."

In Washington - the state with the highest minimum wage in the country - would-be first-time home buyers are increasingly unable to afford a house.

"If we can't get people into their first home, it's going to be harder for them to move up the ladder (of home ownership) in the future," Crellin said. "We need to have reasonable opportunities for first-time home buyers to participate in the realty market. The problem is critical in communities like this."

Presenters, such as Jim Soules, a Seattle developer with the Cottage Company LLC, provided housing alternatives such as small clusters of homes on a large lot. The homes can be quality built for less money, which is passed along to buyers. As those homes become more popular, though, values increase.

Self-help housing options, such as Habitat for Humanity and other similar programs, help people with low to moderate-level incomes pay for parts of their homes through sweat equity, meaning they help in its construction. Land trust options also allow moderate-income level families to purchase homes, while not owning the land. Modular and manufactured homes also are options.

Venne urges potential home owners and developers to be creative and local political leaders to take an interest. Only then will change occur and affordable housing become more available.

"Where there's a political will, it will happen," he said. "The problem is that there's no easy solution. There's no silver bullet."

It's pretty disppointing if these were the main issues that were discussed. If so, this sounded like a forum on the infamous "living wage" more than "affordable housing."

What does the minimum wage have to do with anything? Even in Washington, no one making minumum wage is going to be able to afford a house.

There's no mystery to affordable housing in Pullman. It's all about simple supply and demand. Ed Schweitzer has been saying this for years and years and still no one gets it. Even though we are surrounded by over 2000 square miles of farmland, restrictive zoning laws have made land to build on scarce and unavailable in Pullman and Whitman County. When land is expensive, so is the cost of housing. For example, remember the development across from the high school that is destroying "the charming little valley?" Some of the tiny lots there are going for $80,000.

I'm surprised the guy from the Washington State University Center for Real Estate Research didn't mention their study that showed how the Growth Management Act has increased home prices in Washington. Whitman County has opted out of the GMA, but our rural residential zoning ordinance in many ways is just as onerous. Environmental regulations ALWAYS work against affordability. After all, you can't protect your "viewshed" AND provide affordable housing to young families. But that suits most of our local drawbridgers just fine. They don't want any new people moving in anyway. They've got theirs already.

According to the 3rd Quarter 2006 Housing Market Snapshot from the Washington Center for Real Estate Research, Whitman County is FIFTH WORST in the state for First Time Buyer Affordability.

There's also a flip side to supply and demand. There is a supply of people in Pullman willing to pay $300,000 plus for a home. As long as there is, developers will keep building $300,000 plus homes. But as usual, the free market will provide the solution. Once the high end demand has been met, developers will then begin to address lower-end housing.

But as long as we have restrictive, anti-growth zoning in place, Pullman and Whitman County are never going to be good places for young people just starting out to live. We only educate and house them for four years and then export all that brain power somewhere else. Is that what we want?