MARYSVILLE – After meeting with city officials, Barclays North Inc. has withdrawn its plan for a 2,200-unit mobile home park in the Lakewood area.
A project of the size proposed by Barclays would have created a small city that would require services such as sewers and public safety that Marysville could not immediately provide, Mayor Dennis Kendall said Wednesday.
The company proposed the development on land outside the city’s urban growth area, although the land likely will be added within the next 10 years, Kendall said. For now, expanding Marysville’s urban growth area is not in the public interest and goes against the state Growth Management Act, he said.
However, the concept Barclays proposed has merit, said Mary Swenson, the city’s chief administrative officer.
After the company purchased the Eagle Point Mobile Home Park in north Marysville and told residents in March they had a year to move because the company planned to develop the property, Barclays officials were struck by the plight of those forced to move their homes, including some who had lived at Eagle Point for many years.
The company will continue to pursue its concept for developing more low-income and affordable housing, including a draft model ordinance that would provide zoning for mobile and manufactured homes, and draft regulations that would allow cities and counties to set design standards for such parks, Barclays’ representatives have said.
“We’ll monitor this issue and we’ll do our best to provide more affordable housing,” Kendall said.
Barclays had planned to make a presentation to the City Council Monday night, but now will not need to, the mayor said.
According to a 2002 Snohomish County Tomorrow report, 12.7 percent – or 1,231 units – of Marysville’s current housing stock is subsidized housing, the second highest city in the county behind Stanwood, which has 14 percent of its housing in subsidized households, Kendall said.
Barclays officials could not be reached Wednesday for comment.
Reporter Cathy Logg: 425-339-3437 or logg@heraldnet.com.
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