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C, HOQUIAM HOUSING STUDY 4. AlMk AM Grays Harbor Regional Planning Commission Iva RIP% HD September 1978 7287.86 .. .. ...... W22 H6 1978 7,x *N. :? U S DEPARTMENT OF COMMERC@ NOA COASTAL SERVICES CENTER S NG 2234 SOUTH HOBSON AVENUE 0 @@i A R IJ-- S T 0 il! S C 2 q,'@ 0 5 - 2,t 13 S`TUDY done fior (Cray5 Harbor @egicnai lanning @@.onrvnission Funds for trJs s-,Iudy have been provided by' a grant from the Wash@ngton State Dept. of 7col- ogy and the i\lational Oceanic -ric Adm. :nislratorx, and Aimos@3h- Outer Continental Sh-eif Program. Zt, CONTENTS 1 Background Purpose of the Study Objective Community Concerns Kaiser Facility 2 Local Resident Profile Population Age Household Size Employment Income Acknowledgffnents 3 Housing Existing Profile WASHINGTON STATE DEPT. OF ECOLOGY Inventory Existing Housing Need NATIONAL OCEANIC AND ATMOSPHERXC ADMINISTPATION, Future Housing Need OUTER CONTINENTAL SHELF PROGRAM 4 Kaiser In -Migrants GRAYS HARBOR REGIONAL PLANNING COMMISSION Patrick Duggan, Executive Director Employee Profile Housing Need CITY OF HOQUIAM Donna Voss, City Planner 5 Development Barriers Dale Rancour, City Engineer Public Sector Development Barriers CONSULTANTS Private Sector Barriers Wilsey & Ham Gordon E. Davis, Director of Planning, 6 Potential Development Areas David C. Brands, Principal Planner John C. Spencer, Planner Daniel D. Heagerty, Planner 7 Recommendations Janine Smith, Graphics General Recommendation Beth Rawlins, Graphics Ordinance Review Jerry N. Palmer, Director of Engineering General Programs Ed Ng, Engineer Marketing Section One: Background SECTION ONE: BACKGROUND Housing has not always been a problem within the City of Hoquiam. The City's population has de- Purpose of Study clined since 1930, the height of its economic This study was originated by the Grays Harbor activity. With that decline came a reduction Regional Planning Commission at the urging of of need for more and better housing. Prior the City of Hoquiam. The problem, as perceived to the early 1970's there appeared little or by decision makers and staff in Hoquiam, is a no concern for building more houses. Now, lack of sufficient housing. Though the problem however, with most of the City's housing takes on a different character and level of approaching 40 years old or greater, and a importance from person to person, the following turn-around in the economic condition within concerns are mentioned repeatedly: the region, there is a need to maintain existing housing stock, and to obtain more housing to satisfy Hoquiam residents and regional needs. * The age and condition of existing housing. Impetus for this study comes through action * The lack of housing at almost from an outside source. Early in 1976 Kaiser all price ranges. Steel made public their intention to locate an oil drilling platform assembly facility in * High housing costs. the City of Hoquiam. This facility, if built, * The inability of Hoquiam to will have a significant impact on Hoquiam in attract its share of new terms of housing and public service needs. housing, and thus residents, It was in reponse to this anticipated develop- despite increases in both for ment and the aforementioned community concern the area at-large. for more housing that this housing study was initiated. �tudy Objective The City of Hoquiam, located 60 miles west of One of the major contrasts is that housing Olympia, is situated on Grays Harbor, one of starts in Hoquiam are significantly lower the major shipping harbors in the State of than are those in Aberdeen and the rest of Washington. Hoquiam is directly adjacent to the region. Thus, it was decided to limit the Aberdeen (Map A) and has many similarities planning study area to the City of Hoquiam. in social lifestyle and community needs/services. rossing chafer JU Al@ 108 McClear OL Lake Sylvi. ERDEE Elma 101 L Tumwate Lacey 12 Montesana Is 107 Melbourne Porter 05 it ersy aniaS Markham Artic Little Ro 12 y City 101 Oakvill 121 5 Tenino Grayland ochester 507 kill, 0 Bucoda Bro yn kl 105 CENTRALIA y@oncl Willapa CH HALIS South Bend I Doty Rainbow [is Menlo dna 12 Curtis 01 Lebarn PJ Ell Napavin arys Cori d.x co ......... . . . . ...... . Ethel 5 Map A Holquiarin Vicinity 2 The goal of this study is simply to determine Development activity near Hoquiam indicates that why Hoquiam has few new housing starts and to there is some demand for new housing in the area. suggest means of encouraging building activity. This study will develop strategies for attracting A study of this nature could additionally address new development to Hoquiam that may have otherwise a broad range of social and economic problems in located nearby. the community, however, this study focuses on Objective Three - to examine and assess what the magnitude of the housing problem and the effect the Kaiser facility may have on housing measures that can be taken to improve the in Hoquiam. current situation. The Kaiser facility, if built, would create A logical analysis requires that, once the an additional need for housing over and above housing situation has been fully assessed, that created by ordinary factors. three major objectives be fulfilled: It should be noted that this study is not intended Objective One - to determine where new housing to deal withAhe inevitablb policy question of starts could be accommodated within the Hoquiam growth versus non-growth. Rather, it assumes that city limits. the City, including decision makers and residents, This could be a significant issue since wishes to encourage new housing and new residents to local officials have expressed concern over locate in Hoquiam. The more fundamental question the apparent lack of flat, buildable land of the City's growth needs to be addressed by both available within the city limits. Most of the City leaders and the residents, if it has not the City has been intensely developed on already been satisfactorily resolved. flat land close to the city center. More recent development has occurred on the hills Community Concern north of the Ci ty. There is concern in Hoquiam about the quality and Objective Two - to ascertain what actions are quantity of the existing housing stock. The lack necessary to encourage new housing units in of new housing starts since the 1940's has resulted Hoquiam. in few opportunities for families wishing to 3 relocate. In fact, since 1970 there has been a net to maintain a healthy supply/demand ratio. increase (housing starts less demolitions) of only The lower the vacancy rate, the higher the 63 new housing units. The effects of this lack of demand for housing and, consequently, the building are discussed in more detail in Section higher the housing values. Compared to towns Two. In addition to the lack of new houses, there of approximately the same size, homeowners are more households requiring housing; average and renters in Hoquiam spend more money for fathily size in the U.S. has dropped from 3.3 to 2.9 lower quality housing. A more detailed persons per household since 1960. The growth rate discussion of how the vacancy rate effects of new households in the U.S. requiring housing the housing need is presented in Section has doubled (Residential Development Handbook, Three. 1978). All of these factors - lack of housing The need for housing created by more new house- starts, the growing number of households, holds and an abundance of delapidated housing is economic growth and a decreasing vacancy made more acute by economic development in rate - are creating the need for more Hoquiam and the surrounding area. In addition to housing. While-Hoquiam has experienced the Kaiser plant, other large employment genera- little new housing of late, other areas tors have moved to or are planning facilities in Grays Harbor-County are experiencing in.the area. ITT Rayonier opened a new sawmill normal building activity. For example, the in Hoquiam in 1977 and'is currently planning a City of Aberdeen authorized 347 permits of pulp processing plant in the City. A new nuclear new housing units in 1976 and 1977. In energy facility is underway in Satsop'as well those same two years, Hoquiam authorlied (Duggan, 1978). only 83 new housing units. This indicates that there is a market for new housing in Currently, the vacancy rate in Hoquiam is 1.8 percent in single family dwellings and 3.0 the surrounding areas that Hoquiam may be percent in multifamily dwellings. Considering able to compete for. the age of the population and age of the housing stock, these figures are below the rate necessary 4 Three major concerns in Hoquiam center on the future of the housing situation in the city. o Hoquiam is not attracting its fair share of the new housing construction in the area. * The rate of new housing con- struction is not keeping pace with housing demands created. by the loss of existing housing stock, decreasing family size and in-migration. o The decreasing vacancy rate in Hoquiam will continue to drive housing costs and rents out of the range of a greater percentage of the population. 5 Kaiser Facility potential oil drilling operations in the Alaskan Gulf. Because of the severe climatic conditions Kaiser Steel Corporation manufactures and assembles there, larger platforms than those currently structures which are used for drilling and oil manufactured by Kaiser are needed for drilling exploration all over the world. The Kaiser rigs. These platforms cannot be assembled at Corporation has taken an option and received the Kaiser plants in California because size a fill permit for forty acres of land on the limits their mobility. Grays Harbor was chosen harbor in Hoquiam for a potential assembly because of its ability to accommodate large site. Site improvements would include a marine floating structures and its proximity to the launchway and barge terminal. The launchway Alaskan Gulf (Carson, 1978). would be approximately 650 feet long and 233 Because Kaiser relies on large oil companies feet wide. The terminal wou.ld be about 500 for construction contracts, actual development feet long and 100 feet wide. Other facilities of the assembly facility is dependent on the would include a railroad siding, an office success of those companies oil explorations building and service buildings (USCOE, 1976). in the Alaskan Gulf. These explorations consist Operations at the Hoquiam plant would include of test borings to determine the existence of oil. assembly of large steel marine structures used Should oil be discovered, oil drilling platforms for oil drilling, such as.docks, trestles and such as those Kaiser manufactures would be barges. These units, which would be welded necessary to extract it. However, the explora- and sandblasted, range up to 350 feet wide, tions have not yet revealed oil deposits of - 250 feet high and 650 feet long. Each structure sufficient size to warrant drilling operations is custom-designed for a particular use and (Carson, 1978). A more detailed analysis of location. Most of the component pieces the potential impacts of the Kaiser facility is would be manufactured in California and shipped given in Section Four. to Hoquiam for assembly. The Hoquiam facility would directly serve 6 51@ Section Two: Local Resident Profile SECTION TWO: LOCAL RESIDENT PROFILE GRAYS HARBOR COUNTY Resident Population 1950-1977 Projected to Year 2000 Population ousands of Persons Incorporated Towns Population data for Hoquiam indicate that the. City 23 Aberdeen has experienced a slight decline since 1950. The 22 City reached a peak population of 12,766 in 1930 21 and a low population of 10,054 in 1975. The 20 largest population increase since 1960 occurred 19 between 1975 and 1976, when the City recorded 18- almost 400 new residents (Overall Economic 17 Development Program, 1976). The absence of 16 growth in Hoquiam is indicative of the population 15- trends in the incorporated areas of Grays Harbor 14 County. Between 1950 and 1977 the population 13- Hoquiam in the incorporated areas of the County rose 12 only slightly from 38,089 to 40,872, or 6.8 11 percent. However, the unincorporated areas of 10 the County increased from 15,555 in 1950 to 20,528 9 in 1977, or 24.2 percent. At the same time, 8 the State of Washington as a whole was 7 experiencing a population increase of 1.283 6 million, or 35.1 percent. 5 4 Montesano 3 Ocean Shores* .... Elmo 2 .............................. At@@ ... Cosmopolis Westport ........... . McCleary ............... Table 1 0 ...... .--# . . ..................... Oakville Ocean Shores Inc. 1977 1950 1960 1970 1977 1985 2000 7 Although the overall growth rate of the incorporated GRAYS HARBOR COUNTY areas of the County is well below that of unincorpor- Resident Popwation Growth Trends ated areas and the State as a whole, some of the Thousands of Persons State Total State Total smaller incorporated towns experienced substantial 400 3,661,475 4,810,000 growth. While Hoquiam and Aberdeen have been de- 300 clininq -in population, smaller towns in the area 200. such as Cosmopolis, Elma and Montesano have shown steady increases. In addition, many of the unin- IoQ corporated areas near Hoquiam and Aberdeen have so County Total experienced significant growth. Table 2 compares 6 .............. the growth rates of the incorporated and unincor- ............. Incorporated porated areas of Grays Harbor County to statewide Unincorporated totals. 20 .................................... Population forecasts for Hoquiam point towards 0 more growth than the City has previously exper- 1950 Igho 19110 19Vr l9b5 20bo ienced. The Grays Harbor Regional Planning Commission has established forecasts for the County to the year 2000. These forecasts pre- dict a ten percent increase for Hoquiam by 1985 as compared to an increase in the entire County of eight percent. (Overall Economic Development Program, 1976). Table 2 8 GRAYS HARBOR COUNTY Growth in communities such as Hoquiam, which Resident Population 1950-1977 is strongly dependent on natural resources, Projected to Year 2000 @Lxisting Rate of Change is traditionally based on the maintenance percentage of Change Mr.11ZI. Projected Rate of Change 10 0 10 20 30 40 50 60 70 and creation of jobs in the local area. Populations in communities that rely Incorporated Aberdeen heavily on one major industry fluctuate in osmopolis proportion to the success or failure of Elmo that industry. Any significant alteration HoqWW= McCleary of the wood products industry in Hoquiam Morltesono Oakville will result in corresponding alterations Ocean Shores in local economics and population. port 1 Wzz, 0,0 9 0WO 0 0 V/ Diversification of the economic base, Unincorporated such as the proposed Kaiser facility, would help to stabilize the local popula- County Total tion. Comparative population projections State Total to the year 2000 for Grays Harbor County 0 10 20 30 40 50 60 70 are listed on Table 3. Table 3 9 'Age The most recent population breakdowns by age for Hoquiam are from the 1970 U.S. census, and because of the relative stability of the population these figures are still generally applicable. The trend in Hoquiam is much like that of most small American cities, where there are CITY OF HOQUIAM Population by Age - 1970 A CgP relatively fewer persons in the younger ..u.. Males - Females 85 and labor force, ages 18-44, than in larger ove r 80-84 Median Age cities. A combination of too few jobs and 75-79 Male 29.2- Female 31.5 natural migration create a void in this 70-74 Total 303 category. As Table 4 shows, Hoquiam is 65-69 60-64 composed mostly of young people (5-14 55-59 years of age) who are still living at home,. 