By LYNN STEINBERG
SEATTLE POST-INTELLIGENCER REPORTER

A new, attractive cluster of 30 townhomes for low-income families at North 85th Street and Fremont Avenue offers a striking example of what can happen when developers heed the concerns of local residents and both sides work together.

The Low Income Housing Institute, owner and developer of the project, planned to construct a 60-unit building on the property. When neighbors objected to the design and density, LIHI established an advisory committee that included local residents and businesspeople.

"We listened," says LIHI Director Sharon Lee, "and we responded."

The number of units went from 60 to 30, and LIHI hired an architect to redesign the project. Then the advisory committee helped decide how the complex would be managed, and who would live and work there.

"It was really the right way to do things," says Kammerer, a retired teacher. "Now, instead of opposition, the community looks down the street and says, 'Isn't that a great place.' "

The townhomes, painted in shades of green, yellow or blue, and all trimmed in white, are nicely landscaped and anchored by an attractive courtyard.

Rents range from $546 to $676 for the two-, three- and four-bedroom units.

The complex, which opened in March 1998, was 70 percent occupied by early July.

Just next door is the North Seattle Boys and Girls Club, which offers a variety of activities for youths of all ages. There are soccer and baseball camps during the summer, arts and crafts programs, river trips and Friday night get-togethers for teens.

The club is equipped with a computer learning center, and during the school year it offers child care before and after classes.