Plans to develop Hamilton property remain on hold
HAMILTON - Plans by the Home Trust of Skagit to put housing on about 15 acres along Walders Road in Hamilton are on hold due to a lack of support from the town.
Only part of the 43-acre property north of Highway 20 is available for development because of power lines and environmental conservation efforts.
The Home Trust has signed a purchase-and-sale agreement to buy the property from Seattle-based nonprofit Forterra. The agreement is due to expire in December, but Home Trust Executive Director Felicia Minto said the deadline is flexible.
Forterra has owned the land since 2019, and in 2023 the nonprofit received a $3.5 million grant from the state Department of Ecology to relocate Hamilton property owners out of the floodplain.
Seven households have accepted the buyout money, and the homes have been demolished. The residents who accepted the buyouts left town entirely.
The Home Trust of Skagit is a nonprofit that provides permanent, affordable homeownership by owning the land and leasing it to low-income buyers, who purchase homes at below-market rates and agree to a resale formula that keeps the homes affordable for future buyers.
Originally, the Home Trust indicated that homes built on the Walders Road property would be available only to households earning 80% or less of the area's median income
However, during the May 12 Town Council meeting, Minto said she would be willing to offer the majority of the homes at fair market value.
In 2024, the median household income of Hamilton was $67,500, according to the U.S. Census Bureau. All households earning the median, except one-person households, would qualify for the Home Trust's affordable homes.
Community Action of Skagit County was initially going to help with rental units the development, but has since backed out due to community feedback.
While the Hamilton Town Council originally agreed to a hold workshop with the Home Trust, it has since withdrawn the offer because members do not think the Home Trust's plans are in the town's best interest.
However, councilmembers also said they were open to further communication with the Home Trust at future meetings.
The council's opinions about the project resemble the opinions of many of the town's residents.
In a survey conducted by the Skagit Valley Herald, 74% of the Hamilton residents who responded said they do not approve of the Home Trust's plans for the property.
The top reasons residents say they oppose the Home Trust's plans are:
* Homeowners would not own the land beneath their homes
* They are not interested in the low-income aspect because it would cause people from outside Hamilton to move in and could possibly negatively affect nearby property values
* Insufficient infrastructure in the area and worries about traffic impacts and overcrowding at Lyman Elementary
* Concerns about the impact to the wetlands and wildlife in the area
* Concerns that development plans differ from the previous relocation plans agreed to by the town
* Concerns about an increase in crime
* Distrust of outside organizations, such as nonprofits
Many of the responses also brought up uncertainty about aspects of the plans.
About 19% of residents selected the "I'm not sure" option when asked about whether they support the Home Trust's plans. These respondents said they did not have enough information.
"It's really hard to understand what's really going on, and really and truly, I like my properties in town," said Hamilton resident Donna Chipley.
At the opposite end of the opinion spectrum, about 7% of respondents said they approved of the Home Trust's plans because of the need for low-income housing and the need to get residents out of the floodplain.
One of the those in favor of the Home Trust's plans was former Hamilton Mayor Carla Vandiver.
"(Many Hamilton residents) are doing just wonderful, but in the grand scheme of things, if they had to do that anywhere else but Hamilton, they couldn't afford it," Vandiver said.
Vandiver also criticized the way councilmembers spoke about low-income housing, citing a council meeting in which a councilmember said they do not want low-income housing because they do not want the "riff-raff."
"I got really upset, and I stood up and said something, even though it wasn't community speaking time," Vandiver said. "... People need the lower affordability of homes, not these castles and prime homes that even the people in Hamilton can't afford."
While Vandiver spoke in favor of the plans, she also said the Home Trust needs to do what it says it will do because Forterra has not.
While the Home Trust's plans remain at a standstill, Minto said she is open to having more conversations with the town.
"Home Trust is open to further communication and clarification, not only from Hamilton, but any jurisdiction in Skagit County," Minto said.
The next council meeting is at 7 p.m. Tuesday, July 14, at Hamilton Town Hall. More details are at townofhamiltonwa.com/city-council.
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This story was originally published June 11, 2026 at 7:04 AM.