Our Valley, Our Future is hosting a summit on Thursday, February 6th to discuss state mandates to build 18,000 more houses in Chelan and Douglas County over the next two decades to catch up for for years of under development.

Our Valley coordinator Steve Maher will moderate the event in partnership with the Wenatchee Valley Chamber of Commerce.

To add that many housing units, the process of infill or increasing density will be necessary. But how will the character of neighborhoods in Wenatchee, East Wenatchee or Leavenworth be impacted?

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The Housing Our Valley Summit will examine how to increase density in a responsible fashion.

"There's really no way around this, that we're going to have to have to see higher density in our existing cities and towns" Maher says. "This event is meant to explore how that can be done so that it doesn't impact the neighborhoods. And when we're talking about infill, we're not talking about five or six story apartment buildings, we're talking about going back to what was seen all around the country in the first half of the 20th century."

Maher says a drive around Wenatchee neighborhoods revealsl examples of the duplexes, cottage and courtyard style housing designs primarily built between 1900 through 1950 when zoning laws changed. In Wenatchee, these smaller homes are found mixed in with larger homes and can be done again, respectfully, with new construction design based on the older concepts.

The state has determined that about 45% of the 18,000 new homes must be priced for households earning 80 percent of area median income which is currently about $64,000

The summit will gather a panel of over 15 housing experts who will discuss;

State Housing Mandates City and County Planning for Future Growth A Video: "The Future As Past" Middle Housing Infill with Smaller Homes Mechanisms to Get Affordable Homes Built

The event includes recognition of local success stories and lunch is included in the $10 ticket price.

The summit is February 6th from 10am to 3pm in the Local Tel Event Center at Pybus Public Market in Wenatchee

Image: Our Valley Our Future/ Wenatchee Valley Chamber of Commerce
Image: Our Valley Our Future/ Wenatchee Valley Chamber of Commerce
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CLICK HERE for the link to more information and tickets through Eventbrite

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