Everett schools stop plans to rezone its parks

Published 10:43 pm Monday, October 5, 2009

EVERETT — Nothing is imminent.

That’s the message the Everett School District hopes to get across by announcing plans to pull back on land-use requests for properties it owns and could some day sell.

District officials had approached the city of Everett about changing the city’s comprehensive plan to match existing zoning on several properties.

After seeking residents’ feedback in two informational meetings, the district decided to withdraw requests on two pieces of property and postpone requests on three others.

“At the moment we are not doing anything with the properties,” said Mike Gunn, the district’s executive director of facilities and operations.

The district late last week withdrew requests to amend the comprehensive plan for Doyle’s Park, 3420 Grand Ave., a 1.4-acre park with playground equipment, and for a 3-acre ball field in the 3600 block of Norton Avenue.

Residents of the Port Gardner neighborhood urged the district to leave those properties alone.

Neighbor Robin Stoll, who takes her 5- and 8-year-old children to play at the park and field, said she is relieved the district is pulling its requests, but wishes there was some kind of long-term assurance.

“It is a relief for now, but I still don’t think we are done with this,” she said.

Everett schools’ Superintendent Gary Cohn said there are no immediate plans to sell any of the properties, but he can’t make promises for years from now.

“My mom always says, ‘Never say never,’” Cohn said. “I have no idea what’s going to happen in 10 or 20 years.”

Cohn described Doyle’s Park as “a beautiful and tranquil” place. Land for the park originally belonged to William Howarth, an owner of the Everett Pulp and Paper mill in the early 1900s. It was donated to the school district in 1951 and years later was developed as a park, which was named for Doyle Cates, a youngster who lived nearby, according to the book “The History of Everett Parks: A Century of Service and Vision.”

“Keeping in mind the interests of all taxpayers, I am committed to developing the best recommendation about the future use and disposition of the properties and of Doyle Park as a park,” Cohn said. “There really isn’t a rush to come to a decision. We should and we will take plenty of time to carefully think this through.”

The city now leases Doyle from the school district and operates it as a park. The ball field is managed by the school district as a community play field.

Also on hold are plans to seek comprehensive plan changes to the former transportation center covering 2.4 acres at 2911 California St. and to 8 acres of open land around district offices at 4730 Colby Ave. The district also invited comment on a 9.9-acre site near Jefferson Elementary School that is now in unincorporated Snohomish County.

District officials said no decisions have been made to surplus or sell any of the properties, although making the comprehensive planning designations consistent with the zoning would remove red tape for future development.

“We heard from those who attended the meetings that they thought that we had a process in the works to sell these properties, which is absolutely not the case,” Gunn said.

Eric Stevick: 425-339-3446, stevick@heraldnet.com.