City, and area, housing conundrum

Kelso, like many other cities is facing a shortage of all alternatives for housing from affordable to high end. Cowlitz County has some significant disadvantages for housing development. Commercial forest property accounts for around two-thirds of the land in Cowlitz County and most of this property is the hills and mountains that bracket the County on the east and west sides. Only 17 percent of the County can be considered easily buildable. Of the 17 percent only about half is available for housing, the remainder is commercial, retail and industrial. There are few newly constructed units.

A study completed a few years ago by the Council of Governments indicated that a comparison of a similarly priced house in Clark County would be newly constructed with modern conveniences, but smaller than a house in Cowlitz County that would have been built 10 to 20 years ago with no modern conveniences.

Kelso faces similar disadvantages to those cited above for Cowlitz County. There is limited buildable property since Kelso is squeezed in by hills on the north and south, Longview on the west and little buildable property on the east.

Like most cities Kelso is looking at a variety of actions to provide multiple housing options. These include Accessory Dwelling Units (AUDs), multifamily units (duplexes, triplexes, fourplexes), apartments, mixed commercial/residential building, tax incentives like tax incentive financing (TIF), multifamily tax exemptions (MFTE), and zoning and permitting changes.

Kelso is presently reviewing its zoning and the Council has requested the review looks at changes that would facilitate construction of ADUs and multifamily units.

One interesting regulation regarding multifamily units is that fourplexes are considered commercial buildings and therefore must be built to a higher standard than duplexes and triplexes. This adds significant costs to construction.

There are opportunities for mixed commercial/residential in the downtown areas. Also, one of the main opportunities is the proposed community center which will include 41 affordable housing units similar to those at the Columbia Theatre. The Council has asked staff to provide more information on TIF and MFTE and how they may affect City revenues.

There is not one single solution to improving housing availability and there are potential issues including lack of parking, increased traffic, capacity of infrastructure and utilities, and potential loss of revenue. These will be some difficult and contentious decisions and I encourage citizens to attend planning commission and Council meetings.

between, there just isn’t a more beautiful place to call home. Longview is situated 45 minutes from Portland International Airport, and one hour from the towering Cascade Mountains or the majestic Pacific Ocean. As Longview continues its Centennial Celebration this year in this prime location, it’s no wonder that activities abound: Cowlitz County Fair at the event center July 26-29, Squirrel Fest at Civic Circle Aug. 19 and many 100-year Centennial Celebrations – Gala Dinner and Drone show over Lower Columbia College Sept. 8, Pageant of Progress Parade downtown, Time Capsule sealing at City Hall and Lighted Drone show at Lake Sacajawea on Sept. 9.

Other Notable Gems:

• Mint Valley Golf course, built in 1973, and city run for the past five years has now become the fifth Best Golf Course in Washington state, according to GOLFPASS Golfers’ Choice 2023. Beautifully manicured greens, excellent staff and fantastic lunch menu. Enjoy golf or lunch.

• JH Kelly is celebrating 100 years this year! Beginning in 1923 as the first plumber and trash collector in Longview, they have grown to an expansive valued multitrade service company. Today they are gifting back to our community by restoring the Monticello Convention Park with a complete redo of the historical plaques from the 1950s, restoring the original bench and adding new lighting and landscaping.

Thank you, JH Kelly and team!

• Campus Towers, originally built in 1971, a senior living facility that houses 89 low-income seniors is currently adding eight cottage apartments to the footprint of their campus. Congratulations Campus Towers team!

Bright spots and gems in the City of Longview are everywhere. Let’s look out for these sweet gems and opportunities, and share the light they offer with each other.