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<< Previous   of   Next >>   ADVERTISEMENT   CONTACT THE HERALD Robert Frank, City Editor frank@heraldnet.com   Published: Saturday, June 20, 2009 Short-term fix sought for Mukilteo parking mess Overnight parking used by ferry commuters will be lost when construction starts on the Rosehill center. By Chris Fyall Herald Writer WHIDBEY ISLAND -- A solution to the overnight parking crunch on Mukilteo's waterfront will eventually emerge, many believe. The issue is timing. "They just need some short-term thing so that people aren't in a panic," said John Williamson, who commutes by ferry and vanpool from his home on Useless Bay to the Boeing Co.'s Everett plant. Changes to overnight parking won't affect his commute. Others aren't so lucky, and their concern is clear. A meeting among more than 100 commuters and officials from Mukilteo and the island took place Wednesday night at the Clinton Community Hall. The evening was full of the shouts and jeers of upset commuters and officials shaking their heads. If Mukilteo starts construction on its new community center in July, which Mayor Joe Marine hopes it will, about 130 overnight parking stalls at Rosehill Community Center could be gone by August. Hundreds of other commuter stalls could be removed in the future. Losing overnight parking could add hours to the commutes of people who walk onto the ferry in Clinton and drive away in cars they've parked in Mukilteo overnight. Commuters are angry, but they are in a position where they can't control the situation, said Helen Price Johnson, an Island County commissioner. "We need to work with (Mukilteo) as proactively as we can," Johnson said. Solutions suggested at the meeting ranged from the fanciful to the practical. People recommended building a bridge connecting the island to the mainland. Others envisioned "resident rider" ferry passes that would let car commuters from Whidbey Island jump to the front of the line. Marine talked up Mukilteo's need for a waterfront parking garage, but said it needed to be paid for by somebody else. Money for garage projects has dried up almost as quickly as available space. Archeological evidence of an American Indian tribal village on the waterfront might limit available locations. Marine also talked about creating seasonal parking lots that would prevent overnight parking during the summer, when Lighthouse Park is so busy that parking is hard to come by, but allow it during the winter. Creating an overnight parking lot at Olympic View Middle School during the summers could work if the Mukilteo School District approved, Marine said. Commuters could catch a Community Transit bus to the school, he said. What won't work is what is happening, he said. "We are not in the business of (waterfront) parking lots. We have done that," Marine said. "It is killing our downtown." Chris Fyall: 425-339-3447, cfyall@heraldnet.com. READER COMMENTS Be the first to comment. You must be a registered user and verify your e-mail address to post comments to blogs or articles on HeraldNet. To register, click here. To read other terms and conditions, click here. Log out

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