Public Hearing on Housing Behind Hanks

[Sunflower]

There will be a continued public hearing on the Catholic Charities, Twisp Family Haven on Wednesday, January 29th at 5:00. This has the potential to change our town in a major way. Whether you are for or against or have questions regarding this planned development, please attend if you can.
Margaret Rosenstine

[RandySea]

You can also submit written comments to townplanner@townoftwisp.com

Read this week's Methow Valley News for more info. There is a story on the front page and a detailed letter to the editor about it.

Randy Brook

[tristanbgilb]

I would support nice middle-class condos allowing for the pride and security of ownership in one's dwelling.

[karlukkid]

This is another example of someone outside the valley coming in and making significant and unwarranted changes to our community. A facility like this does not belong here. It needs to be where there are resources for the residents to improve their lives and a corresponding"safety net". Specifically: access to healthcare. access to counseling, employment opportunities, vocational education etc. I expect that just like when the Winthrop Town Council caved to big money for the building wedged between the river and the road, the Twisp Town Council will cave as well. Money talks. With respect to the Twisp project there will be only one way in and out of the development with room for 150 cars. The intersection with 20 at the Eagles is already a problem. In addition, one third of the apartments rents will be set at "market levels". Would you want to pay market level rents of two or three thousand dollars a month to live there? The land in question has remnants of toxic chemicals from the pesticides used there for years, so there must be site remediation which will disturb and aerate the chemicals. Finally with 52 homes going up on the hill and 73 apartments in this development how does this impact the Town of Twisp's public works: Sewer, Water an Police, not only in the short term but in the long run as well and who will pay for it? Bruce Herron Wolf Creek

[Reapward]

I read somewhere that they will have onsite services as in counseling, etc.
Still time to turn in comments to the Planning Commission.
What is market rate around here?

[karlukkid]

I know of a two bedroom house in MAzama with utilities that is asking 3000/ month

[Sunflower]

It is too bad that a project of this magnitude that has to have been in the planning for a long time only became town common knowledge around the November time frame. This doesn't seem to be too transparent. Now a hurried decision must be made, or funding will go away. Attend the Wednesday meeting if you can so you can voice your opinion be it for or against.
Margaret Rosenstine

[Reapward]

I saw that posting of the 2 bedrm on here for $3000/month. Don't think that is the true going rate. They wanted a 2 month committment, also.
Something to ask at the hearing.

[ML Harris]

I hope there will be a big turnout at tomorrow's (Wednesday) 5:00 p.m. hearing. If it goes through, this project will have a major impact on the town. For those who are looking for detailed information, I found this Dropbox folder that is linked via the Town of Twisp website:

https://www.dropbox.com/scl/fo/bszo2c1js1skmfmyo42ow/AIt8Yx5vubI9j6ENqr_9oTw?rlkey=n0kznh7763cmqc22d9b3bo77k&e=1&st=ddpldtoz&dl=0

[avatar]

Catholic Charities of Eastern Washington has at least one other already-finished project that is very similar to the one proposed for Twisp. It is of similar size with a similar name: Gonzaga Family Haven. (Same project, different town.)

Here is a link to that project that includes photographs of the development and CCEW's stated mission: to house the homeless.

https://www.cceasternwa.org/gfh

However, while the Gonzaga project is nearly identical in size to the project proposed for Twisp, there is at least one very striking difference. The Gonzaga project is located in Spokane, which is an urban economic center composed of 230,000 people, with all of the commerce, services and infrastructure necessary to accommodate and support 73 new "forever homes." Given Spokane's sizable homeless population, there's little question that that number of new dwellings could be filled with members of the local population.

The population of our beloved Twisp, on the other hand (as of 2023), is roughly 1,100 people. If the stated mission is to house 73 **homeless** families, where will they all come from? Certainly not the Methow Valley. And if all those families have 1-2 cars, and the number of jobs here in the valley stays roughly the same (unless our "business sector" suddenly grows by leaps and bounds), and local services remain largely similar, etc. etc. . . . then what?

Lastly, here are a couple of choice quotes from CCEW's website about Gonzaga Family Haven:

"The location of Gonzaga Family Haven complements the investments made by GU and its goal to build assets into the Logan neighborhood. . . Its amenities are designed to support resident families and exalt this underserved community."

​ "The property is located near local schools, parks, emergency services, public transportation, grocery stores, healthcare, and childcare."


~ Chris Campbell