SEATTLE - There's a new building trend in Seattle that has would-be residents "thinking small." They're boarding houses, townhouse style. They are tiny rooms for rent for those who want big city living without the big city price.
But neighbors living near these new buildings say they're getting more than they bargained for, and they want the city to step in.
Alan Gossett's lived on a crowded Capitol Hill street for 12 years, restoring his century old home and helping revive the neighborhood. But he's concerned about some new neighbors poised to move in by month's end. Not so much "who" they are, but how MANY there are.
From the outside the six buildings look like townhomes, but inside each building are eight tiny rooms with bathrooms, and one common kitchen area. Neighbors feel misled because instead of 6-12 people moving in, it's more like 46.
It's called congregate housing. Project developer Dirk Mulhair gave us a tour of a 180-square-foot room. It's much like a dormitory with a bed that folds away and space for a dresser underneath. There's a tiny bathroom with a shower, toilet and sink. The price? Around $500 a month. That includes utilities but not parking.
Mulhair calls it "workforce housing," with short-term leases and lower rates than most traditional apartments. Mulhair says he has renters lining up to live in these little spaces.
But there was no public hearing before the city greenlighted the project. All Mulhair had to do was take a large-scale development and divide it up into separate buildings of eight units or less.
"We see it as a partnership between us and the City of Seattle to achieve the common goal of providing affordable housing," he said.
Neighbors don't see it that way. Alan Gossett calls it a clever disguise to what amounts to a much bigger project with a bigger impact.
"Is it illegal, no. Is it in keeping with the spirit of laws and the codes I would say no," he said.
The city admits it's broad interpretation of the code and are now in the process of reviewing its zoning requirements before the congregate housing boom really takes off.
The Capitol Hill project is slated to open at the end of the month, along with a similar 30-unit building in the University District.
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