Japanese Gulch’s future could feature big buildings

Published 10:48 pm Sunday, September 13, 2009

MUKILTEO — Her first visit here 20 years ago was all Jackie Pease needed to make her decision to buy a house and move from Southern California.

That house, on a quiet street in the hills above Old Town, sits on the edge of Japanese Gulch, a forested ravine that divides Everett from Mukilteo.

Pease said she’s concerned about proposed changes to part of the gulch that could mean her forest view would be transformed into a vista of warehouses.

“I’m just heartbroken, it’s my back yard,” she said.

She isn’t alone in her concern.

The Japanese Gulch Group, a Mukilteo-based nonprofit association, has urged policymakers to keep as much of the land in as natural a state as possible.

Last month, the group hired an attorney to make sure the city of Everett, which would issue permits for the warehouses, is following environmental and land-use regulations.

“We would argue that as of now, we are not aware that the city has actually followed all its procedures and rules,” said Richard Emery, a Mukilteo city councilman who is vice-president of the gulch group.

Mountain bike enthusiasts and high school cross country teams use the many trails in the gulch.

“We all run there,” said Steve Bertrand, cross country and track coach at Cascade High School. “It could be our Green Lake.”

The warehouse plan isn’t final because the cities of Mukilteo and Everett are still reviewing the proposal for development of nearly 100 acres owned by Metropolitan Creditor’s Trust, which holds the bulk of privately owned gulch land.

“We have been working very closely with the city of Mukilteo and the (state) Department of Transportation to review the application,” said Alan Giffen, the city of Everett’s community development director.

Most of the gulch lies within Everett city limits but Mukilteo has a say in how new roads would be developed.

Auburn’s Latitude Development Co. has an agreement with Metropolitan to buy the property and build a 915,000-square-foot warehouse complex on the gulch’s western edge. That purchase isn’t final. A call to Latitude was not returned.

Mukilteo officials have made their preference for preservation over development clear to property owners, said city administrator Joe Hannan.

“All the players know we’re interested in preserving the property,” he said.

In January, Mukilteo bought an 8.7-acre portion of the gulch from the Precht family.

Help from state Sen. Paull Shin, D-Edmonds, means Mukilteo also has access to a $1 million state grant to buy more land that is meant to be spent by the end of June 2011, Hannan said.

“It’s very clearly stated that it is for land in Japanese Gulch,” said Debera McGehee, membership chairwoman for The Japanese Gulch Group.

A national land conservancy group, The Trust for Public Land, knows about plans for the gulch, but Latitude holds the development card right now. Whether it actually builds warehouses or backs out of the deal, as other developers have done, remains to be seen, Hannan said.

“I think something’s going to happen here in the next month, month and a half,” he said.

Even if Latitude completes its purchase, any group with the financial means could make its own offer for the land, said Joe Elsholz, president of the gulch group.

“I’m optimistic, and I think there’s a group out there that can help us,” he said. “The options are all out there.”

Pease, the homeowner, said she and her sister, who lives next door, are anxious to find out the fate of the forest behind them.

“It if it does go through, I know my sister and I will end up selling,” she said.

Oscar Halpert: 425-339-3429, ohalpert@heraldnet.com.