Our Towns: Central County
Published 10:48 pm Wednesday, September 26, 2007
Everett: City gets smart planning award
Everett’s downtown plan won a state smart communities award, Gov. Chris Gregoire’s office announced Wednesday.
The Everett Downtown Plan approved by the City Council in 2006 is a long-range outline that aims to serve as both a blueprint and a catalyst for future downtown development.
The downtown plan rezoned about 16 blocks in the city’s core from industrial to general business uses and encourages improved urban design standards, more high-rise office towers, condominiums and ground-floor shops and restaurants.
Everett planning director Allen Giffen said the city is implementing the plan on several fronts. City work includes plans for an urban plaza, streetscape improvements, bicycle lanes and traffic studies to route truck traffic off pedestrian-oriented streets. The city is also studying the feasibility of electric streetcars and is looking at installing parking meters downtown.
Private developers also are stepping up with a number of condo projects planned for downtown. Library Place, a seven-story complex with 201 condos and apartments, is expected to break ground soon.
“It’s great for Everett,” Giffen said of the award that he picked up in Olympia on Wednesday evening. “We’re really at (what) I would say is an exciting stage in downtown Everett.”
SeaTac, Oak Harbor, Bothell, Seattle and Bellevue, Stevens County and the Seattle and Tacoma housing authorities also won awards.
Lake Stevens: Learn about annexation
An open house providing information about annexation to Lake Stevens is scheduled for 5:30 p.m. today at Calvary Chapel Church, 9828 Fourth St. NE.
The meeting in the Chapel Hill neighborhood is one of four meetings planned in unincorporated areas near the city over the next three months to provide information about joining the city.
For more information, call the city at 425-334-1012.
Mukilteo: Planners to discuss city growth
The long-term blueprint for growth in Mukilteo is scheduled to be discussed Oct. 4 by the city planning commission.
The commission’s meeting about the city’s 2007 comprehensive plan update is scheduled for 7 p.m. at City Hall, 4480 Chennault Beach Road.
The Mukilteo Parks and Arts Commission meeting scheduled for that time has been canceled.
