SOUTH WHIDBEY RECORD: Langley building moratorium not making comeback

Kira Erickson reports from the Langley City Council’s March 21 meeting:

At the council’s March 7 meeting, Councilmember Rhonda Salerno suggested a moratorium for new development proposals submitted under either the city’s Planned Unit Development, known as PUD, or multi-family infill provisions. She reasoned that it would give the city time to consider new standards for tree preservation, climate mitigation, affordable housing and financial and infrastructure impacts of development, as well as to reevaluate the city’s open-ended form-based code.

Public opinion on the idea was split, with at least two council members in opposition. Seeing that she wouldn’t get enough votes to pass the moratorium, Salerno decided to withdraw her motion.

Salerno revisited the topic at the council’s most recent meeting Monday night, but made no effort to revive it.

They Said It

“The moratorium would not have affected any current applications and was not intended to stop or discourage any development in Langley,” [Councilmember Rhonda Salerno] explained. “It was not put forth maliciously or as an attempt to burden developers….”

“To claim that this moratorium was intended to decrease the opportunity for affordable housing is just not true,” Salerno said. “It is also a legal and integrationist process that is a common tool used to assure that ordinances that are in process have time to be completed.”

“I hope we can agree to let this rest and go forward with our good work to create a sustainable, inclusive and equitable place to live,” she said.