Lake Stevens to take civic services facility plan to public soon

By Kate Reardon

Herald Writer

LAKE STEVENS — Plans for a new library, city hall and police station are in the works, but city leaders want to talk to the public again before moving too quickly on the idea.

The city plans to schedule public workshops on the idea. No dates have been set.

The city and the Sno-Isle Regional Library System have split the cost of an $18,000 feasibility study to learn whether the idea to build a civic center on about three acres near North Cove Park can be done.

The idea is to have all three services in one large building, with a view of the lake from the library’s sitting room.

"There would be something magical about placing a library in a position of status in the community," said Eric Spencer, branch manager at the Lake Stevens Library. "We really do want to build a crown jewel for the community."

Little is known at this point when such a place could be built or how much it would cost. But the feasibility study should be able to answer those questions, Mayor Lynn Walty said.

The civic center idea stems from the need for a new library, city and library officials said.

"Lake Stevens has seen an incredible population explosion," said Mary Kelly, spokeswoman for the Sno-Isle Library System. "They have a library intended to serve a much smaller community."

Now, space is tight in some city offices, which are scattered in former houses near North Cove Park. The police station is in an old gray house on top of a knoll by the park.

In 1996, community members told city leaders they didn’t want buildings to wall off the lake and park from the rest of downtown. Many said they wanted the civic center grounds to become a cultural center with a small park amphitheater, a library and museum.

A downtown plan adopted by city council in 1997 looked at the future of downtown, commercial district and civic center.

Walty said it makes better sense to use the same city-owned property for a combination of services. Even so, there are many steps, such as ballot measures, that the city and library system would need to go through first.

Early concept designs by Lewis Architecture show a 34,000-square-foot, two-story building with a library, city hall and police department. The existing library could become a senior center and historical society. Some existing buildings at the site would be torn down, Walty said.

Building the new center could cost about $200 a square foot, said Ross Jamieson of Lewis Architects. That firm also designed libraries in Mukilteo, Marysville, Mountlake Terrace and Granite Falls, Kelly said.

Before a library could be built, voters would have to approve three items: adding Lake Stevens to the Sno-Isle district (the city currently contracts with the system), forming a library capital facility area and paying for the new library.

Spencer’s example of need for more space is how many people come to story time. There’s really only space for 15 to 20 people, but 30 to 35 have been coming.

"We know some people who would like to attend these programs don’t because of the crowded issue," he said.

You can call Herald Writer Kate Reardon at 425-339-3455

or send e-mail to reardon@heraldnet.com.

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