Letter: Development proposal requires more scrutiny

Published 1:30 am Friday, May 29, 2026

Editor,

I attended the last Langley City Council meeting, where council members presented a new development proposal for the Coles Road property as essentially a fait accompli. The project would include 85 housing units adjacent to the city’s sewage treatment plant, with Habitat for Humanity reportedly involved in managing an affordable housing component. The annexation agreement limits this to 24 homes. Beyond that, few details were shared, although council approval may come at the next regular meeting. Why does the annexation agreement need to be replaced before the sale to Habitat?

Past plans have also included large water towers near steep sandy slopes to address inadequate water pressure for firefighting. The property lies within a half mile of the South Whidbey Fault, an area vulnerable to major seismic activity. Earlier proposals called for extensive grading and slope removal to create buildable lots, with imported fill required.

Council members also discussed setting aside land for parks and trails, but there was no explanation of who would maintain them. If much of the project is workforce housing, a homeowners association may not have the resources for long-term upkeep. The council itself acknowledged that sewer and water subsidies may be necessary for qualifying residents.

Given the scale of this proposal, South Whidbey residents deserve a thorough, transparent analysis of the financial, environmental, and infrastructure impacts before any approval moves forward.

David Stenberg

Langley