50-54 and older persons (over 44 years old) who 45-49 40-44 plan to remain there. Persons in the 18- 35-39 44 age group are much more affected by 30-34 fluctuations in the local job market than 25-29 are those in the older and younger groups. 20-24 Also, they tend to be more mobile because 1519 10-14 of a desire to leave small towns and move 5-9 to better job markets. Under 5 0 4080 2080 0 200 4-010 601-0 Table 4 categorizes the 1970 Hoquiam Hundreds of Persons population by age group. Close examin- ation reveals that approximately one-half of the population is under 18 or over 62. Table 4 10 Household Size created the need for approximately 8,500 Although population increases are projected to be new households between 1970 and 1975 (Washington relatively modest, the need for public facilities State Housing Report, 1978). and housing may grow at a faster rate. One major Other factors involved in declining household factor is declining family size. Household size size include the fact that life expectancy in the State of Washington declined from 3.09 is lengthening and that the average age at first persons in 1960 to 2.79 in 1975. This decrease marriage is older. In Washington, the number of is projected to continue, reaching 2.50 persons elderly people (65 and over) increased one percent per household in 1985 (Washington State Housing from 1970 to 1975. Many of these people remain Report, 1978). So, although the total number in single family living units that they have of people in the County, and in Hoquiam, may occupied for a number of years. The percentage remain fairly constant or increase only moder- of single persons in the U.S. tinder age 35 ately, the number of households can be expected has increased twenty-five percent since 1970. to increase. The number of new housing units These persons, who before married and created needed is related more directly to the total one household, now each occupy a separate house- number of households, rather than to overall hold (Washington State Housing Report, 1978). population. As the number of households Throughout the State, cities with populations increases, so does the need fo@ new dwelling in excess of 1,000 have exhibited a decrease units. in household size. This decrease in size is The need for more living units in spite of the one factor that creates the need for more declining population rate is the result of a housing units. It should be noted that statistics preference for smaller families, the formation on household size specifically in Hoquiam are of single person households and the increasing not readily available. It is assumed that the divorce rate. The divorce rate in the U.S. statewide figures reflect the general trends more than doubled between 1964 and 1974. In in Hoquiam. the State of Washington alone, divorce Employment TABLE 5 Like most areas that depend heavily on Average Annual Employment natural resource industries, Grays Harbor and Unemployment County's employment situation fluctuates Grays Harbor County greatly from year to year. As Table 5 1970-1976 shows, the average annual unemployment GRAYS HARBOR STATE U.S. Number of Unemployment Unemployment Unemployment rate in the county changed an average Unemployed Rate Rate Rate of 1.7 percent per year between 1970 and 1977. In all but three of those 1970 2,800 11.5 9.1 4.9 years, the county average was higher 1971 2,420 9.8 10.1 5.9 than the state average. Consequently, 1972 2,370 9.4 9.5 5.6 since 1970 the county's average annual 1973 2,320 3.9 7.9 4.9 unemployment rate is 1 percent higher 1974 2,290 8.9 7.2 5.6 than the state's. 1975 3,070 12.4 9.5 8.6 The peak unemployment rate was in 1975, 1976 2,107 8.0 8.6 7.5 when more than 12 percent of the county 1977 2,660 9.6 8.8 7.0 labor force was without work. Between 1975 and 1976, the rate dropped to 8 1970-. 1977 percent and then leveled to 9.6 percent Aver- in 1977, giving further indication of age 2,505 9.8 8.8 6.3 the instability in the number of avail- able jobs. SOURCE: Overall Economic Development Plan, Grays Harbor County, 1976. 12 'Although employment figures remain relatively high, TABLE 6 there are signs of economic improvement in the Average Monthly Employment county. As Table 6 shows, the trend toward more Grays Harbor County government and service jobs which prevailed in 1976-1977 the early 1970's was slowed somewhat by increases JOB, TYPE WAGE AND SALARY EARNERS in other areas, such as manufacturing and construc- 1976 1977 tion. Manufacturing jobs, which decreased in number between 1970 and 1975, increased to the Manufacturing 7830 8200 highest level since the 1960's, while wages and Non Manufacturing 13050 14100 salaries from construction work almost doubled Construction 740 1110 between 1976 and 1977. The increase in construc- Transportation, Communication tion jobs is, in part, due to the nuclear power and Utilities 900 920 plant project in Satsop as well as increases in Trade 4040 4500 housing starts throughout the county. Finance, Insurance and Real Estate 510 580 Hoquiam, being the industrial hub of the area, has Service and Misc. 3310 3430 traditionally been more dependent on wood products Government 3550 3560 manufacturing jobs while other communities such as TOTAL 20830 22300 Aberdeen, are stronger in the trade and service categories. Consequently, economic stability in Hoquiam is dependent on diversification in SOURCE: Overall Economic Development Program all areas of employment. Annual Progress Report, Grays Harbor County 1977. 13 As the following list of county taxpayers shows, the entire area is still very much dependent on wood products firms. LARGEST TAXPAYERS IN GRAYS HARBOR COUNTY 1. Weyerhauser Company 2. ITT - Rayonier, Inc. 3. Simpson Timber Co. 4. Boise-Cascade (Source: Grays Harbor County Assessor) Timber related jobs generally throughout the country have declined steadily since 1969, and experts project that general trend to continue (Overall Economic Development Program, 1976). The U.S. Forest Service estimates that while thirty-three percent of timber-related jobs available in 1969 will be eliminated by 2020, there will be a slight increase in pulp and paper industry jobs. The most significant increases are expected in the forest management field. As the industry begins to develop more intensive management practices, the number of management positions is expected to increase by almost fifty percent. As mills become more automated, there will be a shift from emphasis on general labor to emphasis on management and research. It is assumed that workers who fill these new spots will have different skills than those whom they replace (USCOE,1976). 14 TABLE 7 Income MEDIAN INCOME AND HOUSING VALUE The heavy reliance on the wood products industry Hoquiam, Grays Harbor Co. and Washington State in Hoquiam has resulted in an unstable employment 1970 - 1977 pattern and a lower median household income than the State of Washington as a whole. As Table 7 1970 1973 1977 % Change 70-77 shows, the median household income for Hoquiam MEDIAN INCOME was roughly 10 percent lower than the State Hoquiam2 7674 9029 11,286 33% average in 1970. The same table assumes that Grar Harbor recent income increases have been approximately Co. 7675 9029 11,287 33% the same for Hoquiam as they have for the State State 8500 10,000 12,500 33% as a whole. In reality; although no specific MEDIAN VALUE figures are available, income in Hoquiam probably OF HOUSING increases at a slightly slower rate than the rest Grar Harbor of the State. Co. 13,700 18,221 22,595 +39.4% The important figures in terms of housing are the State 23,500 35,000 46,000 +49.0% comparative increases in income and housing value.' While the median income in Hoquiam and the State lFamilies and unrelated individuals has risen approximately 33 percent, the value 2Actual for 1970: estimated for 1973 and 1977 of housing has risen 49 percent in the State and 39 percent in Grays Harbor County (Washington State Housing Report, 1978). This means that SOURCE: Washington State Housing Report, 1978 fewer families can afford to buy homes and that, Quarterly Socioeconomic Report, 1978 U.S. Bureau of Census, 1970 in general, families cannot afford the same type of house they could in 1970. 15 Table 8 further illustrates the growing discrepancy in family income and housing value. Although these figures apply only to the State as a whole, they give a relatively good indication of what is occurring in Hoquiam. In 1970, the median house- hold income was almost 75 percent of the income required to purchase a median priced home. In 1977, the median income wa,'s only 55 percent of the income needed to purchase a median price home. In seven years, roughly 20 percent fewer families could .afford to purchase a median price home. These figures all point to a trend that is affec- ting the entire country, namely increases in income are not matching increases in housing costs. A combination of new housing methods, publicly funded housing and less expensive development techniques are necessary to slow the spiraling cost of housing. Sections Five and Six discusses housing implementation strategies in Hoquiam that address this problem. 16 TABLE 8 INCOME REQUIRED TO PURCHASE MEDIAN PRICED HOUSING COMPARED TO MEDIUM HOUSEHOLD INCOME: State of Washington 1970 1977 New Housing Existing Housing 1970 1973 1977 1970 1973 1977 MEDIAN HOUSING VALUE 25,600 31,500 48,000 21,500 26,500 42,000 Mortgagesi 166.26 208.40 355.41 139.91 183.67 345.54 Taxes2 32.43 59.06 65.00 27.24 49.58 56.00 Insurance 5.00 8.00 11.00 4.00 7.00 10.00 Utilities 25.00 30.00 45.00 25.00 30.00 45.00 Maintenance 9.00 10.00 15.00 9.00 10.00 15.00 TOTAL MONTHLY COST 237.69 315.46 491.41 205.15 280.25 471.54 INCOME REQUIRED @ 25% 11,409 15,142 23,587 9,847 13,452 22,633 MEDIAN HOUSEHOLD INCOME 8,500 10,000 12,500 8,500 10,000 12,500 lAssumes 74%, 25 year loan, 10% down for 1970, 8%, 30 year loan, 10% down for 1973, and 911-4%, 30 year loan, 10% down for 1977. 2Actual State Taxes SOURCE: State of Washington Housing Report, 1978 Quarterly Socioeconomic Report, 1978 17 Section Three: Housing Itv 3;@,i,'. SECTION THREE: HOUSING The low to moderately-priced units are generally 1,100 to 1,200 square feet, 1 1/2-stories, on Existing Profile 4,000-square foot lots with three bedrooms and The majority of Hoquiam's housing stock was con- one bath. These houses are located in the structed prior to 1940 to accommodate a boom in flat lands, surrounding the industrial and the lumber industry. Most of the mill workers commercial property. Hillside property, much located in the lowlands to be close to work of which commands spectacular views of the harbor, while more affluent community residents settled is developed with newer, more costly housing. on the surrounding hillsides. Since 1940, as Perhaps no statistics have changed as much as the population stabilized, so did the number of real estate values over the last ten years, with new houses. The 1970 census indicated that more the most recent increases being the most than seventy-five percent of the dwellings in dramatic. Because the changes have been so Hoquiam were more than thirty years old (Hoquiam great over a short period of time, relevant Comprehensive Plan, Section 3, 1974). It can data are hard to obtain. Informa@tion more than reasonably be assumed, then, that the majority six months old is virtually useless. However, of housing in the City is approaching 40 years it is possible to delineate some general trends of age or older. to attempt to put the spiralling costs of housing The housing in the City can be divided into two and property into perspective. basic categories: 1) low to moderately-priced A random survey was done to determine the increases units and 2) high-priced units. There is a in assessments of the two general housing types in distinct lack of units priced at middle income Hoquiam. The first group of houses was located in ranges. Most of the housing, such as that the lowlands and were built prior to 1940. The. originally built to house mill workers,falls average 1976 assessed value of this group was into the first category and is of generally $21,232. The average assessment increased 56.6 the same quality and construction. percent between 1970 and 1976 (County Assessor, 1978). The second group of houses'which were built after There are very few areas in Hoquiam that warrant 1965 were located on or near the hills surround- demolition and redevelopment. In a number of ing the city. Most of them were one or two story cases, one very poorly-maintained house would modern structures with three or four bedrooms and appear on a block of well-maintained structures. two baths. The average 1976 assessed valuation It is assumed that the future of those units was $41,778. The average assessment increase would be determined by the surrounding uses between 1970 and 1976 was 34.6 percent (County and that demolition of them would not create Assessor, 1978). enough vacant land for a significant number of new housing starts. Most of the housing supply Conversations with local real estate brokers would be kept livable and in relatively good and appraisers confirm these increases. A condition.with moderate rehabilitation. standard, 1 112 story house in good condition flousing that was judged to be in need of repairs with three bedrooms and one bath.on a 4,000 greater than one-fourth the total value of the square foot lot generally sold for $20,000 in 1969. Chouse was considered beyond rehabilitation. This The same house would today cost between $38,000 determination does not preclude rehabilitation, and $42,000. but was used as a general rule for this study. One area of such housing is located east of Inventory Lincoln Street, between Smith and Eklund Streets The consulting team conducted a windshield (Area map 3, Section Six). Much of the housing survey of housing conditions in the City. adjacent to the old urban renewal area, between The purpose of the survey was to identify 9th and 12th south of Simpson (Area map 6) is areas with potential for redevelopment, as also in very poor condition, and may warrant well as to generally assess the entire re-development. The actual feasibility of housing stock. The housing was found to be clearance versus rehabilitation needs more fairly well maintained, particularly considering specific study on the part of the landowners and the age of the structures. the City, but these areas were determined to be in particularly poor condition. 