Proctor neighborhood controversy about Amici House church conversion project continues
Owners of a Proctor church and a neighborhood group have filed appeals to the city’s hearing examiner after their requests to modify occupancy levels for a proposed group housing project were denied by Tacoma’s previous ruling.
The move is the latest in a controversial bid to convert a historic church into shared youth housing. In essence, the church wants more occupants while neighbors want less. Building owner Warner Street Amici House LLC wants to house up to 51 people in the 13,154-square-foot site, but neighbors think the cap should be six. That, or the city should deny the application entirely.
Both the building owner and North Tacoma Neighbors United opposed the city’s decision to cap occupancy at 29 residents, and they both filed appeals to the city’s hearing examiner Tuesday.
The hearing examiner’s office will conduct a hearing allowing both parties to address procedural and scheduling issues, said city spokesperson Maria Lee. That will happen at a future date, which will be posted on the office’s webpage, she said.
In letters through their lawyers, the building owner and North Tacoma Neighbors United affirmed some of the same complaints spelled out in their previous appeals.
Amid a housing crisis, Warner Street Amici House LLC said it opposes the 29-person residency cap because it “would render the Project as proposed economically infeasible.” The owner also argues state law disallows such occupant limits, as the project meets the city’s code definition of a dwelling unit. Furthermore the building owner plans to take steps to mitigate any density-driven impacts to the neighborhood as required by city code and argued “there is nothing inherently incompatible about increased density.”
Conversely, the North Tacoma Neighbors United group argues the zoning regulations for a single family dwelling unit and group housing don’t allow the site to house more than six people, a point the director of Planning and Development Services ruled as irrelevant when approving the conditional use permit. Neighbors also argue negative impacts to the neighborhood were not considered, the project fails to meet development standards and the director granted the conditional use permit without an environmental analysis.
If the project is approved for 51 residents, building owner Julie Cain has told The News Tribune she hopes to rent shared or single rooms to tenants ages 18-26, who would share bathrooms, a kitchen, common areas, a fitness room and recreation center after they complete renovations. Each of 10 bedrooms is proposed to contain three to seven beds and rents could range from $500-$900 or more a month, she said.
Although Cain has touted the project as an affordable option for youth looking to be more independent and find community, not everyone agrees and neighbors have raised concerns about affordability and living conditions.
