Federal earmarks deliver small sums in a big way for local projects

EVERETT — An agricultural dream in Snohomish County is inching closer to reality, a park in Marysville is nearer to renovation, and a dark, narrow highway underpass in Lynnwood is moving toward a brighter, safer future.

It’s all due to dollars earmarked for community projects in Snohomish County included in the $1.7 trillion federal budget passed by Congress and signed by President Joe Biden earlier this month.

There’s $750,000 coming for the proposed Snohomish County Food and Farming Center at McCollum Park on 128th Street SE in Everett.

What’s envisioned is a processing and distribution center for ag products, a commercial kitchen for farmers and an indoor farmers market. With decisions on operators and building design, the federal aid, which supplements roughly $7 million of local and state dollars, comes with critical decisions on operators and building design on the horizon.

These funds are among $19.4 million Rep. Suzan DelBene helped snag for 15 projects in the 1st Congressional District encompassing parts of Snohomish, Skagit, Whatcom and King counties.

“I’m grateful the congresswoman sees it as an important piece of our agricultural viability and she is helping us in every way that she can,” said Linda Neunzig, county agricultural coordinator.

In Marysville, the effort to upgrade Mother Nature’s Window Park got a $750,000 boost in the federal budget as a result of an earmark from Rep. Rick Larsen, D-Everett.

The city will use the money to put in a parking lot, fortify trails and make needed safety improvements at the heavily-wooded site.

“This federal funding will enable the City of Marysville to begin opening a large, beautiful park with old-growth timber to public access,” Mayor Jon Nehring said. “It’s a rare treasure and a much-needed park asset in central Marysville.”

Larsen also secured $3 million for the building of a new railroad overcrossing on Grove Street between Cedar and State avenues in Marysville. That’s the site of lengthy backups due to train traffic.

It’s a $24 million project. Marysville is working on assembling the funding pieces. So far it’s received $5 million in the state’s Move Ahead Washington package. That will go to design. Those federal funds will be put toward construction, Nehring said.

“In recent years with more and more people moving here, traffic congestion exacerbated by the railroad tracks running through downtown Marysville has become a consistent problem,” Nehring said, adding the funds “will help us build a train-free alternative for drivers.”

Overall, Larsen worked to snare $31.5 million for 15 local projects across the 2nd Congressional District that includes all of Island and San Juan counties and parts of Snohomish, Skagit and Whatcom counties.

Not surprising that Larsen, who will be the lead Democrat on the House Transportation Committee in the next Congress, locked down money for several road projects.

There is $1.75 million for the city of Lynnwood, which is working to turn a dark and narrow highway underpass on 44th Avenue West into a 10-to 12-foot wide pathway for pedestrians and bicyclists.

The new shared use path connecting the Interurban Trail and Lynnwood City Center Transit Station will be on the east side of 44th Avenue West. In addition to a wider path, the project includes retaining walls, lighting, and aesthetic treatments, according to city plans. The federal aid is one of the last pieces of funding for the project that is on track for construction in 2025.

A $3.65 million earmark enables Arlington to finish a stretch of 169th Street to link the Cascade Industrial Center with Smokey Point Boulevard.

The city is looking to complete the missing two-lane segment of 169th Street from 37th Avenue to 43rd Avenue. The $4.6 million undertaking includes a 12-foot wide multi-use path alongside the two-lane road, street lighting, and landscaping. Larsen, an Arlington native, met with city leaders Friday to discuss the project.

There’s also $3 million for Snohomish County to replace culverts on Trickle Creek in Bothell and Lake Martha Creek in Stanwood to improve fish passage and repair roadway damage.

DelBene, meanwhile, secured $550,000 to fund one dedicated social worker or mental health provider for the Sky Valley area for four years. As envisioned, the person will assist first responders when they encounter an individual experiencing a mental health crisis. They will be able to provide front-line mental health services. The cities of Monroe and Sultan submitted a joint request for the money.

She also snared $3.75 million for the city of Snohomish — one of the largest local earmarks — to help finish the last sections of its north sewer trunk line extension project. This project will expand the sewer system capacity and allow for development of buildable lands while eliminating two sewer pump stations, according to information from DelBene’s office.

There’s $2.5 million for the city of Lake Stevens to undertake the next phase of improvements at 20th Street NE and Main Street. Those include safety upgrades, street lighting, street trees, and eventual construction of a roundabout.

Overall, the federal budget contained $284 million in “congressionally-directed spending” for local projects across the state of Washington that Democratic U.S. Sen. Patty Murray noted in a press release that she had a hand in securing.

“Delivering for Washington state families is a top priority of mine, and Congressionally-Directed Spending is one of the ways I’m able to make that happen,” said Murray, who is the incoming chair of the Senate Appropriations Committee. That means she will be an architect of the next federal budget.

Jerry Cornfield: 360-352-8623; jcornfield@heraldnet.com; Twitter: @dospueblos.