Mill Creek advocates push for preservation of Penny Creek Natural Area

Published 1:30 am Wednesday, March 25, 2026

MILL CREEK — Stepping into the Penny Creek Natural Area feels like entering another world, Mill Creek resident Jeff Doan said.

Walking along the path in the 60-acre space off of 35th Avenue Southeast, visitors can see trees gnawed down by beavers, unique birds wading in the water and fungi poking out of the ground.

But it’s unclear how much longer the public will have access to Penny Creek due to a lapsed agreement between the city and the property owner. Over the past year, community members have banded together in an effort to preserve the space.

Last year, Doan formed an online community — Friends of the Penny Creek Natural Area — after learning that the area’s future was uncertain. At the time, his goal was 50 members. The group has since grown to more than 350 people.

“A lot of the members of the group are people who had been visiting this space and caring for it already, just like I had been, but maybe weren’t clear of what this space was and how they could help, and so it became a focal point for them to organize around, which was really a lot of fun to see,” Doan said. “It was also a bunch of people who didn’t even know it existed.”

In 2019, the developers of a planned neighboring apartment complex — The Farm by Vintage — bought Penny Creek as part of its development plan. The property had previously belonged to Pacific Topsoils. As part of the agreement, in exchange for a reduced wetland buffer, The Farm by Vintage maintained the area and kept it open for the public. The maintenance included improving soils, removing invasive species and planting native species in the area.

The agreement stated that five years after all parts of the project were approved, the city could take ownership of the property at no cost. The agreement also stated that The Farm by Vintage could disallow public access if the city doesn’t take ownership after five years. That period ended in November 2025, and the city is still evaluating whether to acquire Penny Creek, Mill Creek Public Works Director Mike Todd said in a statement Monday.

“The City and Vintage will work together in 2026 to review all other aspects of the Development Agreement and decide whether to assume ownership of PCNA,” he said.

FPI Management, which manages The Farm by Vintage, declined a request for comment.

The Friends of Penny Creek want the city to assume ownership of the area to ensure public access in the future, Doan said. Their goal is for the city to have a set plan by the summer, he said.

“It’s really (the developers’) call at this point in terms of providing access,” Doan said. “If any party loses confidence in that process, you risk that gate being closed right up at the front and not being able to get the public in here to benefit from this incredible community space.”

City staff are working on assessing the potential impact of acquiring Penny Creek, Todd said. While the city could acquire Penny Creek at no cost, it would still have to pay for ongoing maintenance and new fencing to prevent off-roading, Todd said. The city would also look at longer-term capital improvements, he said. The city plans to present its findings at the April 28 City Council meeting.

Under the current arrangement, day-to-day maintenance falls under the responsibility of The Farm by Vintage. With private ownership, it’s more difficult to enforce activities that may be harmful to the area, such as dumping, graffiti and off-roading, Doan said. The group has built partnerships with FPI Management, the city and the police department try to prevent some of these activities.

“We’ve had instances of graffiti and some things where the group has intervened and supported quickly with those other stakeholders, and I think that has stopped it from getting worse,” Doan said.

Every two months, the Friends of Penny Creek gather for cleanups of the area. People of all ages walk around the mile-long loop, picking up trash while getting to know their neighbors and observing the wildlife. The group has found trash ranging from small bits of plastic to televisions and toilets.

If Mill Creek assumes ownership of Penny Creek, the group has stated it would still gather for cleanups, reducing the financial impact on the city for maintenance. Since the cleanup events have gained traction, the group expanded to cleaning up part of 35th Avenue through the city’s Adopt-a-Street Program.

“I think that’s appreciated and understood that part of the long-term preservation of it can be a community engagement element, which makes it unique from other parks,” Doan said. You don’t typically have a neighborhood park where people say they’ll commit to cleaning up once a month or something.”

The group has also been speaking at City Council meetings, urging the city to create a concrete plan for securing ownership of Penny Creek. Leading up to the November 2024 election, the group invited candidates to the area. Photographers gathered photos of wildlife into books to show the city how many species live in Penny Creek.

“I’ve lived here for 25 years, and I don’t recall that much community involvement in a park like this, so it’s gratifying that people care about the space,” said Stefan Gefter, a member of Friends of Penny Creek, at a cleanup event Friday.

Many members of Friends of Penny Creek have found community through the group, whether through advocacy or sharing photos and stories of wildlife sightings.

“I met this guy who was really big into watching the beavers, and he started sending me photos back and forth, and then, when I saw the advertisement for the Friends of Penny Creek, I was like, ‘Oh my God, we can all be together,’” said Lisa Weber, a member of Friends of Penny Creek.

Avid bird watchers have spotted more than 90 bird species in the area. All around Penny Creek, there’s evidence of beaver activity, from wood shavings to dams in the water. Members have also spotted otters, crayfish, turtles and bobcats.

“It’s a living laboratory for education,” Gefter said.

Brett Economides recalled walking in the park one day when someone stopped him to point out some salmonberries that were growing.

“In this day and age, is seems like so many people are either commuting or on their phones, so what I love about this place is not only do you get this awesome nature bit in the middle of the city, but it’s like a meeting a community,” Economides said. “I don’t know who this guy was, but we spent 20 minutes talking about salmonberries.”

City staff have met with members of the Friends of Penny Creek and both parties have been looking at how other communities have worked together to take care of similar natural areas, Todd said.

“As a parent, being able to show my children what positive community advocacy looks like and the accessibility of our community leaders when there’s a real purpose and cause has been the most fulfilling component of this project,” Doan said.

Jenna Peterson: 425-339-3486; jenna.peterson@heraldnet.com; X: @jennarpetersonn.