Central Area Neighborhood District Council
Central Neighborhood Service Center
2301 S. Jackson, Suite 208
Seattle WA 98144
5/9/01


Seattle City Council
600 Fourth Avenue - 11th Floor
Seattle WA 98104

Dear Councilmember,

As you may know, the Central Area Action Plan II (the product of our neighborhood planning efforts a couple of years ago) is implemented by the Stewardship Committee of the Central Area Neighborhood District Council.

Much of our area is already part of the Multifamily Property Tax Exemption Program: the "Welch's Plaza" project at 23rd & Jackson will soon be a visible testimony to the utility of the program.

The Madison-Miller area, however, is not presently part of the Multifamily Property Tax Exemption Program. That area is poised to experience a tremendous amount of multifamily building which may, we fear, diminish the great diversity of housing types available in that area. Andrew Taylor, from the Madison-Miller planning & implementation team, has applied to the Office of Housing to include that area in the Tax Exemption Program and has written to you in support of that application.

Andrew has talked to us about the program. We fully support its implementation in the Madison-Miller area, and understand that the program is a good way to maintain affordable housing in that area. Please help the Office of Housing implement the program in the Madison-Miller area as soon as possible: we understand that both the Madison Temple project at 22nd & Madison and Val Thomas's project at 19th & Madison are interested in the program and are concerned that they may not be able to benefit from it if it is not implemented soon.

Thank you for your help in maintaining the supply of housing in our area for those of moderate income.

Thurston Muskelly, John Jeannot
President Chair, Stewardship Committee
Central Area Neighborhood District Council Central Area Neighborhood District Council