Ballard's housing stock is undergoing tremendous change. We have large condominium developments underway, we are seeing so called "mega houses" replacing smaller bungalows and we are witness to an outcrop of many new townhouses. I would like to offer some of my personal observations on the latter phenomenon.

Specifically, on the West side of 24th Ave the past 18 months there has been a flurry of townhouse construction. As there was little vacant land to start with, most townhouses projects are kicked off with the destruction of what I have come to call a "tear-down" house. These used to be easy to identify as small one story houses with bad roofs and scruffy yards with overgrown rhododendrons and juniper. Lately however, I have seen houses that seem quite inhabitable torn down for the new townhouses. It is sometimes a shock to see a hole where a house once stood - and even more shocking to realize that the mind cannot mentally reconstruct exactly what was there. So much for my powers of observation.

Following the demolition, the now predictable pattern of excavation, foundation laying and speed carpentry and roofing takes place. It does not seem to take very much time for a modern townhouse to be built. A two story townhouse structure that now contains 4 separate units (A-B-C-D) is the result.

These townhouses are good for the neighborhood in some ways. They are more affordable than a new house would be if built from scratch on the same lot. This invites a younger population to settle here, which I count as a good thing. The explosion of interesting shopping experiences and services in Ballard is at least partially based upon this influx of new residents. The increased density also has another positive aspect - it is far better to see the townhouses than to have more urban sprawl like one sees in places like Mill Creek. I personally welcome these new residents, some of whom are not "new" but have simply opted for this new mode of living.

Still, I see some downsides to the change. I regret the uniformity of these buildings more than anything. I observe that many of these new townhouses are being built by the same developer and he is certainly getting good use out that set of floor plans that he ordered. One can only hope the architect is getting a volume commission. While handsome enough as a single structure, a row of these townhouses exhibits a sameness that is regrettable. Perhaps it will simply take more time for the units to become individualized as the units are re-painted, hanging baskets are installed and so forth. For now, I have to say that I miss the diversity and well, funkiness, that the single family dwellings lent to the neighborhood. While better than urban sprawl, the townhouses are less nature friendly than the single family houses they typically replaced. I miss seeing gardens and grass when I walk by the front of these units. Many of them have erected tall cedar fences that block off interaction with people who walk by. A lot of people walk to where they need to go in Ballard and these barriers in front of the new townhouses do not encourage interesting walks. A waist high fence might be a better compromise. I also notice that the backs of these townhouses crowd the alleys. Alley walking is not as fun as it once was where townhouses dominate the landscape. But behind these townhouses we no longer see pocket gardens or backyards and trees, we see garages and driveways in a kind of urban canyon where townhouses are to the left and right. I miss seeing secretive cats hiding underneath bushes.

Speaking of cars, I have to wonder what the impact on parking will be of the increased density. To be sure, there is parking supplied on the lot for each resident. And hopefully, the era of needing to own a car (or more than one car) is waning in favor of FlexCar, mass transit, and more personal forms of transportation such as bicycles and motorcycles that take up far less room and resources. Still, many more cars will need to be parked as a result of the higher population and navigating some of these narrow streets will get more interesting for those of us in cars.

I submit that the townhouses are noisier than the structures they replaced. I am not referring to the sounds of people, I am referring to the units themselves. One can often hear fans and electric door openers -- the new buildings tend to have a dull hum to them.

Change is inevitable and it is good. I am sure that I will come to appreciate these new structures and will certainly enjoy meeting the many people who are buying them. I certainly extend my welcome to you. I simply wanted to note how things are a little different, not in a bid to return to past days, but to stimulate thinking on how townhouses can knit themselves more tightly into the fabric of Ballard.