Opinions sought in Mukilteo

By Janice Podsada

Herald Writer

MUKILTEO — It’s too early to seek formal public comment on a planned community center that would replace Rosehill, city officials say.

But a Mukilteo citizens group, Friends of the Community Center, say time’s a-wasting. If city leaders won’t poll the public, they will.

Officials plan to establish a design review board and seek public comment this fall — once an architect is hired to design the center, Mukilteo Mayor Don Doran said this week. The search for an architect should begin next month.

It’s the same format city officials used to seek public input on the design of the Mukilteo Library, which opened in 1998 and is considered one of the city’s jewels — Mukilteo City Council president Cathy Reese said.

But waiting until an architect is on board is too late, said Kathy Wisbeck, a member of the citizens group.

"Our complaint with the city right now is they’re going ahead without really assessing what the community wants in a community center," she said.

In 1998, the city placed surveys at the Rosehill Community Center, asking patrons what features the new center should include. The form drew 35 responses, Wisbeck said.

The city’s 1998 survey has drawn criticism from the group’s members, who say it’s too old, its responses were too few, and its distribution was limited.

Reese disagrees with their contention.

"They criticize the city for putting a survey in the community center — it makes sense to me that the people who use the center should say what they want there," Reese said.

Wisbeck said the group’s survey, like the city’s 1998 study, will ask residents to indicate what kind of activities, programs and features they want at the new center.

Wisbeck and Nancy Dahlberg plan to mail the survey to the city’s 7,000 households in June.

"We’re trying to keep it (the survey) real clean — we’re trying to think, ‘What would the city say,’ " Wisbeck said.

Dahlberg said they will give completed surveys to the city so that they can become part of the public record.

But whether the surveys will be accepted as part of the official record is unknown.

City Administrator Rich Leahy had no comment Friday on the survey or the group’s plans.

Wisbeck said the citizens group plans to apply for non-profit status to raise funds to support its efforts and to qualify for a lower bulk-mailing rate.

Last year, a 5-year-old plan to raze the Rosehill Community Center and construct a new 15,000- square-foot city hall and a 28,000-square-foot community center on the site became a financial possibility.

The city has $13 million in its budget to construct four new city buildings. Construction of city hall will cost about $5 million; the community center about $6 million. Their expected completion date is 2004.

A new public works and police station will be built elsewhere. City officials are exploring ways to make up the $4 million difference.

You can call Herald Writer Janice Podsada at 425-339-3029 or send e-mail to podsada@heraldnet.com.

A Mukilteo citizens group plans to survey residents on what they’d like to see in a new community center. Here are a couple of questions: