Protect trees. Protect wetlands. Build affordable housing.

Stop inefficient, unfair and unjust land use in Seattle!

Let’s work together for more welcoming, eco-friendly, sustainable, and equitable cities. Once luxury houses are built at Talaris, in Laurelhurst, we are stuck with them for generations. Seattle will regret it.

The Talaris project (#3030811-LU) will shortly undergo an Environmental Impact Statement (EIS).

We’re asking you to do the following

TAKE ACTION by September 17

https://actionnetwork.org/letters/affordable-talaris-letter-to-sdci-9172020/

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Why is this important?

If you've been to a land use hearing in the last 10 years, you've no doubt heard homeowners declare that they're not against development, but they want to do it right. Affordable Talaris organizers believe development should provide many more people with the opportunity to live near sought-after schools, abundant open space, grocery stores, a Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) line, two major regional hospitals, the most useful bike trail in the city, and a major state employer, the University of Washington. During a global climate crisis we want many more people to be able to walk, bike, or bus to the Husky Stadium LINK light rail station. Building much more housing on or near Talaris is a chance to do development right. The former Talaris Conference Center is on 18 acres of environmentally critical land in Laurelhurst nestled between UW, University Village, Children’s Hospital, Laurelhurst Elementary, and Laurelhurst Playfield.

Please read our op-ed in The Stranger (Guest Editorial: Luxury Homes for Rich People or Housing for Everyone? May 2, 2018)

Lack of permanently affordable and workforce housing in the current Talaris plan means more displacement in places like South Seattle where communities of color don't have the resources to fight with lawyers. Our housing solutions can be fair and just with considerations for geographic equity.

Laurelhurst residents have seen their home values--and their net worth--rise by more than $700,000 in the last decade. The current median price is ~$1.7 million.  Why should Seattle's richest neighborhoods be allowed to reserve spots for only the wealthy? We collectively scratch our heads and ask each other, “It doesn’t have to be this way, does it?”

What do we want?

Let’s work together for more welcoming, eco-friendly, sustainable, and equitable cities. Once luxury houses are built at Talaris, we are stuck with them for generations. Seattle will regret it. Let’s implement an equitable development outreach plan. This city can't afford to let inequitable developments move forward on lots this large without evaluating how more people, more jobs, and more students impact the need for homes in Northeast Seattle. Let’s ensure that more people have access to the natural beauty and historic buildings at Talaris and beyond. The best time to act on an equitable development plan for Talaris was many years ago, but it is not too late to act now.

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