LYNNWOOD – The city is in good shape, but it has plenty of challenges to tackle in the near future, Mayor Don Gough said in a State of the City speech on Tuesday.
Paying for a new community center, developing the City Center plan, helping existing businesses and deciding how to expand the city’s boundaries are a few of the challenges, the new mayor said.
“Lynnwood Moving Forward” was the theme of Gough’s speech to about 450 people at a luncheon meeting of the South Snohomish County Chamber of Commerce at the Lynnwood Convention Center. The talk was part of a daylong summit Gough arranged for city employees.
The event was the first such speech in Lynnwood’s history, said Gough, who was elected mayor in November after serving 10 years on the City Council.
Two giant screens, which Gough used for slides to supplement his talk, were set up on both sides of the podium in the center’s expansive main meeting room.
Gough told the crowd that he will push the City Council to decide which new projects to focus on first, and to prioritize existing programs and services.
A community center, he said, “will more than likely require a public vote.”
City officials are working on street plans and zoning changes for the City Center plan that will “make it a reality rather than just a bunch of good ideas,” the mayor said.
The concept calls for redevelopment of the commercial area west of I-5 and south of 196th Street SW to be developed into a downtown of midrise buildings, walkways and parks.
Gough said the city already is working on a revitalization plan for Highway 99, creating a resource center for small businesses and determining where the city should annex land to add to its tax base.
The city is in good shape financially, Gough added. It’s tied for third for the highest bond rating in the state behind Seattle and Bellevue, he said.
More development is on the horizon, Gough said. With the Edmonds School District preparing to move Lynnwood High School and sell its bus barn property near Alderwood mall, that land will be open for other uses.
Gough provided an extensive rundown of facts and figures pertaining to the city. He listed some items already budgeted: $200,000 for a long-term traffic management plan; $100,000 for upgrades to the city’s traffic control center; and $88,935 per year for creation of an Office of Neighborhoods and Diversity.
Gough also pledged to raise the city’s regional profile. With many elected officials from other cities and the county present, he called for a community forum of leaders from government, education, business, residents and the media to address city issues.
“It’s time we all got together,” he said.
LeeAnne Brawner, sales manager for Lynnwood’s Embassy Suites, said she was impressed with Gough’s speech and the state of the city.
“It’s exciting. It looks like we have a lot to look forward to, with the development, the new energy,” she said. “I feel like things are coming together, and people are working together.”
Reporter Bill Sheets: 425-339-3439 or sheets@heraldnet.com.
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