EVERETT — Nearly six weeks after someone ignited an apparent firework inside the city’s Grand Avenue Park elevator, there’s still no estimate for when the disabled elevator will be repaired.
Simone Tarver, Everett communications manager says, “At the moment, we don’t have an ETA on when parts will arrive or when the repairs will be completed, but our Facilities team is doing what they can to get the elevator operational.”
The damage was inflicted on July 9th, Tarver says, “some sort of firework in the elevator went off while the doors were closed. This caused significant damage to the elevator.”
No suspect or suspects have been identified after the post-July 4th vandalism and the vandal or vandals remain at large.
Everett City Councilman, Scott Bader tells the EverettPost.com, “For over a decade, at least, I’ve been floating the idea that we should have security cameras at our parks. And when the Grand Avenue elevator was vandalized, it gave me another opportunity to raise that issue. It seems like there’s more interest now in doing that. Unfortunately, I don’t know where the pace of that is.”
Tarver tells the EverettPost.com, “Our facilities team is also looking into the feasibility of adding cameras by the elevator.”
Bader says, “I usually mention this unfortunately when we’ve had a fire or seriously bad vandalism to the play structures in parks which seems to happen every two years or so and then puts a play structure out of commission for at least half a year.”
Frustrated by the lack of public access to a city owned property, Bader continues, “We’re having to wait for insurance or other sources of money to replace that play structure. So, its been an on-going theme for me suggesting security cameras for parks. And I know they’re not silver bullets as they (security cams) are anywhere, but I think it might give us a better chance at catching people or even better deterring people from vandalism in our parks. ”
With public opinion divided on city run security cameras, as an example in Seattle, or Flock cameras, Bader responds, “Just like many Everett residents or their landlords have added security cameras to protect their property, the City of Everett should do no less to protect City of Everett property, especially property our constituents depend on such as parks and the Grand Avenue pedestrian bridge elevator.”
The elevator repair process is compounded by parts shortages due to supply chain and sometimes a complete lack of manufacture of replacement parts.
This video explains some of the repair related problems in the PNW.
The EverettPost.com previously reported on an elevator service outage at a 4-story Everett apartment building that began on May 19. According to the building’s property manager, the repairs started on August 3 and are still continuing over two weeks later.
As for the Grand Avenue Park elevator to traverse the railroad tracks on W. Marine View Drive, the city of Everett says the stairs remain available. An additional option for crossing W. Marine View Drive is a few blocks south at the pedestrian overpass on 25th Street.