20 'Existing Housing Need number and the number of existing units plus At the present time there is an existing housing the number of authorized demolitions results need in Hoquiam due to low vacancy rates. Vacancy in a total number of replacement units which are rates, which identify the number of unoccupied required to achieve a balanced housing supply. units, play a major role in determining housing TABLE 9 City of Hoquiam values and rents. Low vacancy rates indicate Existing Housing Need 1977 a lack of adequate housing choice and often lead to high costs because housing demand exceeds Population 10,430 People Per Household 2.63 the available supply. Conversely, when vacancy s Single Family 3.29 rates are high, many units remain unoccupied @ Multi-Family 1.97 and housing costs usually drop. Existing Number of Households 3962 s Single Family 2979 The existing vacancy rates in Hoquiam are 1.8 * Multi-Family 983 Uxisting Number of Units 4047 percent for single family housing and 3.0 * Single Family 3034 percent for multi-family units (Hoquiam Bldg. * Multi-Family 1013 Existing Vacancy Rate 2.7% Dept., 1978). Optimum rates, which would * Single Family 1.8% provide an adequate housing choice and a 9 Multi-Family 3.0% Total Units Required 4160 good unit turnover, are 4-4.5 percent for * Single Family 3113 single family units and 6-6.5 percent for * Multi-Family 1047 New Households Required multi-family units. These optimum rates * Due to demolitions 9 reflect the population's propensity to 9 Single Family 2 * Multi-Family 7 move and the existing housing stock. 0 To achieve optimum vacancy rate 118 * Single Family 82 9 Multi-Family 36 Table 9 outlines the existing housing need TOTAL 127 s Single Family 84 in the City. The "Total Units Required" 9 Multi-Family _ 43. category is the number of housing units needed Sources: Overall Economic Development Program, 1976 Washington State Housing Report, 1978 at the present time to achieve the optimum Hoquiam Public Works, 1978 vacancy rates. The difference between that U.S. Bureau of Census, 1978 21 Approximately 60 to 70 percent of the housing in Hoquiam is owner-occupied, single family dwellings. Although the assumption is that local residents prefer to own rather than rent, economics will continue to make that desire more difficult to realize. Based on the employment and income information in Section Two, it appears that the existing housing need would be best met by low to moderate priced ($35,000-45,000) single family homes and moderate ($150 to 200 per month) rentals. At existing development and construction costs, the percentage of renters will continue to increase,particularly in new units. Successful housing rehabilitation efforts would make single family home ownership more feasible for a larger segment of the population as construction of new homes of similar quality would be beyond the economic means of most of the residents. Substantial demolition would most likely result in a significant change in the owner-renter ratio as the economics of new construction would force people to rent rather than own. Because the extent of future housing rehabilitation and future real estate values are unknown, the housing need projections in Tables 9 and 10 assume the same single family to multi-family ratio as exists today. 22 Future Housing Need state-wide averages, the household size in The need for additional housing in Hoquiam is Hoquiam is projected to decline from 2.63 persons increasing due to the following four major per household to 2.46 in 1980 and 2.31 in 1985. factors. The corresponding declines in multi-family o Population Growth and single family residences are also indicated o Decreasing Household Size in Table 10. o Low Vacancy Rates The decline in household size will impact housing o Age and Condition of need in two ways. First, new families moving Existing Housing into floquiam will be smaller than in the past. 0 Population Growth: Various population Therefore, housing to accommodate new residents projections for Hoquiam all indicate an is based on 1980 and 1985 household size projec- average growth rate of approximately 1 - 1.3 tions. Secondly, family size within Hoquiam will percent. Using the high end of that range, decrease and create some new need for housing. the City's population would reach 10,836 by However, the exact need is difficult to determine 1980 and 11,610 in 1985 as indicated in Table because the percentage of people who create new 10. These population figures are made using households and stay in Hoquiam is unknown. Some general trends and do not usually reflect will simply leave and look for housing elsewhere. population increases due to specific Category "b" on Table 10 estimates the need for factors sUch as new industry. Therefore, the new housing due to the decline in existing family housing need associated with the new Kaiser size. The low estimate is calculated on the facility (Section 4) would be in addition to assumption that one-quarter of the new household that outlined in Table 10. formations will stay in Hoquiam, while the high * Decreasing Household Size: Although popula- estimate indicates the need for housing if all tion projections for the City do not indicate the new households formed remain in Hoquiam. substantial growth, changes in household While the range created in category "b" gives the structure will increase the need for housing high and low end of the housing need, most likely, units relative to the population. Based on the actual need will fall somewhere in the middle. 23 A * Low Vacancy Rates: As discussed previously, the estimates, subject to the actual amount of low vacancy rates in Hoquiam create an existing rehabilitation undertaken in the next seven need for housing in the City. To maintain years and could change significantly. optimum vacancy rates there will have to be TABLE 10 PROJECTED HOUSING NEED more new units constructed than are actually 1980-1985 needed. These additional units are indicated in category "c". 1980. 1985 Population 10,836 11,610 0 Age and Condition of Housing Stock: Also People per Household 2.46 2.31 contributing to the need for new housing Single Family 1.75 1.64 Multi-Family 2.70 2.54 is the number of units which will be demolished New Households Required due to their age and condition. The age of a) Due to new population 165 510 ,Single Family 124 383 the existing units would normally indicate that a Multi-Family 41 127 great number of them are ready for replacement. b) Due to changes in Existing Population 48-192 117-468 However, the housing inventory revealed that Single Family 36-144 88-351 most of the units in Hoquiam could remain Multi-Family 12- 48 29-117 c) To Maintain Optimum in good condition with minimal upkeep and Vacancy Rate 2- 10 4- 24 rehabilitation. If a rehabilitation program Single Family 1- 7 3- 16 is established (through H.C.D. funds for Multi-Family 1- 3 1- 8 example) the number of demolitions will be d) Due to Demolition 100 350 Single Family 60 210 relatively low. However, if no concentrated Multi-Family 40 140 effort is made to encourage rehabilitation, a Total New Units Required (1977-1985) 442-594 1148-1479 substantial number of units may have to be Single Family 305-419 794-1044 replaced by 1985. (Hoquiam Comprehensive Plan, Multi-Family 139-175 354-.435 Additional Units Required Section 3, 1974). Current demolition trends are per year: 147-198 164- 211 well below that rate. The figures in category Single Family 101-140 113- 150 Mul ti -Fami ly 46- 58 50- 62 "d", which are relatively conservative compared SOURCES: Washington State Housing Report 1978. to those of past studies, are, like any demolition Hoquiam Public Works Dept. 1978 Overall Economic Development Program 1976. 24 Potential for Additional Housing Because of the physical constraints of the land Hoquiam has two major choices in providing for future (i.e. slopes, vegetation, etc.) as much of the housing need; 1) rehabilitation and 2) new construc- Riverdale area as possible should be developed tion. The most logical solution is a combination of as one parcel. To achieve thi.s, the City should both. Rehabilitation is a preventive device. By continue their efforts to purchase the County's maintaining and rehabilitating old housing, the lots and perhaps private lots as well. Once a need for new housing is decreased. As the housing large block of land is accumulated, it could inventory revealed, most of the housing in Hoquiam be sold to a developer for re-platting and sub- is adequately maintained although a few areas have dividing. Such action would result in a more been identified which are beyond the rehabilitation effective development plan than would normally stage. Rehabilitation is important-because of the occur on individual parcels. rising cost of land and construction. Most of the dust north of the Riverdale Addition is the housing in Hoquiam could not be replaced with housing Woodlawn Addition, which has consistently been of similar value. Continued maintenance and rehab- discussed as Hoquiam's "area for the future." ilitation will decrease the need for additional Like the Riverdale Addition, Woodlawn has access housing and consequently, the need to develop to water and sewer lines and has been accommodating vacant land. recent development. Although this area does have There is a substantial amount of undeveloped, some topographic and.bi *ological constraints, it vacant land in Riverdale and Woodlawn (Area Maps 1, certainly offers the potential for future growth. 2 and 3, Section Six). Grays Harbor County owns Two other areas offer vacant land that could 217 lots in the Riverdale Addition, the city owns accommodate development. The Little Hoquiam 8 and private parties own the remaining 174 lots. Valley (Area Map 9, Section Six) is comprised of The City is currently negotiating to acquire the land that is suitable for building, although it County's lots which are 4,000 square feet in size may require an expansion of public facilities. and platted on a grid system, a system which is The two major land owners in the valley are the not appropriate relative to the land formation. City and ITT Rayonier. The City also owns 13 25 acres of undeveloped land near the high school (Area Map 10, Section Six) which has been dis- cussed as a new park site, a residential site and a combination of both. Recently, the City received a sizable donation in the form of a matching grant to be used for park development. As of yet, the City is still trying to raise the funds necessary to accomplish park improve- ments. Section Six deals with each of these areas in detail in terms of their potential for meeting the housing need in Hoquiam. 26 Section Four: Kaiser ln-Mig@ants SECTION FOUR: KAISER-IN MIGRANTS TABLE 11 Employee Profile KAISER STEEL EMPLOYEES Employee Profile by Salary and Category The success of the oil explorations in Alaska Employees Salary Yearly* will determine the future of the Kaiser facil- Needed Ranges($) income ($) ity. Should it locate in Hoquiam, the facility will have an immediate impact on housing. Table WELDERS 110 $7.50 - 11.00/hr. 15600-22880 11 gives conservative projections of potential PIPE FITTERS 45 7.60 - 8.50/hr. 15808-17680 Kaiser employees by job category and salary PRODUCTION range. ASSEMBLERS 20 5.50 - 6.50/hr. 11440-13520 The majority of the Kaiser personnel would be ADMINISTRA- hired from the existing labor force. It would TORS 50 # Foreman 10 9.50 10.50/hr. 19760-21840 consist of highly-skilled laborers such as 9 Superin- welders and pipe fitters as well as production tendents 5 11.50 12.50/hr. 23920-26000 * Asst. Super- assembly workers, office and clerical help. visors 10 1800 2100/mo. 21600-25200 To meet the potential demand, Grays Harbor 9 Production Supervi- Community College is offering a program to sors 10 2383 2478/mo. 28600-29744 train welders. The goal of the program is * Other 15 to train enough welders to meet Kaiser's needs. CLERICAL 11 Kaiser could provide as many as 250 new jobs e Secretaries 5 $850/mo. 10,200 e Typists 3 $650/mo. 7,800 to local residents (USCOE, 1976). e Recep- tionist 1 $650/mo. 7,800 Most of the administrative personnel would be 9 Bookkeepers 2 $550 - $750/mo. 6600-9000 relocated to Hoquiam from existing Kaiser MISCELLANEOUS 14 offices. These positions include production supervisors, plant managers and other top- *1978 average pay rate level personnel, all of whom would be in the Source: USCOE, 1976 middle to upper middle income categories. Occupational Information Printouts, 1978 Havercamp, 1978 27 Housing Need Housing need created by the Kaiser facility would be Table 12 provides a breakdown of the cost of manifested in two ways. First, there is an obvious affordable housing by job category and need to accommodate the new employees who would income. A standard figure for maximum relocate in Hoquiam. Second, there would be a need monthly mortgage payment ts twenty-five percent to accommodate the increased spending power of of an individual's gross monthly income existing residents who secure higher-paying jobs at (Residential Development Handbook, 1978). How- the Kaiser facility. ever, the actual payment is established by Of the 250 jobs Kaiser would produce, almost all the lending institution and thus may be higher of the 50 administrative positions and approximately or lower than the figures given here. The one-fourth of the skilled labor jobs would be effect of other factors, such as the possibil- filled by persons new to Hoquiam. The administrA- ity of G.I. loans, two-income households and tors, would come primarily from existing Kaiser the value of the worker's former home, is facilities or other similar facilities, while the impossible to calculate unless given a skilled laborers would consist of currently specific employment profile. Particularly in unemployed, skilled workers throughout the North- the case of the new residents, the value of west. It Iis important to note that these people their former homes may be very important. would represent a population increase not in- For example, a Kaiser family relocating from cluded in the standard population projections California, where housing is more costly, may listed in Table 10. Consequently, a separate be able to purchase more for their money in housing need of approximately 85 families would Hoquiam, where housing costs are lower. be generated by the Kaiser Plant. These families would be included mostly in the higher income levels (15,600/year and up) listed in Table 11. 