EVERETT June 6: At last night’s Everett City Council meeting the council approved the controversial Clark Park Renovation, which plans to temporarily rehouse the historic gazebo and repurpose the area into a dog park.
The Clark Park Renovation ordinance has long been disputed and supported by Everett residents. The project will cost $360,000, with $10,000 coming from a grant from Snohomish County.
“We believe that the new dog park will be transformative, and a great story of how positive activation can enhance neighborhood parks,” Bob Leonard Parks Service Director said at Wednesday’s meeting.
Leonard thanked The Historic Commission Advisory Board and the Bayside Neighborhood Association for their work in the Clark Park renovation plan.
Council Comments:
Councilmember Rhyne shared that the Snohomish County Council unanimously passed the Project Labor Agreement (PLA) and Priority Hire Requirements for all county projects over $5 million.
“This will go a long way in supporting workers and family wage jobs,” Rhyne said.
Councilmembers Vogeli and Fosse attended the Arlington Pride over the weekend and shared that the council was “instrumental in making sure that it was clear that armed intimidation is never something that should be allowed in political spaces or places where people express themselves,” Fosse said.
Last year both Councilmembers Vogeli and Fosse asked for a resolution in support of the Pride Festival in Arlington.
Their resolution proclaimed support for the Arlington LGBTQIA+ Community and called for the City of Arlington to adequately enforce proactive safety measures against hate crimes and intimidation.
“We had a really positive impact on that community and all of our residents that attended there, there were no issues this year,” Fosse said.
In response to Renton’s recent minimum wage increase, Fosse asked for an ordinance increasing the minimum wage in Everett for the November 2024 ballot.
Public Comments:
Executive Director of Bunker Arts Collective and Director of the Marysville Boys and Girls Club Evan Reed gave an update on the non-profit. The Marysville Boys and Girls Club is getting the first part of the endorsement grant that they were awarded from the Snohomish County’s Division of Behavioral Health.
“This includes three murals, a community garden, a little free library, a basic needs pantry and a community bulletin board,” Reed said.
Once they are reimbursed, it will fund 15 murals that will go around the City of Everett, as well as fund Art in the Park opportunities.
Action items
EverPark garage: There are three main parking garages in downtown Everett. There is EverPark, Funko, and the garage underneath the Snohomish County Campus. The ordinance asks to expand the use of funds dedicated to EverPark garage to enhance on and off-street parking. Due to an Ordinance from 1970, the city has been restricted to use EverPark funds for overall upkeep and operation. With this new proposed ordinance, the funds will no longer be restricted, and the surplus funds can be divested into improving downtown parking.
On May 15, Economic Development Director Dan Eernissee gave a briefing on this ordinance during the Parks and Quality of Life meeting. The city plans to work closely with the Downtown Everett Association to improve downtown parking if this ordinance is approved Eernissee said.
Enhancements to downtown parking will be based on a study done in 2019 by Portland-based Barney & Worth and Rick Williams Consulting. The third and final reading of this ordinance will be on June 12.
“While the funds are allowed to be spent on other aspects of Downtown parking, it is really important to keep a priority for EverPark garage…,” Liz Stenning with the Downtown Everett Association said during the meeting.
