Housing & Rural Living

East Bethel can provide more housing choices without turning the entire city into a suburban development pattern. The key is deciding where different kinds of housing belong.

Two Different Housing Environments

In rural East Bethel, low-density residential development, acreage, wells, septic systems, woods, lakes, and open land should remain the dominant pattern. In planned growth areas with public infrastructure and regional access, the city should make room for townhomes, senior housing, smaller-lot homes, and other options that serve different stages of life.

The Tradeoff

Preserving rural areas necessarily means that some properties will have less subdivision potential than they would under a more suburban growth model. That is a real tradeoff, and residents deserve to hear it stated plainly. At the same time, concentrating more housing choices in planned growth areas reduces the pressure to increase density across the entire city.

Housing for People Who Want to Stay

East Bethel should make it easier for residents to remain in the community as their housing needs change. A person who no longer wants to maintain acreage should not have to leave the city to find a townhome, smaller home, or accessible housing option.

Where Higher Density Belongs

• Inside planned growth and mixed-use areas.
• Where sewer, water, transportation, and public services can support it.
• Near commercial services and amenities.
• Where added density does not require opening large rural areas to urban development.

Regional Housing Obligations

East Bethel will continue to face regional housing-planning requirements. My goal is to meet those obligations in a way that supports the city’s own long-term land-use strategy: guide sufficient housing opportunity in planned growth areas while preserving the rural areas that define much of East Bethel.

What Success Looks Like

More housing options for young adults, families, and older residents, with density concentrated where infrastructure and services exist and rural areas protected from piecemeal suburbanization.