28 TABLE 12 KAISER EMPLOYEES Income Available for Housing 20% 25% Price of Affordable Unit Salary/Mo. of Salary of Salary Owni Rent WELDERS 1300-1900 260-380 325-475 36,075-37,725 260-350/mo. PIPE FITTERS 1317-1473 263-294 329-368 36.519-40,848 263-350/mo. PRODUCTION ASSEMBLERS 953-1126 190-225 238-281 26,418-31,191 190-281/mo. ADMINISTRATORS e Foreman 1646-1820 329-364 411-455 45,621-50,505 to 400/mo. 0 Superintendent 1993-2166 398-433 498-541 55,278-60,051 to 450/mo. i Asst. Supervisors 1800-2100 360-420 450-525 49,950-58,275 to 500/mo. e Production Supervisor 2383-2478 476-495 595-619 66,045-68,709 to 550/mo. * Other CLERICAL * Secretary 850 170 212 23,532 170-212/mo. * Typist 650 130 162 17,982 130-162/mo. * Receptionist 650 130 162 17,982 130-162/mo. * Bookkeeper 550-750 110-150 137-187 15,207-20,757 110-187/mo. lAssumes mortgage payment 25% of gross monthly income and that monthly payment approximately 11% of total unit cost. SOURCE: USCOE, 1976 Occupational Information Printouts, 1978 Havercamp, 1978 29 Based on the information in Table 12 and current e The other manufacturing jobs in housing values in Hoquiam, it appears that approxi- the area (i.e., lumber and wood mately 205 households in the Kaiser work force products) pay about as well as could afford to purchase a single family house. Kaiser manufacturing jobs, and Of those 205 households, roughly 70 could purchase require completely different a medium priced new house, based on state-wide skills. Therefore, the temptation housing averages. Another 135 workers could pur- to change from an existing job to chase either a lower priced new home or an existing a Kaiser job would not be that dwelling while the remaining 45 workers could great. afford rental units varying in price from $110 Therefore, it seems reasonable to assume that to $280 per month. Of those who could afford a large portion of these 135 households to purchase homes, some may wish to rent. generated by the Kaiser facility will be However, it is assumed that most people who able to afford to buy a house for the can afford to buy homes will. first time. Therefore, although the It is necessary to keep in mind three key points majority may not be new to Hoquiam, there is when analysing the 136 workers who could a good chance they would be new homeowners. purchase a low priced new home or an existing home: * The Kaiser facility is unlike any existing plant in the area. There- fore, the skills required (i.e. welding and pipe fitting) are new to the area. 9 A special program was established to train local persons for Kaiser jobs. 30 Section Five: Development Barriers SECTION FIVE tear, are inadequate to meet current needs. The present facility serves as a combination sanitary Public Sector Development Barriers and storm drainage system and does not have In new housing development, the public sector plays sufficient pipe sizing for both functions, resul- both a physical role, consisting of provisions for ting in overflows and surcharged system condi- public facilities, and a social role, which promotes tions. For example, the Sewer System Evaluation the community's health, safety and welfare. The Survey done in 1976 indicated that the Sewer System physical facilities include sanitary and storm capacity in Hoquiam was approximately 6 MGD's sewers, roads, water, schools, and fire and police (Million Gallons per Day). During and after protection. In addition, special physical features, storms, the maximum flows due to inflow and such as flood plains are often managed by public infiltration (I/I) ranged from 13 to 25 MGD's. agencies. The social role is comprised primarily The bulk of those totals was a result of storm of administering growth and development that is water inflow at deficient points in the system. in the best interest of the total community. The new system will consist of lines parallel to To encourage new housing, Hoquiam must identify the existing system which would carry sanitary the deficiencies in its existing public facilities sewerage only. The existing lines would remain and administration procedures, and work towards wherever possible to handle storm water runoff. solutions that are satisfactory to existing However, the remaining lines would not, by them- residents and prospective developers. selves, be adequate to handle the total storm Physical: drainage flow in the City (Sewer System Evaluation Sewers: Survey, 1976). The City is participating in a matching grant program with the Environmental Protection Agency and the State Department of Ecology to replace approximately ninety percent of the existing sewer lines. The existing lines were built prior to 1920 and, due to structural wear and 31 V - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - WOODLAW RI 101 Perry Ave V", 2 0 U I A 0 101 9 H,gh Sthool J HN 10 GABLE AOUIAM RIV .......... -5.71 PROPERTY Emerson Ave. b I . . ... ...... . ... CITI 101 CENTEFJ Sumner Ave. Simoson Ave E C" A.WI F? 'I"fic ......... B y _A, KAISER SITE Funds for this study have been provided by a grant from the Washington State HOQUIAM HOUSING STUDY Dept. of Ecology and the National Grays Harbor Regional Planning Commissi Oceanic and Atmospheric Administra- tion, Outer Continental Shelf Program. Wilsey & Ham September Because the new sewer system will be constructed that the present facilities could serve a population to serve sanitary sewer needs only and infiltra- of 3,000 people; 2,000 north of Division St. and tion from storm water Will be eliminated, the 1,000 south of Division. According to City staff efficiency of the sanitary sewer system will be the new zoning ordinance would designate this increased. Consequently, there will be greater area primarily R-1, single family or R-2, single opportunities to develop areas that will receive family and duplex. The R-1 zone would require these improvements, such as Beacon Hill (Map B). 7500 square foot lots, the R-2, 5,000 square foot Other areas, such as the Little Hoquiam Valley,' lots. Assuming those designations, the area could would require improvements beyond those pro- be developed in a combination of ways to a maximum posed in the E.P.A. matching grant. Presently, number of units as described below: sewer lines extend along Queen Avenue to Tennis Ct., and south on Tennis Ct. to Court B. It is Single Family @2.82 persons/household - 1063 Units possible that a portion of the area near Tennis Multi-Family @1.81 persons/househols- - 1657 Ct. could be served by the existing lines, how- Units ever to serve land on both sides of Endreson Water: Road to the west, an additional pressure main The Department of Public Works has identified and pumping station would be required. Sewage three major concerns regarding the existing could be pumped to the south over the hill.1 water system: to the force main on 5th Street or to the treatment plant. 9 The City does not have enough knowledge as to the capability of the existing The Riverdale/Wood .lawn area sewer system was water supply system to adequately assess requests for new development completed less than ten years ago and appears * State law mandates an update to the local to have capacity to handle a substantial Comprehensive Water Plan every five years and none has been initiated to date. amount of new development. The City engineer- 9 A rate study is needed to determine the ing staff completed a design capacity study of ?ossibility and extent of water rate the Riverdale/Woodlawn pump station and sewer increases. lines in April of this year which indicated The average water consumption in Hoquiam is 33 approximately 2.1 MGD's. Because o f apparent and implementing procedure to improve and maintain malfunctions in the City's filtration process, existing roads that serve areas of potential the daily production capacity of the system is development. The plan should identify the ultimate suspected to be less than the total possible design function of the City's streets. As volume. As consumption increases, due to new developments are proposed, the City may realize residential, commercial and particularly indus- opportunities for obtaining street improvements. trial users, the average daily consumption begins Developments that utilize existing public rights-of- to near an unknown production limit. Without way may be required to make some improvements on further study, such as that required in an the portions of those streets which abut their updated water plan, the extent of the problem properties. Depending on the location and amount is not known (Williams, 1978). of traffic served , those improvements may vary The availability of water is essential for from just a paving section to streets with curbs, new housing starts. At the present time, the gutters and sidewalks. It is important for the City does not have enough information to City to realize that such improvements mean higher establish limits for the number of water hook- eventual housing costs. Consequently, decisions ups available for new residential or industrial as to the type of improvements required should be uses. Unless builders and developers are considered very carefully. certain of obtaining continuing supplies of Because of the variety in character of the vacant clean water, chances for new housing devel- land in Hoquiam, street standards should reflect opment are slim. physical land characteristics as well as trans- Roads: portation needs. Many of the wooded, hilly areas The adequacy of roads im-Hoquiam is a major may be best suited for minimum paving widths and concern of builders, developers and future improvements. In such cases, alternatives to wide residents. Few people are willing to invest paving sections, such as off-street parking and money in land or homes unless they are served separated pedestrian pathways may serve their by adequate roads. To encourage new housing intended use just as well as a larger street the City should develop a transportation plan section, with less impact on the site. The key 34 concept is to develop roadways which serve their-in- new development is on-line or actually completed, tended and future uses with as little cost and the City should be committed to provide for impact on the area as possible. these service increases, so that the new residents Support Services: are provided for as adequately as existing The remaining public facilities that are essential residents. to providing for new development include support Flood Plain: services such as schools, parks, and police and Much of the land in Hoquiam is within either the fire protection. These functions are termed 100 year flood plain ot the floodway as described support services because they generally occur in the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban in response to,,rather than prior to, new Development's (H.U.D.) Flood Insurance Study housing and population. However, the existence completed in January, 1978 (H.U.D.,1978). The and quality of these services play a major role purpose of the study was to aid in the administra- i in marketing a city to potential developers and tion of the National Flood Insurance Act of 1968 in turn, to potential new residents. and the Flood Disaster Protection Act of 1973, both Schools should have adequate capacity for new of which deal with establishing flood insurance residents as well as good facilities and a commit- premiums. Many of the study's findings, which ment to providing a quality education. Population revolved around the adequacy of the dike system, increases and trends should be constantly moni- are being contested by the City. The City is tored to be sure that classroom space and conducting surveys of the dike system to determine teachers are adequate at all times. The their actual heighth and physical condition. quality of a district's learning institutions is The main impact of the study, as it is written, a major component in attracting new residents. would be to raise flood insurance premiums on Other facilities such as parks, police and fire land within the flood plain and subject devel- protection should be planned to meet any opment of the land to federal flood plain regula- increases in population. Although actual tions. implementation is usually not essential until For the sake of development, it is important to make 35 the distinction between the flood plain and the Little Hoquiam Valley is soil conditions. floodway. The floodway line determines the General soils maps indicate the presence of point to which water would rise in a storm very wet soils which could inhibit development. situation if the flood plain was completely Only specific field survey will determine to filled. Consequently, development is not what extent those soils exist. allowed within the floodway. The flood plain Woodlawn also has an area of flood plain, but is the area of land subject to flooding the major concern there appears to be soil given a certain intensity storm, in this case, condition. Some maps indicate that a large a 100 year storm. Development is allowed portion of the area is wetland, with very within the 100 year flood plain if the wet soil types. However, a field survey located finished floor elevation of the structure many areas of fill material, which may have is at least as high as the highest flood replaced the original soil. More specific plain elevation. investigation as to actual location and amounts The two areas most affected by the flood plain of each soil type would reveal the adequacy are the Little Hoquiam Valley and Woodlawn. of the land for construction. Most of the land on both sides of the Little Hoquiam River are within the 100 year flood In some cases, the physical constraints of land create more problems at the administrative plain, as