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.