Here’s the headline from KIRO:

Ballard residents ambush Seattle mayor over development

At first, you might think that this headline is “bad news,” especially since it is about a microhousing project in Ballard.

But think about this for a moment. Change isn’t easy. When change comes, the people with the most invested in the status quo have the most to lose. Usually, the press presents a story about how developers are pushing change for their own benefit. The story, the interest, is all about how developers are changing things.

Somehow, we’ve changed the storyline

Now, angry neighbors are finally being called out for their behavior. A celebratory event was “ambushed” by neighbors worried about change. Instead of a headline that reads, “Micorhousing Arouses Concern Among Neighbors,” the headline calls attention to the neighborhoods behavior.

Not only that, but here’s how the Mayor responded:

What we’ve seen is the rise of these micro apartments because it’s affordable living for people who don’t want to own a car and want to use transit and ride a bike,” said McGinn. “And they’ve been very popular. And it’s an affordable way for a young person or an older person to live in the neighborhood where they work.

Even in an ambush, the Mayor acknowledged how important microhousing is to the mix of housing Seattle needs if it is going to grow sustainably.

Today at noon, the Mayor and Senator Ed Murray will be at the meeting of the Ballard Chamber of Commerce to discuss a variety of issues. If you care and you can, go there to express your views about microhousing.