Folks are squabbling in comments about a story in this week's paper. Why, exactly, do neighbors oppose an extremely affordable housing development?

Quick background: Local developer Dirk Mulhair found that, under city permitting rules, he could squeeze eight single-occupancy apartments into one "town house." Over at 23rd Avenue East and East John Street, he is building six "town houses" that contain a total of 48 units—averaging only $550 a month, including all utilities, cable and internet—and city rules didn't require him to issue a public notice. Neighbors hit the roof. They had a few concerns, as described in the article: the lack of warning, the unprecedented density, and the impact on parking. However, the primary concern seemed that lower-class people will invade the neighborhood.

But a man claiming to be a neighbor quoted in the article, Alan Gossett, writes in comments, "The problem with this article is that it grossly misrepresents the legitimate concerns that the neighbors of this development project have ... I, and my fellow neighbors to which I’ve spoken, are neither 'anti-densification' nor 'anti-low income.'"

Sorry, Alan (or person claiming to be Alan), but I wrote about the "legitimate concerns" that neighbors shared with me—and City Council Member Sally Clark's sentiment that public notice should be required—but neighbors seemed especially opposed to the density and low-income residents.

These were some of the "legitimate concerns" Gossett raised... "I think this is going to be a magnet for very sketchy people," he said. He also rang off these zingers: “We are concerned about who moves in, worried about loss of security, and illegal activity" and "I am concerned about the negative impact on property values" and "Anyone who can scrape up enough money for month-to-month rent can live there."

Gossett added that he and other neighbors successfully blocked a proposal to convert vacant lots a half-block north of his house into 11 to 14 cottages. “We fought it and they are now empty lots. I’d like to see houses, but empty lots are better than 11 to 14 houses on them," he said.

Another neighbor, who asked not to be named, raised issues with people living in congregate housing without oversight. She also lamented that low-cost apartments would undercut the economy of the city as neighbors wish to develop it.

The article is over here.