Published: Sunday, March 11, 2012, 12:01 a.m.
Viewpoints
How Lake Stevens is being carefully transformed
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Michael O'Leary / The Herald
Workers build houses at Cavalero Heights off 79th Avenue SE in 2009. The area was later annexed by Lake Stevens.
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The Lake Stevens community takes great pride in its small-town character, excellent access to the outdoors, and maintaining the integrity of the lake and the environment. It is a strongly family-oriented community that supports an excellent school system.
Still, we faced a significant challenge.
Citizens in the Lake Stevens urban growth area wished to become part of the city, gaining a stronger, collective voice in shaping their community. But the unincorporated areas in which they lived continued to be permitted for residential homes and detention ponds on potential commercial and employment land.
We knew we had to create a long-term plan to become self-sustaining and in control of our city's future. What was called for was no less than a transformation of our community.
City leaders were fully aware that the challenges and opportunities posed by such an effort would require patience and determination, and that keeping the core values of Lake Stevens had to be the key driver in planning for the long term. We also knew that progressive, carefully planned steps, including financial stability, were paramount to supporting a successful transformation.
Saving for the future
Beginning in 2000 at a population of only 6,360, the City of Lake Stevens began to build its financial reserves, knowing that city services would have to be provided to annexed areas for at least a year before it would receive any property tax revenue from the same area. The city built its reserves for the next five years and in 2005 was one of the first cities to submit its six-year annexation plan to Snohomish County.
Citizen-led annexations began in 2006 and continued over the next three years, with the most recent effort the annexation of the southwest boundary by a successful election in 2009. Lake Stevens has grown to a population of more than 28,800, becoming the fifth largest city in Snohomish County.
The result today is a city that has quadrupled both its population and area, and a community that has control over how it chooses to grow and develop. The annexations have strengthened the sense of civic pride in the preservation of a connected community, united and planning together as one.
Economic transformation
The city has maintained its fiscally conservative approach throughout the annexations, leading to the next steps in the long-term planning for Lake Stevens. The city is redefining itself as a community that supports family wage jobs, promotes healthy, attractive living environments, and will become the retail service center for northeastern Snohomish County.
People currently leave the city to shop, but our location straddling Highway 9 makes us a prime retail power on the eastside. There is room for more shopping experiences here, where the community would benefit from local spending.
To further this goal, in 2010 the city commissioned an economic development strategy to guide the city's efforts and investments, a strategy that would benefit residents and visitors alike.
The economic strategy highlights the city's demographic and civic strength of well-educated, young working parents and their children, an outstanding school district and high household ownership patterns. The city followed with a process of engaging citizens and property owners to prepare comprehensive development plans for three major centers, and to ensure that the transformation from a small to a larger, more diverse community benefits to the whole community, allowing residents and businesses to thrive.
These plans are intended to attract desirable retailers and other businesses, as well as preserve and enhance nearby neighborhoods.
•Lake Stevens Center (the Frontier Village area) will include revitalization strategies for redevelopment of the area in an attractive mixed-use village with desirable retail, high-density housing, office and health care buildings and an improved traffic circulation system while preserving nearby neighborhoods.
The 20th Street SE Corridor Development is the western gateway entrance from Everett and I-5. It is expected to support a modern mixed-use corridor of high-quality office space, employment, housing and several retail/mixed-use centers.
Downtown is the community centerpiece, providing for civic and cultural activities. The historic lakefront revitalization strategies will include greater access to the park, new street circulation and pedestrian improvements, wayfinding signage and landscaping.
The plans, which are expected to be approved this year, can be found on the city's new website at www.lakestevenswa.gov. As an incentive to attract development activity, the plans support expedited permitting and have already been subjected to detailed environmental review. This will save time and money for future development interests that propose housing, employment and retail developments consistent with the city's vision.
Even before these plans are approved by the City Council, we want employers, retailers and developers to know we're open for business.
Transforming Lake Stevens into "One Community Around the Lake" by moving forward with a unified vision of its future, a strong sense of community pride, and a commitment to improve its infrastructure will continue to enhance the City's economic stability.