is the northwest portion of level than they do in the construction phase. Woodlawn. In the Little Hoquiam Valley, To try to eliminate the regulatory hurdle portions of the flood plain could be filled associated with developing in the flood plain, with earth from the adjacent hillsides the City should continue their appeal of the to.modify the flood plain. This is only Flood Insurance Study in hopes of reducing the feasible, however for a large scale devel- amount of land within the 100 year flood line. opment plan. Another alternative is to At the same time, more specific site infor- consider higher foundations or pole con- mation is needed in the Little Hoquiam Valley struction, depending upon the actual ground and Woodlawn to determine actual buildability elevation. An addTtional concern in the of the area. 36 Social The social attitude a community takes towards new can take the lead role and initiate.zoning requests housing is very important in attracting development. to provide adequate land for residential uses. At the front-end of any development project is the Once zoning is secured, it becomes the developers land use administration process where plans are responsibility to submit a development proposal. submitted and reviewed by the Planning Commission If new housing is to be encouraged, it is important and the City Council for their conformance to to realize which information the applicant is local policies and*ordinances. The time required better equipped to provide and which the City to process these proposals is a direct overhead is best able to supply. The developer, of course, project cost to the developer, which must be is responsible for preparing the design and regained at the time of lot sales. The expenses drawings necessary to present the proposal. How- procured. in this front-end time period are ever, some support efforts, such as identifying. administrative fees, interest and inflationary existing, surrounding conditions and notifying costs, which result in "real" dollar costs to adjacent land owners' are often times more easily future home buyers. provided by the City staff. Developers often The two primary areas in which the City can lose valuable time trying to secure information decrease these front-end costs are in zoning from different public agencies and local residents. and subdivision (or P.M.) processing. Zoning Once the proposal is packaged, it is reviewed by ordinances should provide sufficient areas of the Planning Commission at a public hearing. properly zoned land for housing development. Because they generally only occur once a month, The requirements should, in general, continue a denial or deferral at a public hearing is a costly to promote already established single family proposition, especially when such decisions could areas while also establishing multi-family have been avoided by better communication prior areas in appropriate locations such as near to the meeting. To reduce the processing costs major transportation routes, commercial facilities to both the City and the developer, the proposal and recreation areas. kather than placing the should be as complete as possible and reviewed by burden of change on the developer, the City the appropriate public body prior to the public 37 meeting. Whenever possible, all appropri@ate of these areas should be reviewed to determine decisions should be requested and decided on at one their most effective use. If housing is a priority session, including zoning, conditional use permits the City should consider releasing some of their and preliminary subdivision (or P.U.D.) requests, land for development. One method of releasing if necessary. the land could involve an independent market Other administrative measures that will encourage appraisal to establish a fair price, then new housing include alternatives to existing either auctioning the property or choosing,ia development standards. Because of the many purchaser through a selection process. physical constraints on land in Hoquiam (i.e., In general, to encourage new housing development, slopes, vegetation, flood plains) Planned Unit Hoquiam should establish a "pro-housing" attitude. Developments (P.U.D.) should be encouraged, In addition to solving the necessary physical especially in new development areas such as limitations to growth, the City should try to Woodlawn/Riverdale, Beacon Hill and the Little accomplish as much front-end work as possible, Hoquiam Valley. P.M.'s provide the benefit including processing, zoning and planning for of open space to serve the new population and support services. If the City does what it can retention of natural site features. Also, do best and allows developers to do what they reduced street sections as discussed pre- do best, new housing can be effectively produced. viously, for public rights-of-way in particu- larly sensitive natural areas would encourage Private Sector Barriers development as well as minimize the impact Background: on the land. Hoquiam has the potential for two types of new The City can also promote.new housing by housing construction, pre-sold and speculative. reviewing any publicly owned', surplus land for Pre-sold housing is usually constructed on a development. The City and County own vacant one lot at a time basis, either for the future land in the Riverdale Addition, and the Little owner and inhabitant, or as a rental unit. Hoquiam Valley. The City also owns the vacant Pre-sold housing, which can include both single John Gable property near the high school. All family and multiple family units, is the type 38 of housing generally done in Hoquiam at the present The expertise involved in land development in- time. Because construction of only one house at cludes management, construction, engineering, a time cannot bear large overhead costs, pre-sold design, real estate and finance. First of all, housing is usually built on parcels that have a piece of vacant land large enough to accommodate existing public services available to it. As the building lots must be secured. The land generally available land inventory indicates, Hoquiam has ranges in parcel sizes of 3 acres and larger. land suitable for this type of "infill" devel- This does not exclude smaller pieces, but the opment, primarily in the core area. Sections larger the parcel, the more effective the mass Six and Seven outline the steps necessary to production process. Generally, a developer then encourage this type of new housing. secures all the necessary public approvals for Speculative housing is constructed on the anti- the development, including zoning, if necessary, cipation of attracting buyers upon completion, and subdividing and platting. Then, public facilities predicated on the efficiency of mass production. are constructed such.as .storm and sanitary sewers, water, electrical and heating lines, and roads. Most often it is done on a larger scale than At this point, depending on the expertise of the pre-sold housing, although in areas of high demand, speculative housing may occur on any developer and the number of lots created, the available land. The advantages of speculative lots are either sold to independent builders or housing lie primarily in the ability to the developer himself begins to construct units. purchase land and materials and construct units Some large home building firms act as their own in bulk, thereby reducing the per unit cost of developers, however the majority of builders do the end product. Obviously, to mass produce not have the expertise or the financing to manage housing, large parcels of land have to be and construct a large development. developed into building.lots with the necess- In general, prospective developers and builders ary public facilities. Such developments analyze the following factors before considering require a number of different capabilities development in a new area: to complete successfully. 39 * availability of reasonably priced land people. Land developers must have sufficient e an adequate number of local builders to capital to purchase1and, pay for the necessary complete the development (if the developer design and engineering costs and construct the is not building it himself) * availability of adequate financing for base improvements. They must also be able to hire new housing and manage construction crews to perform the 9 local housing market appropriate work. Perhaps most importantly, Available Land: there must be an adequate supply of local builders Of primary importanc*e in housing development is to purchase the lots and construct the homes once the availability of reasonably priced land. If the development is ready. Most developers wish to have as many different builders as possible buildable land is in short supply, prices may be, too high to assure the developer a fair return working in one development to provide a variety on his investment. As the available land inventory of housing styles and designs. Even large reflects, there is buildable land in Hoquiam. building firms who develop their own lots prefer However, at the present time, much of the land to sell a portion to independent builders. Once is in need of some type of public improvements. a development is ready for home building, it As a result, the price of land that does have is essential that the developer turn the lots the necessary improvements is high. If over as quickly as possible. If there are not additional land was provided with public sewer enough builders to construct the entire develop- and water for example, the cost of available ment, the developer loses money having to retain land would be more competitive. Also, by the lots. offering any vacant public land at a fair The number of builders in Hoquiam may pose a market price, the City could help establish significant problem to any development in excess fair land values. of 40 to 50 units. If a developer is not assured Local Expertise: of the necessary number of builders, the City A second major concern is the amount and must either try to attract more builders, or firms quality of local development and construction with the capabilities to develop land and construct homes. 40 'Financing: Almost all new housing starts, whether pre-sold or izations difficult. Because Hoquiam does not have speculative, require some type of institutional a great deal of experience with speculative housing, financing, either from a commercial bank or a some lending institutions may be reluctant to pro- savings and loan. The financing may range from vide financing. If that is indeed the case, local a simple first home mortgage to a loan package builders may need to look elsewhere for loans and that includes land sale and improvement costs the City may wish to entourage out-of-town devel- for a new subdivision. Savings and loans have opers with their own financial backing. traditionally been the'largest lenders for Market Evaluation: housing transactions and the Hoquiam-Aberdeen Prospective developers look at a number of factors area has many from which to choose from. However, in evaluating a potential housing market. Each most of the transactions in Hoquiam have involved evaluation must take different things into consid- existing homes, as very little speculative eration, including size and location of the area. housing has been attempted. For example, although Hoquiam and Redmond, Washington In the last six months, financing for housing in have approximately the same populations, a similar the Northwest has been increasingly difficult market analysis would be futile as Redmond is so to secure, even in areas with very strong vitally dependent on the Seattle metroplitan area, markets. Convincing lending institutions whereas Hoquiam is much more self-sufficient. In of the financial security of speculative general, a market analysis involves the following housing in Hoquiam may be a formidable task. components: Unfortunately, there are no hard and fast rules * recent housing activity of thumb lenders use to allocate loans. General rules, much the same as those outlined * vacancy rates in this section, are used by lenders as well a population trends as developers. However, each loan request is * new industrial growth viewed on its own merits, which make general- * character of the existing housing stock * local housing prices 41 Recent Housing Activity: Housing Prices: Hoquiam has been lacking in new housing starts since When combined with the previous two categories, the 1940's. However, recent activity in adjacent this analysis may well point to significant areas indicates that there is a potential for market characteristics. A combination of low attracting new families to Hoquiam. This cate- vacancy rates, old housing stock, and high gory is generally more important in larger, more housing costs, all of which exist in Hoquiam, urbanized, metropolitan areas where population indicate that people do not have an adequate trends fluctuate more often. However, any choice of housing. If a builder or developer potential home builder will be wary of the lack can produce housing with competitive prices he of recent housing construction in Hoquiam. has an excellent chance of selling or renting Vacancy Rate: the units. The choice to the residents becomes As Section Four points out, the vacancy rate in one between old housing and new housing at Hoquiam is quite a bit below the optimum in both comparative costs. single and multiple family dwellings. This Population Trends: Standard growth trends are indicates to the potential builder that there may also reviewed by prospective builders and devel- be residents who are forced to reside in housing opers. They review whether the city is growing that they do not desire, and that given a choice, faster or slower than adjacent areas and what they may be willing to move to a new dwelling. future population figures are projected to be. Existing Housing Stock: In addition, trends toward smaller households, This evaluation is important, particularly when different age groups and mobility are noted. combined with existing vacancy rates. If the Often times, the market analysis will focus majority of housing is old, as it is in Hoquiam, on a broader population area (such as Western Grays and the vacancy rate is low, there is a good Harbor County) knowing that more localized trends chance -that similarly priced new housing could are often the result of available housing, school compete successfully in the local market place. preferences and other extraneous factors. 