Senator backs Everett for UW campus site

Published 10:54 pm Wednesday, November 28, 2007

OLYMPIA — Everett’s state senator said Wednesday she’s ready to support a University of Washington campus in her hometown.

“To me, Everett is the best site because it fits the academic vision and there is a great opportunity for partnerships with businesses and the community,” said Sen. Jean Berkey, D-Everett.

“I fought for an independent college because I didn’t want us to be a two-year branch campus,” she said. “The key is the educational opportunities this provides for our students.”

Berkey had not expressed a position since the release of a report Nov. 15 ranking the Everett Station site as the best of four finalist sites under consideration for the proposed university.

Her endorsement came minutes after a lively hearing of the Senate Higher Education Committee in which two of her colleagues blasted that report.

Sens. Mary Margaret Haugen, D-Camano Island, and Val Stevens, R-Arlington, argued that the Everett site is too far from Island and Skagit counties to prove attractive to potential students living in those communities.

“That would be a very bad plan,” said Stevens, whose district includes part of Skagit County. “It would not be supported by my constituents.”

NBBJ of Seattle ranked Everett Station ahead of locations in Marysville, Lake Stevens and a second site in Everett. Those four emerged from of a pool of 73 proposals reviewed by the Seattle firm.

The consultant considered the key attributes of the 32-acre Everett Station to be its location in an urban setting near jobs and services, lower development costs and closeness to existing buildings where an interim college could start next fall.

Its biggest negatives are its small size and lack of parking. The state would need to buy land or properties for future expansion and spend tens of millions of dollars for a parking structure.

“Parking is impossible,” Haugen said.

She was particularly incensed to learn that Sound Transit was willing to sell its property to the state rather than retain it for use as parking for those using the transit center.

Haugen and Stevens prefer the 369-acre location in Marysville near Smokey Point Boulevard and I-5. Space is one of the chief advantages of that site because it offers room to grow and land for recreational fields — something not available at Everett Station.

“The thing that amazes me is that site in Everett is closer to the (UW’s) Bothell campus than it is to Skagit County,” said Haugen, whose district includes part of Skagit County.

Wednesday’s legislative hearing was one of three scheduled this week.

On Friday, the Higher Education and Capital Budget committees of the House of Representatives plan to discuss the progress made toward launching the proposed college.

The future rests in the hands of lawmakers and Gov. Chris Gregoire as they try to first pick a site, then decide how much money to put toward its purchase and development.

They also would need to consider funding if classes are to start next year.

This subject will be hotly debated in the 60-day legislative session that begins Jan. 14.

“We’ll make a decision,” Haugen vowed after the meeting.

Reporter Jerry Cornfield: 360-352-8623 or jcornfieldheraldnet.com.

More meetings

On Friday, two committees of the House of Representatives are scheduled to talk about the proposed University of Washington campus.

The Higher Education panel will discuss it at 10 a.m. and the Capital Budget committee at 3:30 p.m. TVW will provide live audio coverage online at www.tvw.org.