People move to Lake Stevens to be part of a community that values its people and its sense of place. People stay here because it's a great place to grow.
About the author
Vern Little, a resident of Lake Stevens for nearly 25 years, was elected mayor in November 2007. Prior to that he was a member of the City Council for three years.
Still, we faced a significant challenge.
Citizens in the Lake Stevens urban growth area wished to become part of the city, gaining a stronger, collective voice in shaping their community. But the unincorporated areas in which they lived continued to be permitted for residential homes and detention ponds on potential commercial and employment land.
We knew we had to create a long-term plan to become self-sustaining and in control of our city's future. What was called for was no less than a transformation of our community.
City leaders were fully aware that the challenges and opportunities posed by such an effort would require patience and determination, and that keeping the core values of Lake Stevens had to be the key driver in planning for the long term. We also knew that progressive, carefully planned steps, including financial stability, were paramount to supporting a successful transformation.
Saving for the future
Beginning in 2000 at a population of only 6,360, the City of Lake Stevens began to build its financial reserves, knowing that city services would have to be provided to annexed areas for at least a year before it would receive any property tax revenue from the same area. The city built its reserves for the next five years and in 2005 was one of the first cities to submit its six-year annexation plan to Snohomish County.
Citizen-led annexations began in 2006 and continued over the next three years, with the most recent effort the annexation of the southwest boundary by a successful election in 2009. Lake Stevens has grown to a population of more than 28,800, becoming the fifth largest city in Snohomish County.
The result today is a city that has quadrupled both its population and area, and a community that has control over how it chooses to grow and develop. The annexations have strengthened the sense of civic pride in the preservation of a connected community, united and planning together as one.
Economic transformation
The city has maintained its fiscally conservative approach throughout the annexations, leading to the next steps in the long-term planning for Lake Stevens. The city is redefining itself as a community that supports family wage jobs, promotes healthy, attractive living environments, and will become the retail service center for northeastern Snohomish County.
People currently leave the city to shop, but our location straddling Highway 9 makes us a prime retail power on the eastside. There is room for more shopping experiences here, where the community would benefit from local spending.
To further this goal, in 2010 the city commissioned an economic development strategy to guide the city's efforts and investments, a strategy that would benefit residents and visitors alike.
The economic strategy highlights the city's demographic and civic strength of well-educated, young working parents and their children, an outstanding school district and high household ownership patterns. The city followed with a process of engaging citizens and property owners to prepare comprehensive development plans for three major centers, and to ensure that the transformation from a small to a larger, more diverse community benefits to the whole community, allowing residents and businesses to thrive.
These plans are intended to attract desirable retailers and other businesses, as well as preserve and enhance nearby neighborhoods.
•Lake Stevens Center (the Frontier Village area) will include revitalization strategies for redevelopment of the area in an attractive mixed-use village with desirable retail, high-density housing, office and health care buildings and an improved traffic circulation system while preserving nearby neighborhoods.
The 20th Street SE Corridor Development is the western gateway entrance from Everett and I-5. It is expected to support a modern mixed-use corridor of high-quality office space, employment, housing and several retail/mixed-use centers.
Downtown is the community centerpiece, providing for civic and cultural activities. The historic lakefront revitalization strategies will include greater access to the park, new street circulation and pedestrian improvements, wayfinding signage and landscaping.
The plans, which are expected to be approved this year, can be found on the city's new website at www.lakestevenswa.gov. As an incentive to attract development activity, the plans support expedited permitting and have already been subjected to detailed environmental review. This will save time and money for future development interests that propose housing, employment and retail developments consistent with the city's vision.
Even before these plans are approved by the City Council, we want employers, retailers and developers to know we're open for business.
Transforming Lake Stevens into "One Community Around the Lake" by moving forward with a unified vision of its future, a strong sense of community pride, and a commitment to improve its infrastructure will continue to enhance the City's economic stability.
People move to Lake Stevens to be part of a community that values its people and its sense of place. People stay here because it's a great place to grow.
About the author
Vern Little, a resident of Lake Stevens for nearly 25 years, was elected mayor in November 2007. Prior to that he was a member of the City Council for three years.
Story tags » • Lake Stevens
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