42 New Industrial Growth: More important than general population trends are planned increases in population due to specific industrial growth. Whereas general trends are a combination of many factors, a proposed industrial development is an indication of new people at a specific time. Also, new industrial enterprises tend to attract others, thus increasing the prospects of a larger market. The recent industrial growth in and near Hoquiam, and the proposed Kaiser facility, are examples of solid housing market characteristics. 43 Section Six: POtential Development Area I VI V, ... . . . .. . 8D ... . .. . ... Pe lot H,O SOW E-- A- Io9 ............. . . ........... pso'n' HS Uy R.I.N. B... -X- A K ai 'ier Site .......... ........... Funds for this study have been provided by a grant from the Washington State HOQ OUSING STUDY Dept. of Ecology and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administra- Grays H ional Planning Commission tion, outer Continental Shelf Program. Wi Isey... September 1978 SECTION SIX Public Facilities: Sanitary sewer and water lines Potential Development Areas exist along Broadway and Panama Streets. The actual number of available water hook-ups is Area No. 1 - Woodlawn questionable, although the water system is de- General Comments: Woodlawn, which has consistently signed to accommodate the entire area. It has been described as Hoquiam's "area of the future," been estimated by the City that the sewer system contains more than 450 acres of vacant land. Al- in Woodlawn could accommodate as many as 3,000 though steep slopes make much of the land extremely people, or more than 1,000 new housing units difficult to develop, there is approximately 130 (Hoquiam Public Works, 1978). acres just east of Broadway suitable for housing. Possible Contraints: On-site review of the Woodlawn Potential for Housing: Of the 130 acres, roughly area uncovered a fair amount of wet soil types, 40 are within the 100 year flood plain. Excluding caused either by runoff from the hills or high another 20 percent for roads leaves a net devel- ground water levels. Runoff from the hills opable area of approximately 72 acres. At the could be drained through a storm water system as current RS-5 zoning, the area could accommodate part of an overall development plan. High ground- 627 houses. The City has indicated that the new water levels may require fairly extensive amounts zoning ordinance would most likely re-classify of fill to provide a solid construction base. the area R-1, which requires 7,500 square foot More detailed site work is necessary to determine lots, resulting in a potential 418 single family the source and extent of the on-site water. homes. A number of factors would influence the Strategies: If the soil types in Woodlawn can final number of units available from this area, handle road and house construction, the area is including actual zoning, flood plain modifica- available for immediate development. If the tion, land parceling and site design. However, site requires filling, it is possible that can be the key point is that Woodlawn, along with obtained from the dredge spoils material extracted Riverdale (Area Map 2) are two areas with from Grays Harbor by the U.S. Army Corps of Engin- significant potential for growth. eers. 46 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 46#0 rea ...... ............. r co n C3 .1 ......... E:P ...... .... .... .. &WOAlow, V smoss" . . . . . . . . . ... . . . . . . . ........ .. .. . ...... ..... . . . . . . . . 100 Y64K F0017 .................... .......... Funds for this study have been provided by a grant from the Washington State HOQUIAM HOUSING STUM Dept. of Ecology and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administra- Grays Harbor Regional Planning Commis tion, Outer Continental Shelf Program. Wilsey & Ham Septembe Woodlawn, along with Riverdale provide a large enough ultimate development. area to attract a major housing development. Much of Potential Constraints: Although no major regulatory the land in both areas is immediately available for constraints apply to the site, access to portions housing. The land that isn't can be made available of Riverdale may be difficult and expensive. Almost through public action regarding flood plain devel- one-half of the area is flat and could be developed opment and the possible disposal of dredge material. at relatively little cost. The steeper portions of Area No. 2a - Riverdale the site would require substantial grading for road The Riverdale Addition consists of approximately and building construction. 45 acres of vacant land which varies from steep, Strategies: The City should continue to pursue wooded hillsides to flat grassland. The original the purchase of land in Riverdale, both public plat divided the land into 399 lots of 4,000 square feet apiece, only 25 of which are currently used. and private, if possible. Once obtained, the land should be sold at a fair market price to a developer Of the remaining 374 lots, Grays Harbor County with the stipulation that it be re-platted and used owns 217, the City owns 8 and private individuals for housing. own a total of 174. Presently, the City is pur- suing the purchase of the County's lots. The actual site development should be done as a P.U.D. to make the best use of the buildable land. Because Potential for Housing: Although 374 vacant lots of the topographic variety on the site, a mixture remain, many of them are impossible to provide of residential densities, including four plexes, access to or to build on. It is unlikely that tri-plexes, duplexes and single family units should 374 single family units could be constructed be considered. This variety would provide a choice in the area, even through the use of a P.U.D. of housing price as well as style and help to meet The current zoning would only allow 196 units, the housing need of a broader segment of the popula- while the proposed R-1 zone would allow 261. tion. Public Facilities: Sewer and water lines are Area No. 2b available in Riverdale Road. The sewer lines General Comments: Area 2b consists primarily of connect to the Division Street pump station, old, single family dwellings on 5,000 square foot which has sufficient capacity to handle the 48 01 0 '0 J L_-4- weledw. dam _@M am Az@ 5r 2B "A 1z. 0 dam CD) 1b _5A C3 0 0 C@s Funds for this study have been provided by a grant from the Washington State HOQUIAM HOUSING STUD Dept. of Ecology and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administra- Grays Harbor Regiona@ Manning Commi tion, Outer Continental Shelf Program. Wilsey & Ham Septemb 1 ots. The area is bounded by industry along the could begin almost immediately. river and the hills to the west. The housing Potential Constraints: The obvious constraint is inventory indicated that more than two-thirds of the number of houses in very poor condition, which the existing structures south of Soule Avenue and should be improved or replaced. Because of the more than one-half of those north, were beyond existing housing shortage, displacement of any feasible rehabilitation. An area-wide renewal significant number of residents for even a short plan would provide needed housing as well as period could create a serious problem unless other, neighborhood improvement. new housing was available. Potential for Housing: Most of the lots in Strategies: Area 2b requires a major rehabilita- Area 2b have 40 feet of street frontage, which tion and renewal effort. Wherever possible, resi- is currently allowed in the RS-5 zone, but dents should be encouraged to improve their proper- would be allowed only in the R-3, residential ties, however in the areas beyond feasible rehabili mixed zone of the proposed zoni.ng ordinance. tation, renewal projects should be considered. Because of the proximity to employment centers The City should increase their building inspection and Lincoln Street, a main arterial, this efforts so that owners are required to comply with. area could serve well as a combination single State and local fire, health and safety codes. The family and multi-family residential zone. H.C.D. Small Cities Block Grant Program described The maximum number of units allowed in the in Section 6, specifically earmarks funds for area under an R-3 zone would range anywhere neighborhood rehabilitation, including infrastruc- from 600 single family units to 800 units ture and housing improvements. Although the City at maximum multi-family density. did not receive H.C.D. money for 1978, H.U.D. Public Facilities: Scheduled improvements representatives in Seattle indicated that Hoquiam to the sewer lines will improve the existing was ranked first out of those cities that did not service in the area. Because most of the qualify. It appears that the chances for funding development would be replacement units rather in 1979 would be good. than new units, increased sewer capacity is not necessary. New housing in this area 50 Urban Development Action Grants (U.D.A.G.) are also Potential for Housing: The existing RS-10 zoning available for neighborhood improvements, including would allow 24 units on the site, however, the housing renewal, if they are deemed necessary for proposed zoning ordinance would most likely classify economic development. The housing need generated the area R-1, which would allow 32 units. The by the Kaiser facility would help Hoquiam, qualify amount of site preparation and construction costs for these grants. required to develop the property would probably Due to the magnitude of the improvements required result in a fairly high priced unit cost. in this area, some form of public assistance will Public Facilities: Sewer and water lines adequate probably be necessary. The programs outlined in to serve the site are located in Riverdale Road. Section 6, including the two described above, are This area is served by the Woodlawn pump station the type that the City should continue to pursue. which has the capacity for more than 1,000 new Because competition for these grants is keen, the housing units. City should consider using outside sources with Potential Constraints: Unlike most of the hills experience in grant writing for preparation of east of Riverdale Road, this site has slopes which these proposals. The near success of the 1978 are manageable for road and house construction. H.C.D. proposal should provide encouragement for The constraints may turn out to be economic, however, continued pursuit of federal money. as the cost of the units will reflect the construction Area No. 3a costs of the site improvements. This site, like General Comments: Area 3a is located just south Riverdale should attract higher-priced housing of the Riverdale Addition (Area Map 3) to the east because of the natural amenities, and may develop of Riverdale Road. Most of the land in this area a character like that of Beacon Hill. is very steep and hard to develop, however, this Strategies: The potential for developing this piece particular site has slopes of only 7-14 percent as a part of the Riverdale Addition should be explored, which would allow access from Riverdale Road. especially because this site offers access to the hills There are approximately 7 acres of buildable area from Riverdale Road. The use of Planned Unit De- in this site, which could be developed separately velopments (P.U.D.) should be encouraged to maintain or as a part of the Riverdale Addition. the existing character of the site while limiting 51 Area C 0 0 V Funds for this study have been provided by a grant from the Washington State HOQUIAM HOUSING STUDY Dept. of Ecology and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administra- Grays Harbor Regional Planning Commiss tion, Outer Continental Shelf Program. Wilsey & Ham September the amount of site grading required. for sewer service, Area 3b has had a history of soil Area No. 3b instability, evidenced by the shifting of Riverdale General Comments: Also on the east side of River- Road (Williams, 1978). The extent of soil movement dale Road, this site contains roughly 32 acres of cannot be determined without a soils survey. The wooded hillsides with slopes ranging from 10 to site may warrant special development and construc- 20 percent. As with the previous site, the key tion techniques; consequently, housing prices will is the availability of access off of Riverdale reflect those additional costs. Development of Road. Although this area lies just north of this area would probably take on a character similar Beacon Hill, access from Highland Drive does to Beacon Hill, with higher priced, view lots, suit- not appear feasible. able for high income earners, such as new Kaiser administrators or highly paid laborers. Potential for Housing: The existing RS-10 zoning would allow 111 units, while the pro- Strategies: The use of P.M.'s should be consid- posed R-1 zoning would allow 148. As with the ered in all areas of this type. In any site such previous site and Beacon Hill, this area is as this, development will be more difficult in more suited for higher priced homes because certain areas, and thus units should be located of the land development costs. on the most buildable land. Also, reduced road standards will lessen the earth work required and Public Facilities: Although sewer and ' water will be more compatible with the natural character lines exist on Riverdale Road, they would have of the site. to be extended 200-300 feet to serve the property. Because of the topography, the site may have Area No. 4a - Beacon Hill General Comments: Beacon Hill has become an area to be served by both the Woodlawn and Riverside pump stations. The Riverside system is under- of very fine homes, characterized by large lots going improvements under the proposed facilities and beautiful settings. Although it certainly improvement plan which should aid any develop- does not meet the housing need of all income ment plans for th .is area. ranges, it does provide the possibility for contin- ued development of higher priced homes. Develop- Potential Constraints: In addition to the need ment in the area is not inexpensive, but there is 53 buildable land available along North Highland Strategies: Other than the general strategies Drive. recommended in Section 6, the City should consider Potential for Housing: In Area 4a there is land to some kind of shared cost approach with a developer accommodate 60-70 new homes, most of which would be to provide water service to the area. The City located on the plateau north of North Highland should also encourage the use of P.U.D.'s to Drive. There may also be a few building lots allow more sensitive site