Courtesy photo
Gov. Christine Gregoire recognized Greenbrier Heights partners for creating a model affordable livable community.

Governor Chris Gregoire, at a recent reception in Tacoma, honored Greenbrier Heights in Woodinville for creating a model affordable livable community, one of six statewide winners. The event also marked the 15th anniversary of the state’s Growth Management Act. Greenbrier Heights partners included in the award include: The City of Woodinville; King County; A Regional Coalition for Housing (ARCH); CamWest Development, Inc.; Downtown Action to Save Housing (DASH); Shelter Resources, Inc.; and The National Development Council.

“Washington has an enviable quality of life that keeps our state competitive in the global marketplace,” said Governor Gregoire. “I am pleased to recognize the important work our communities and their partners are doing to keep Washington a great place to live.”

Greenbrier Heights was developed through a partnership of non-and for-profit developers and government agencies working together to transform a county surplus site into a residential neighborhood affordable to a wide range of incomes. The project consists of a mix of single family and cottage ownerships homes, senior and family rental apartments, community facilities, a central neighborhood park and 10 acres of protected forest and wetlands. Affordability ranges to rental homes for families and seniors as low as $400 per month, and single family homes and cottages from $125,000 to market rate.

Amanda Lopez, whose family lives in the Greenbrier Community says, “We have five children and have all been enjoying the Greenbrier Community. We have met wonderful neighbors and made great friends. We enjoy the closeness of the playgrounds and walking trails. It is less than five minutes away to Woodinville’s shops and grocery stores. We are so glad we made the choice to live in this great community in Woodinville.”

Woodinville Mayor Cathy VonWald calls Greenbrier Heights “a successful example of a collaborative public and private effort towards meeting regional and city affordable housing goals.”

ARCH Executive Board Chair and Sammamish City Manager Ben Yazici adds: “Of the many projects ARCH has supported, Greenbrier stood out as a project that successfully addresses many of the issues raised by GMA, including providing exceptional affordability.”

King County Executive Ron Sims declared that “Greenbrier Heights is a testament to the power of partnerships and the extraordinary results that can be achieved when private and nonprofit housing developers, cities and counties all work together. This project not only benefits those who call it home, but also enhances the quality of life for all residents of Woodinville and King County. We are very proud of this effort.”

Woodinville’s Comprehensive Plan enabled a variety of housing regulations that helped Greenbrier Heights become a reality, including cluster density, narrow streets, housing density bonus for affordability, fee reductions and native growth preservation.

According to Mark Thometz, Executive Director of DASH: “The ability to combine various housing types and predominately private financing with limited public financing into one project allowed DASH to achieve a greater level of affordability than from public funding sources alone.”

CamWest President Eric Campbell adds: “CamWest was able to develop a whole community at Greenbrier by building strong public and private partnerships”.

For information, visit the ARCH website: www.archhousing.org .

For information on affordable rental housing at Greenbrier Heights call for senior housing (425) 481-4497; and for family housing (425) 424-8882.