Do We Have A Trail Plan?

Yes! One of the short-term goals identified at the visioning workshop (joint meeting of City Council, Planning and Parks & Arts Commissions) was a city-wide Trails Plan. The City has an existing plan: a framework for adding additional trail goals. This plan can be found here, on the city’s website.

Two other goals relate to this plan, as well: the short term goal of working to enhance and extend trails at the waterfront, including a promenade along all of the downtown waterfront, and a second mid-term goal of constructing safe and separated pedestrian access along the speedway to the waterfront.
The 2009 Trails plan addresses all trails, including bike paths and pedestrian routes (and sidewalks). The Waterfront Promenade is described in the plan. The plan identifies a minimum 10-foot width for this route, though recent guidance from the Planning Commission encouraged a 15-foot width for this walkway that would take Mukilteans between Lighthouse Park and future tank farm redevelopment.
The Trails Plan cites a recreation survey conducted several years ago by the city where residents identified walking and biking as the number one recreation activity and one of the highest needs for additional opportunities.
One pedestrian or bicycle route that is not identified for improvement in the plan is the pedestrian access along SR525 to the waterfront. The plan identifies the current shoulder along the roadway as an existing trail. There was definite interest in improving this trail at the visioning workshop. It will be important for stakeholders who support this access to remind councilmember’s of the value of this access, and encourage its consideration in future capital facilities plans.

Shoreline Planning

We had our first joint work session on the Shoreline Management Program with the Planning and Parks & Arts Commissions tonight. The Planning Commission will be doing more work on the plan in the next year, with public hearings at City Council planned for February and March in 2011.
The Planning Department has lots of information available at the city's shorelines website.
The shoreline program is important for our waterfront, including Lighthouse Park and the tank farm redevelopment. It’s not as critical for most homeowners in the city: our steep slopes at the waters’ edge means that most homes are outside of the 200 feet of management zone where the Shoreline Management Program will be (and has been) in effect.
The shoreline plan also is being designed to account for the potential annexation areas (more marine shoreline, and Lake Serene).
This plan process is a valuable opportunity to ensure regulations use the best science, protect our environment and ensure water uses and public access are continually allowed and improved.

Vision

Imagine walking out your front door in 2020: what does Mukilteo look like? Are you able to walk safely down the Speedway to the waterfront, separated from car and bus traffic? Is the ferry terminal running from its new location on the former tank farm? What’s across the street from Ivar’s at the former ferry holding area? Farther south in the city, what do we see at the corner of 44th and 76th, known today as the Precht Property (and current home of the Mukilteo Community Garden)? Are there other new parks and trails in the City? If you’re traveling down to Picnic Point Beach, are you still inside the city limits? What kind of development has happened in the ten years since 2010 in those neighborhoods?
The City Council, Planning Commission and Parks and Arts Commission attempted to answer these questions at a Vision Workshop last Thursday. With the help of some talented consultants, we created the beginning of a vision for Mukilteo.
We began with some images created to illustrate the history of Mukilteo. This 4x8 foot illustration should be available soon for perusal: there are great details about important moments in our history! Some of my favorite details include the drawings of the treaty signing and the home of Fowler, one of Mukilteo’s founders, as well as the salmon smoker, brewery and cannery from Mukilteo in the 1870’s through 1920’s, and the images of today: our new City Hall, ranking among the best places to live, and the Sound Transit station on the waterfront!
As we discussed visions, priorities and ideas, we developed future priorities for the city.
Short term priorities (3-6 years) included:
--Create a sustainable Financial Policy in 2010 (Finance)
--Implement Trail Plan (Parks)
--Improve/preserve Infrastructure on an on-going basis (Transportation)
--Develop a Waterfront Master Plan (Transportation)
--Enhance and extend trails and promenade (Waterfront)
--Facilitate Parking & Ride for commuters with bus service (Transportation)
--Clarity on Annexation (Finance)
--Connect decision makers with citizens through technology (Finance)
--Adopt Precht Property Master Plan (Parks)
--Build pedestrian walkway (and bikepath) down SR 525 from 92nd Street Park to Waterfront (WF)

The illustrator supporting our work created some images to communicate these ideas. She’ll be finishing this (4x8 foot) drawing and delivering it to the City later. Great ideas that I liked include daylighting Japanese Gulch Creek so salmon can truly spawn there again, finding a home for a park and ride both for Mukilteo residents and ferry commuters, creating an intentional plan to support retail and commercial business centers in the City (our long geography means that we have several centers).
The final image from the night was the poster portrait of the team assembled to create this idea, featuring the things we love most about Mukilteo. I tip my hat to the great efforts from Mukilteo elected and appointed officials. Our City is lucky to have such smart, caring and dedicated people providing the guidance and vision for the City.
edited on June 15 for layout adjustments