development. available along the south side of the road, but Area No. 4b most of that land has been developed. General Comments: Area 4b is located near the Public Facilities: Sewer lines are located on eastern edge of town, behind the Olympic Stadium North Highland Road which serve existing homes and consists of wooded hillsides ranging from on the hill. These lines would have to be 7 to 14 percent in slope. Unlike most of the hill- extended to the northeast to provide service to sides north of town which are too steep, roadway the area indicated on Map 4. Water is available access to this site is possible just west of from the tank located within Area 4a. North Myrtle Street. Highland Drive currently provides the only Potential for Housing: The site is currently access to Are'a 4a. Development of the land zoned for multi-family residential use, which could provide a loop system extending from the would allow 230 units. existing road, which would be an improvement Public Facilities: Sewer and water lines are over the current dead-end situation. located on Cherry Avenue and would need to be Potential Constraints: Because of the land extended through existing developed properties. values and engineering required, costs of Road access could be obtained from Myrtle Street developing the land would make this primarily without disrupting any existing land uses. a higher income area. As Section 4 pointed out, Potential Constraints: Multi ,family development the Kaiser facility would generate a need for may require more site work and preparation than this type of housing. With proper development, single family development, thus a developer may Area 4a would make a nice addition to current request a down-zone proposal. The site has many housing on Beacon Hill. 54 300 AL lo ?0 F + Sr -a- Funds for this study have been provided by a grant from the Washington State HOQUIAM HOUSING STUDY Dept. of Ecology and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administra- Grays Harbor Regional Planning Commiss tion, Outer Continental Shelf Program. Wilsey & Ham September advantages and very few constraints for either type of Potential Constraints: The land that is already development. zoned for residential uses has no readily identi- Strategies: This site offers an immediate potential fiable constraints to development. However, two for new housing development, and is the type of area parcels would require zone changes prior to resi- that the general strategies of Section 6 are directed dential development.. towards. Area No. 5 Potential for Housing: In Area 5a there are 15 vacant lots zoned for single family development. There is also one-half block located between 23rd and 29th Streets which is vacant and zoned for a maximum of 13 multi-family units (5b). Across 23rd Street is a similar vacant lot which is zoned for industrial use (5c). The old Washington School site between Simpson and Aberdeen (5d) is also vacant, but zoned for commercial use. These two parcels, if properly zoned, could accommodate a total of 61 multi-family units. The feasibility of residential use versus the parcels' respective zoning should be considered by the City as well as the property owners. The old school site could, for instance, be developed with a combination of commercial and residential uses. Public Facilities: There would be no need for additional public facilities except for the connections from the new units to existing laterals in the public right-of-way. 56 AV& & Are 5 0,L VA11.0C C'wl ao V 3r, 3 U A4,0W a AV4E C3 OEM now 4@ sam @11111M AVE Ye C Aa r5C M @0@" j*AV, t A V& L r 0 T A,ppoj Alb@A,np po" r Funds for this study have been provided IL &t4 by a grant from the Washington State HOQUIAM HOUSING STUM Dept. of Ecology and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administra- Grays Harbor Regional Planning Commis tion, Outer Continental Shelf Program. Wilsey & Ham Septemb Area No. 6 General Comments: Area 6 contains only three vacant parcels of land that are zoned for resi- dential development. Combined they could provide a maximum of 18 multi-family units. All necessary services are available to these sites. Area 6a shown on Area Map 6 contains 1.7 acres of land adjacent to the old urban renewal area. Some of this land is vacant and portions of it contain old houses in poor to moderate condition. The area is currently zoned for commercial use, but an RM zone, which would appear appropriate adjacent to future commercial uses, would allow a maximum of 49 units. The City should re-assess the amount of land zoned for commercial use. If it exceeds the amount needed, steps should be taken to designate som*e of it for residential use. 58 LAI a to tf 7 J &I 61 0 01 C) 1-7 Funds for this study have been provided by a grant from the Washington State HOQUIAM HOUSING STUD Dept. of Ecology and the National Grays Harbor Regional Planning ComrniE Oceanic and Atmospheric Administra- tion, Outer Continental Shelf Program. Wilsey & Ham Septemb Area No. 7 General Comments: Area 7 is an example of a stable neighborhood in Hoquiam with relatively little opportunity for infill development. There does, however, exist 6 vacant single family lots in Area 7a and one vacant multi-family lot which could accommodate 3 units in Area 7b. All of the sites have services available to them, therefore the cost of developing these sites would be low. These low development costs should, in turn, be passed on to the homebuyer. 60 Area k 7B Funds for this study have been provided 7 k by a grant from the Washington State HOQUIAM HOUSING STUD Dept. of Ecology and the National Grays Harbor Regional Planning Commis Oceanic and Atmospheric Administra- tion, Outer Continental Shelf Program. Wilsey & Ham SeptembE Area No. 8 General Comments: In Area 8 there is vacant Potential Conflicts: The necessary zone change land suitable for development north of Kuhn Street would replace industrial zoned land with resi- along the Hoquiam River. Covering approximately dential zoned land, consequently the potential 12 acres, this site is currently zoned for effects to industrial growth should be considered. industrial use. However, an adjacent parcel to If the need for more residential land outweighs the west has recently been re-zoned and devel- the need for more industrial land, the necessary oped for multi-family use. With proper zoning change may be in order. a similar development could be accomplished Strategies: The City should consider initiating on this land. The site is protected by a dike a zone change on the site to allow for a residen- on the south shore of the river and is located tial use. That, combined with the general strategy above the 100 year flood plain elevation. to speed up the building approval process would Potential for Housing: If the site was re-zoned make this area ready for development. to conform with the property to the west, it could accommodate approximately 100 multi-family units. A single family zoning designation (RS-5 or RS-10) would allow 50-100 units, depending on the lot size requirement. Public Facilities: Water and sewer lines are available to the site in Marian and Kuhn Streets. The sewer lines feed to the Queens Street system, which is scheduled for improvements through the federal matching grant program. Upon completion of the sewer improvements, there should be capa- city to serve a multi-family development in this area. 62 cl@ 16 4 rea \10 co W-4 tell -7t 0 01 01 _0 CZ) tA Funds for this study have been provided by a grant from the Washington State HO'-""'UIAM HOUSING STUD Dept. of Ecology and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administra- Grays Harbor Regional Planning Commii tion, Outer Continental Shelf Program. Wilsey & Ham Septemb Area No. 9 - Little Hoquiam Valley Potential Constraints: Assuming replacement of the The Little Hoquiam Valley, indicated on Area Maps existing sewers, there are virtually no physical 9 and 10, contains roughly 100 acres of vacant, constraints to development. However, roadway buildable land. However, two major factors, the improvements along Tennis Court and Endreson 100 year flood plain and the lack of sanitary should be considered, either by the City or as sewer service, place constraints on all but a part of a proposed development plan. very small portion of the total acreage. For Strategies: Although this area in itself offers that reason, the area is discussed here in two a strong potential for new housing, it should be parts; one being the land that is above the flood considered along with plans for the remainder of plain and having sewers available to it and the the Little Hoquiam Valley. Because there is other being the remainder of the buildable land vacant land within the 100 year flood plain be- in the Valley. tween this site and Endreson Road, some effort Area No. 9a should be made to promote a development plan Potential for Housing: This 12 acre site would that makes use of both portions. Such an effort be allowed 46 single family units at the current could be part of the City-wide flood plain strategy RS-10 zoning and 61 units at the proposed R-1 proposed in Section Six. zoning. The topography lends itself well to Area No. 9b (Maps 9 and 10) road construction and housing development while Potential for Housing: Under the current zoning offering nice views to the northwest. 306 units would be allowed on the remaining 88 Public Facilities: Sewer and water lines are acres of vacant, buildable land in the Little available to the site in Tennis Court. The Hoquiam Valley. The proposed zoning would allow sewer lines are part of the Cottage subsystem, 408 units. This figure is based on total devel- which, like most of the others in the city, opment within the area noted 9b on Maps 9 and 10 . is inefficient and scheduled for replacement. Obviously, such development is only possible A twenty inch water main, which runs from the given certain regulatory conditions (i.e. flood City reservoir to Endreson Road is located in plain) and physical conditions (i.e. sewer this area. extensions). 64 Area ----------- E%-: J/1 ..... ...... . . 100 VC-AIZ pum f 7 AT Funds for this study have been provided i A by a grant from the Washington State HOQUIAM 1-10", USING STUDY Dept. of Ecology and the National Grays Harbor Regional Planning Colrnlrnis@ Oceanic and Atmospheric Administra- tion, Outer Continental Shelf Program. Wilsey & Ham Septembe Public Facilities: Sewer lines are currently avail-' the possibility of constructing a new sewer main able on Endreson Road only as far west as Tennis and pump station in the Little Hoquiam Valley for Court. The City has discussed the possibility future housing development. of extending the sewers along Endreson but no The constraints in the Little Hoquiam Valley make commitment to such action has been made. Water immediate development on all but a very small lines run the distance of Endreson but would have portion of the land difficult. However, if new to be extended west through the Valley to serve housing does indeed begin to increase, what avail- new development. able land there is in the city may soon be used Potential Constraints: The major constraints to up. To avoid being caught short of@land, the City new housing in the Little Hoquiam Valley are the should begin to develop plans in this area to meet lack of sewers and the 100 year flood plain. The longer range housing needs. flood plain question should be addressed as a Area No. 10a major policy issue as it affects a large portion General Comments: The City owns this 13 acre site of all the vacant land in the City. The sewer adjacent to the High School and has discussed issue can be addressed specifically as it the possibility of using it for housing or as a relates to new gro.wth in this area. park. Recently the Bishop Foupdation has offered To supply service to new houses in the Little the City a 25,000 dollar matchi @g grant to be used Hoquiam Valley, an extension of existing sewer for park development of the site. To match the lines as well as a new pump station are needed. grant, the City must provide 75,000 dollars, which A pressure line could be extended to the north- would be used for park development. The following east along Endreson to the Queen Street pump discussion is not meant as a recommendation for station or over the hill to the south and into housing on this site, but is offered merely as an gravity lines feeding the treatment plant. evaluation of the site's potential. Strategies: Section Six outlines possible stra- tegies for flood plain development which would Potential for Housing: The site is zoned RM, multi- play a major role in making land available for family residential, which would allow approximately housing. The City should also study carefully 113 units on the site. Development would be rela- 66 ....... . . . .... Area g I'l LLOC2 gkIN J F 10A c,- 0 ow EM .................... udy have been pro Funds for this st vided by a grant from the Washington State r'I'0QU''IAM rHOU'SING STUD` Dept. of Ecology and the National oceanic and Atmospheric Administra- Grays Harbor Regional Planning Comm tion, Outer Continental Shelf Program. Wilsey & Ham Septem tively inexpensive, as the site has few physical constraints. The location along the highway makes the site well suited for multi-family housing. Public Facilities: Sewer and water lines were provided to the east at the time the High School was constructed. These lines could be extended to serve new housing on this land. Potential Constraints: The use of this land poses a difficult question to the City; which need is best met on this site, housing or recreation? As new housing is attracted to Hoquiam, recreation needs will increase. Most likely, success of the fund raising will de- cide the future of the site. If the pro- posed park plan does not become a reality, the site can still be used for housing. Strategies: If all options to develop the site as a park are exhausted, the City should seriously consider placing the site up for sale at a fair market price to a housing developer. 