LYNNWOOD — This city’s vision for the Highway 99 of the future sees more greenery, taller buildings and townhouses — rather than parking lots — greeting passing motorists.
Business owners, residents and property owners have weighed in since 2006 on their vision for a spruced-up state highway that city officials hope will be safer, more attractive and provide an economic spurt to the city.
One of the keys of the planning is to create community centers that are hubs of homes, restaurants and businesses. Right now, the city doesn’t have money to make the vision reality, but hopes to apply for grants and coordinate with the state on road improvements to get things moving.
Jennifer McCall, 30, one of the residents who participated in the planning meetings, said she’d like to see more parks, restaurants and bicycle trails.
“I like the outdoorsy kinds of things,” she said. “I’d like to feel safe walking my doggie down the road.”
Business owner Jerry Martin said the city “has been terrific” in engaging business owners to help shape the vision.
Martin, president of commercial cabinet lock maker Frank J. Martin Co. and Olympus Lock Inc. at 184th Street SW and Highway 99, said he supports the city’s intentions.
“I have no issue with setting the bar high as far as aesthetic standards for the upkeep and maintenance of properties,” he said. “What remains to be seen is the impact on access (to) our property from high-speed buses going by.”
Jerry Party, a commercial real estate agent familiar with the plan, said he also likes the general concept. It’s the details where he has a few issues.
“It’s going the same way almost all cities go — they overstudy the thing,” he said.
Next year, the city will focus on building and street design issues, said planning manager Kevin Garrett.
The city budgeted $114,549 for Makers, a Seattle architecture and planning company, to put together a plan that outlines the types of land use the city would like to see along different segments of a three-mile stretch along the highway, from 216th Street SW north to 148th Street SW.
Community Transit later this year will begin running Bus Rapid Transit service from Everett to Shoreline. Lynnwood’s plan is geared to take advantage of what city officials say will eventually be a more pedestrian friendly strip of highway.
The latest idea is to divide the portion of highway that runs through Lynnwood into sections.
Bus Rapid Transit stations, which are under construction, lie right where the city sees a combination of residential and commercial buildings, with gathering spots such as town squares or small parks, Garrett said. Those community centers can be likened to hubs along the route, he said.
Party said he’s concerned that businesses will lose customer parking as the city attempts to focus more on making wider sidewalks for pedestrians, hiding parking lots out of sight of passing traffic, and preserving easy access to buses.
“Highway 99 is based on car traffic,” Party said. “That’s probably the biggest issue for me: they don’t make that allowance.”
The state highway, which was once the main north-south route west of the Cascade Range between Canada and Mexico, is being re-imagined around the Puget Sound region.
The cities of Shoreline and Edmonds are both making changes to the road to make it more visually appealing and safer for pedestrians.
Lynnwood councilman Ted Hikel said he likes what he’s seen of the plan so far.
“But realistically, you have to say whatever the business owners want to have happen, that’s what’s going to happen,” he said.
Elaine Curtiss, who runs an espresso stand just off Highway 99 in the Scriber Lake commercial area, said the thoroughfare could use a facelift.
“I think it’s really good because Lynnwood needs to perk it up,” she said.
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