Manufactured Home Zoning

Good article in the Beacon about the issues facing the Carriage Club Estates homeowners. They are in a Manufactured Home Zone inside the county now, and would be in multi-family zoning if they were annexed into the City. Information about the County zone is available here.
I think the zoning is a good solution for homeowners, was created through negotiations with both homeowners and landowners, and fills a need for affordable, detached single-family and senior housing. I'm hopeful that the City can pursue a similar option. There's a sort of awkwardly placed quote in the Beacon article... I'll just add here that "I'm totally on board" with creating a similar zone in Mukilteo and finding solutions for the homeowners in the annexation area!

Waterfront Wednesdays

What a great Wednesday evening on the waterfront! Fresh vegetables, fruits and more at the market. Wine vendors, plants, jewelry, kettlecorn... Good stuff. There was tons of parking available in Lighthouse Park, as well!
Open Mic Night runs every Wednesday, as well, 6-8pm at Red Cup Cafe in Lincoln Courtyard on 4th. Studio Tours run in the Art Building from 4-8pm.

Annexation

We had an interesting discussion about annexation tonight at Council. We don’t take votes at work sessions, and this was meant to be informational. I’m not sure where all the council members are at on this—I guess we will find out in the coming weeks. It does seem like there may still be four votes to move the issue forward.
The staff has prepared a timeline that would take us to the Boundary Review Board (BRB) either in September this year, or February 3, 2011. It’s available here.
We expect the result, assuming it’s affirmative, would be appealed again by Fire District One. They appealed the last decision of the BRB, which brought us to this point of re-set. With that timeline and contingencies, it would take us into 2012 for the annexation to be in effect. With that timeline, we will also turn to our current residents in Mukilteo to discuss, or possibly to vote on, the issue. There are a variety of election dates after the potential BRB decision and before any vote inside the annexation area. Once the BRB decision is rendered, and any appeals are settled, it makes sense to ask Mukilteo voters: that’s when we’ll have a full picture of what we’re asking, both inside and outside the current city limits.
The discussion about annexation is happening in the framework of another process, our adoption of a long-range financial plan. That plan is taking the shape of a variety of policies governing the city’s finances. We also have a workshop to discuss a vision for the future of Mukilteo scheduled for June 10th. I’m excited for that opportunity to talk about a host of issues facing Mukilteo, and to envision what shape the future may take.

One other topic that came up was the zoning for the manufactured home communities inside the annexation area: the biggest one is Carriage Club Estates. Most of the councilmembers present voiced an interest in adopting a manufactured home park zone, similar to what the County has in place now for those properties. This is great news for the residents of Carriage Club, and I'm glad more of the council now shares my interest in taking this action.

Conference: Opportunities!

Next week, I will join more than 200 other young, progressive elected officials in Washington, DC next week at the fifth annual convening of the national Young Elected Officials Network.
This photo is from a few years ago... on this trip, we will also be attending a White House briefing! I'm not sure that I'll be able to visit the West Wing, though, as I did with Mayor Marine a few years ago.

The participants at the conference next week, progressive elected officials from across the country, are all under the age of 35. The young leaders will meet with a number of national leaders in Washington and share with each other their policy ideas, leadership strategies, and best practices.

I’m excited about learning from other young elected officials. Some of the sessions I’m attending include economic sustainability (economic development and job creation), sustainable green policies and e-Democracy (outreach and involvement). I hope to bring back some good ideas to work on in Mukilteo.

The Young Elected Officials (YEO) Network, organized by the People For the American Way foundation, consists of over 550 young, progressive city, county, state and federal officials from all 50 states. Most are at the start of their political careers; 89 percent are interested in running for higher office in the future.

“These young elected officials play a critical role in our local, state, and national governments,” said Andrew Gillum, Tallahassee City Commissioner and executive director of the YEO Network. “They are leaders in policy debates around the country, and manage billions of dollars in public funds. They are passionate, innovative, and committed to helping their communities be places of freedom, fairness, and opportunity. The YEO Network National Convening is a great way for them to work together to share ideas and empower each other as they continue their careers in public service.”

One great thing about this conference is that the costs are pretty minimal—my council travel budget will pay just for the airfare. The conference covers lodging, workshop costs and most meals. Another great thing-- our State Representative, Marko Liias, is attending as well!