Chuckanut Ridge will not have 14.5 homes per acre, as reported by the Herald today, but rather double that figure. The density will be 28.4 homes per acre that is allowed to be developed.
And - Happy Valley does not have 43.5 homes per acre. It is far less. We expect it to be less than 12 per acre when we finish calculating the number. Expect it to be up later this week.
The Herald does not say how they arrived at their numbers. Perhaps they just took the word of the developer. The Herald tends to take the word of large organizations or government bureaucrats for their figures without independently checking them. (We have caught them doing it for the Port on many wrong numbers.)
How did we figure the density? Simple. Divide 1464 units (“homes” in the double speak of the developer) by the 51.5 acres - the number of acres that will be developed. How did the Herald get the lower number? They divided the 1464 by 101 acres. This includes streets, open space, park land, sidewalks, etc. In other words, to make their numbers even lower, they could have included green areas from around the site.
Where did they get the 43.5” homes” per acre for Happy Valley? Look carefully at their little map. They used a small portion of Happy Valley with apartments for student housing on 21st Street. For South Hill they used the apartments below State Street. For Birchwood, they used the apartments along NW Avenue. The lie is the Herald labels these as if the entire neighborhoods were calculated.
After reading the Herald, one can wonder what those “ex-hippies” in Fairhaven are so mad about. The density of the development is lower than their treasured Happy Valley according to the Herald. The truth is the density will be the same as several dense blocks of apartments. In the middle of swamp land.
We will post more information as we get it together.