68 Section Seven: Recommendations and Stq@kies SECTION SEVEN to cities like Hoquiam in neighborhood rehabilita- tion. General Recommendations and Strategies 0 Development In Areas with Existing Services Options The most logical locations for new housing are on There is no one solution that will provide new vacant land that is served by existing public housing in Hoquiam. Because people's desires services such as sewer and water lines. Within and economic capabilities differ, a wide range the already developed areas of the City there are of housing strategies are needed, not all of a number of vacant lots and blocks which are which include new construction. The four excellent opportunities for new housing. Section options to providing housing for existing and 5 identified these areas and in some cases suggested future City residents are outlined below. a potential use for them. Development of these 0 Rehabilitation of Existing Housing "infill" parcels which could be done by any number of local builders, would be relatively inexpensive, Because so much of the existing housing stock as very little site preparation or utility expansion in Hoquiam is more than forty years old, is necessary. regular maintenance and rehabilitation are essential to keep as many units habitable There are other areas such as Riverdale/Woodlawn, as possible. Not everyone desires or can that are served by public services and would be afford a new home, thus maintaining existing best developed in large tracts. Such development housing meets a very real need of many resi- would require extensive roadway and utility con- dents. Rehabilitation is the least . expensive struction and a large number of home!builders. It housing option the City has, primarily because is in these areas that large, out-of-town developers public expenditures have already been made to and builders would be most interested. provide services to existing dwellings. 0 Renewal Development Federal programs, such as the Department of As Section 5 indicated, there are a couple areas Housing and Urban Development's (H.U.D.) in the City that, because of extremely poor housing H.C.D. Small Cities Block Grant Program, conditions, may be benefited by a renewal project. have been established to provide assistance 69 Such a project is probably best accomplished with impacts of potential growth and to provide public financing because of the numerous owner- prospective developers the assurances oftadequate ships and management procedures involved. Econ- public facilities. omically, a renewal development is often advantag- 0 Sanitary Sewer Plan eous because it makes use of existing public ser- vices, thus lessening the need for service expan- 'The City currently has an engineering consultant sion. Federal funding is possible for such pro- working on the specifications of the new sewer jects through H.U.D.'s Urban Development Action system. From that information the City should Grant (U.D.A.G.) program. calculate the number of hook-ups that will be 0 Provide Public Services to New Areas available at each pump station upon completion of the system, including those portions not This is the most expensive and time consuming scheduled for improvements. The City should option of the four, but given continued growth, also begin to develop a Capital Improvement Plan will eventually become a necessity. The most logical (C.I.P.) for possible extension of the sewer lines expansion of public services would be to the Little into the Little Hoquiam Valley. Hoquiam Valley, where there is at least 100 acres 0 Water Plan of buildable land. Opening up new development areas The City should update their water plan as man- provides competition in the raw land market which I will make prices more attractive to developers dated by State law, paying particular attention and eventual home buyers. to the actual capacity of the system, which may be lower.than the design capacity due to system General Recommendations inefficiencies. The report should indicate the In addition to the specific strategies outlined for number of water hook-ups currently available and each vacant land area in Section 5, the following at full system efficiency, if different. general strategies should be considered as well: If the City water usage is determined to be Facilities Plans: approaching the system's capacity, a C.I.P. The.City should develop the following public should be initiated for possible upgrading of facilities. and services plans to analyze the the present system. 70 '0 Transportation Plan @ The City should encourage the use of A plan should be developed which designates streets Planned Unit Developments (P.U.D.'s) to make the best use of all buildable for their ultimate design capacity. This plan land, particularly in physically should look at existing traffic patterns as well as constrained areas. future impacts from potential housing sites. The e All necessary development plan City should also notify the County and State of any requests including zoning and flood plain modification should potential impacts on their roads so they can update be heard at one public hearing. their plans. A C.I.P. should be initiated which e Reduced road sections, particularly outlines necessary road improvement and maintenance in physically constrained areas, projects. with alternate methods of parking and pedestrian circulation should City Services Plan be encouraged. 9 At the time of decision on the pro- Working with the school district, the fire and posed zoning ordinance, the City police departments and other local agencies, the should consider action on the City should develop a summary of the* existing suggested re-zoning indicated in Section 5. services available to Hoquiam residents. This e The City should take on the respon- summary should provide an indication of existing sibility of obtaining background levels of service and potentials for expansion. information on development proposals As new development occurs, the City should work such as existing conditions, adjacent ownerships and impacts of public closely with local agencies and service districts facilities. to provide the necessary service increases. Development proposals should be Ordinance Review reviewed by the Planning Commission and City Council prior to the public The City should'also facilitate the regulatory hearing. process involved in housing development through The City's proposed zoning and subdivision ordin- revisions to the existing zoning and subdivision ances are steps in the right direction towards ordinances. The following general revisions and assisting new housing development. In the process ,procedures should be considered. of approving the zoning ordinance, the City has a 71 good opportunity to review any sites that may be federal funding for housing improvements and con- more suited for residential use than their existing struction. H.U.D. has numerous subsidized housing use, and should consider initiating appropriate zone programs which apply strictly to low income people, changes. as well as programs which can provide rehabil- 0 Flood Plain itation and renewal funds to neighborhood areas of mixed incomes. The H.C.D. Small Cities Block The City should continue their attempts to appeal Grant Program was established in 1978 to provide the H.U.D. Flood Insurance Study, as it affects funds for neighborhood stabilization to communi- so much land within the City. If improvements to ties with less than 50,000 people. The first year the dike system would alleviate the problem, the program was directed at helping stabilize low and City should explore the feasibility of doing so. moderate income neighborhoods, through housing No matter what the outcome of the Flood Insurance rehabilitation in some cases. As of yet, the Study, there will be vacant land areas located direction for the 1979 program year has not been within the 100 year flood plain. The City should establ is hed. draft a flood plain ordinance that outlines how The other H.U.D. funds of particular interest is development should occur in these areas. To in the U.D.A.G. program, which was established to provide for the use of as much vacant land as encourage economic development in urban areas. possible, the ordinance should allow development U.D.A.G. money can be used for housing if it is within the flood plain provided that structures necessary to provide for economic development. are located at or above the 100 year flood eleva- The new housing required by the Kaiser employees tion and that the total volume of the flood plain may be eligible for U.D.A.G. funding. is not altered. This would allow portions of the The City should seek professional assistance in flood plain to be filled providing that an equal developing federal grant proposals for housing amount was excavated to retain the necessary volume. rehabilitation and renovation. Federal Programs Marketing To meet projected housing demands, Hoquiam should The City should increase their efforts to secure 72 consider attracting builders and developers from work with local property owners and city staff on outside the immediate area. To do so, the City will specific development proposals. have to advertise its efforts to promote new In the appendix of this document is a list of housing. The City should develop a brochure for potential builders, developers and organizations, distribution to major builders, developers and most of whom have been contacted concerning this appropriate associations throughout the Northwest study. All of those contacted have shown an that includes the following items: interest in studying the Hoquiam market further. * amount of buildable land available for A brochure such as the one described would give development as outlined in Section Six them an opportunity to see if their programs could * housing need and market projections operate successfully in the Hoquiam market. included in Section Three a local resident and housing profile in Sections Two and Three e potential impacts of the Kaiser facility in Section Four e number of sewer and water hook-ups available e summary of local public services * statement from the City of its commitment to promoting new housing The above information will provide the background builders and. developers need to acquaint them- selves with a@'new market. Once acquainted, they can work with local realtors, bankers and con- tractors on the specific aspects of development, such as financing and construction. When satis- fied that development is feasible, they can 73 I I I I I I I I I I I. I I Appendix I , I I 1) Grays Harbor Regional Planning Commission, 11) MacGuire, Jack, Mayor City of Hoquiam, Overall Economic Development Program for personal communication, 1978 Grays Harbor County, Wash., Fourth Edition, August 1976 12) Duggan, Patrick, Director, Grays Harbor Regional Planning Comm., personal communication 2) City of Hoquiam, Comprehensive Plan Update, and unpublished data, 1978 Section 3, Existing Conditions, July 1974 13) Urban Land Institute, Residential Development 3) Grays Harbor Regional Planning Commission, Handbook, 1978 Quarterly Socioeconomic Report of WNP 3/5, Volume 2, Report No. 1, Jan. 1, 1978 to 14) State of Oregon, Employment DIvision, Dept. of March 31, 1978, Prepared for the Washington Human Resources, Occupational Wage Information Public Power Supply System for, the Portland SMSA, 1977 4) Ibid, Volume 1, Report No. 2, July 1, 1977 15) Local Government Personel Institute, Salem,. to September 30, 1977. Oregon Cooperative Salary Survey Report, 5) Grays Harbor Regional Planning Commission, February, 1978 Overall Economic Development Program for 16) Career Information Sustems, Eugene, Oregon, Grays Harbor County, Wash., For 1977 Annual Occupational Information Printout Progress Report, June 1978. 17) Havercamp, Hugh; State of Oregon, Bureau of 6) U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Kaiser Steel Labor, Wage and Hour Division, Portland, Draft Environmental Impact Statement, April Oregon; personal communication and unpublished 1976 date, 1978 7) Grays Harbor Regional Planning Commission, 18) U.S. Dept. of Housing and Urban Development, Proposed Housing Element of the Comprehen- Federal Insurance Administration, Flood sive Plan for the Grays Harbor Region, Insurance Study for Hoquiam Washing-ton 1978 October 1974 19) U.S. Bureau of Census, Income Characteristics 8) Office of Community Development, 1978 of Population, State of-Washington, 1970 Washington State Housing Report (Ur-aft), January, 1978 20) City of Hoquiam, Dept. of Public Works, 1978 unpublished data and office records 9) Carson, Bill, Kaiser Steel Corp. 1978 personal communication 21) Williams, Alva, Director of Public Works, Thurston County; personal communication and 10) City of Hoquiam, Building Permits, 1970-1977 unpublished data, 1978 22) Grays Harbor County, Tax Assessor, Montessano, Washington, unpublished documents and office records 23) City of Hoquiam, Comprehensive Plan, Part Two, 1963 24) City of Hoquiam, Community Survey Summary and Results, May 1978 25) URS Company, Grays Harbor, Washington, Waste- water Facilities Plan, Aberdeen, Howuiam, Cosmopolis, Grays Harbor County, Technical Document, September 1976 26) URS Company, Grays Harbor, Washington, Waste- water Facilities Plan, Hoquiam Sewer System Evaluation Survey, May 1976 POTENTIAL BUILDERS/DEVELOPERS Home Builders Assn. of General Land Co. Abacus Development Aragon Corporation Metropolitan Portland 3202 1st St. So. Suite 1009 United Air- P.O. Box 346 3140 N.E. Broadway Federal Way, Washington line Bldg. Gresham, Oregon Portland, Oregon 1-206-927-3456 2033 6th Ave. 503-665-2919 503-288-0121 Contact: Tom Rhinevault Seattle, Washington Contact: Don E. Marthaller 206-682-8575 Home Builders Assn. of The Polygon Corporation Contact: H.R. Thompson Bruce Kamhoot & Assoc. Washington 300-120th Ave. P.O. Box 222 1501 S. Capitol Hwy. Bldg. 3 #212 Palmer Berge Company Lake Oswego, Oregon 97034 Olympia, Washington Bellevue, Washington 98005 N.W. Const. Center #414 503-635-4550 206-352-7800 206-455-1396 1200 Westlake Ave. No. Contact: James Carden Contact: Pat Carroll Seattle, Washington Home Builders Assn. of 206-284-7610 United Homes Greater Olympia The Quadrant Corporation Contact: Palmer Berge 1220 South 356th 2608 Pacific Ave. 8364 S.W. Nimbos Ave. Federal Way, Washington Olympia, Washington Beaverton, Oregon 97005 J.D.A. Enterprises 1-206-927-2700 206-352-3457 503-646-2103 208 So. K Contact: Joe Lipscomb Aberdeen, Washington Leavitt-Nu-Pacific 206-532-7768 10222 N.E. 1st Robert Randall Corporation Bellevue, Washington 9500 S.W. Barbur Blvd., Century 21, Inc. 1-206-455-9696 Suite 300 4547 S.W. Scholls Ferry Contact person: Don Portland, Oregon 97219 Road Leavitt or Colleen Eggers 503-234-9587 Portland, Oregon Contact: Dave Amato 503-297-1494 Commonwealth Properties Contact: Douglas Stevie Amfac Mortgage Co. Narod Development Ltd. 2525 S.W. 3rd 1672 W. 2nd Ave. Portland, Oregon Vancouver, B.C. J6JIH5 502-243-1591 604-736-0311 Contact: Ernie Platt Contact: George Kropinski GAYLORDINo. 2333 PRINTED IN U SA 3 6668 14107 4379