By Steve Powell
Herald Writer
Kay Stevenson pumped her fist in the air and shouted "For the People."
The 75-year-old Everett resident, who is an active downhill skier, was talking about the Everett waterfront with 14 other Olympic Study Club members at a recent luncheon.
She was saying how even though she is a boat owner, she’s hoping a marina isn’t put in at the tank farm in Mukilteo because it wouldn’t be used by that many people.
She’d be more interested in a park, harbor tours and a scuba center that everyone could enjoy.
Stevenson is only one of more than 1,000 people who have participated in The Herald’s Waterfront Renaissance Project. With the project, funded by the Pew Center for Civic Journalism in Washington, D.C., the newspaper is trying a number of ways to get public input on what it would like to see on four public waterfront properties in the area.
Along with the tank farm in Mukilteo, the other sites are the North Marina on Possession Sound and the Riverfront and east Everett Parkland properties on the Snohomish River.
The wish list so far varies:
Michele Hoverter of Lowell and others would like to see a world championship rowing course built in the Parkland by enlarging the existing floodway. It could also be used for canoes and kayaks, and it would be "safer than the river" and great for the economy, she said.
"Public-private partnerships could make it happen," Hoverter said.
Just to the north, she envisions open green space with soccer fields on a 45-acre development pad. Nearby, she also sees American Indian buildings, such as a longhouse, as a meeting room, and picnic shelters in a park with trails and planted cedar trees.
"The region needs access to the waterfront," Hoverter said.
Tonia Palmer of Everett wrote to The Herald that there is too much commercial development in town already, such as restaurants, shopping and condominiums.
But the 24-year-old mother of a 9-month-old said she’d love to see more places for children.
"There are not nearly enough nice parks to visit," she wrote.
She also pointed out the nearest aquarium and zoo is in Seattle and the nearest amusement park is in Federal Way.
Speaking of children, a survey of about 80 students in three of science teacher Chris Messina’s sixth- and seventh-grade classes at Evergreen Middle School in Everett shows they favor such things as: an aquarium, a park, a shopping center, an entertainment center, an amusement park, a horse arena, a rock climbing facility, and a zoo.
Student Katy Onuszko and others came up with another idea, an ice skating rink, and Manisha Long hoped for a nature trail. Jasmine Allred wanted a skateboard park and waterslides.
Most adults seem more interested in educational, rather than commercial, opportunities.
Clay Wertheimer of Everett points out that a pink salmon hatchery would be wonderful on the Snohomish River. It would provide education to the public, a tourist destination and inexpensive shoreline fishing.
Fishing piers, concessions and rentals could be provided.
"The hatchery could be built like an aquarium to educate and demonstrate aquaculture and salmon ecology to visitors," he wrote.
Sue Adams of Everett said she envisions a beautiful park with open space, clean water and healthy shorelines on the river.
But she worries that the city has turned its back on residents who don’t want major developments near the water.
"We should not degrade our shorelines just for a few bucks," Adams said. "All we want to do is protect what’s there."
She encourages people to attend a state Department of Ecology meeting June 7 at 6:30 p.m. at the PUD auditorium to voice their concerns about the city’s shoreline master plan.
But she said access to the waterfront is a necessity.
"We can’t keep people off our shorelines," she said. "People are drawn to water."
Dean Nichols of Everett said he just appreciates the chance for the public to speak out.
"Often, city officials only hear from a small vocal group of people that are willing to attend meetings … so it’s nice to broaden the perspective. I hope good things for the city will come from it … ."
You can call Herald Writer Steve Powell at 425-339-3427
or send e-mail to reardon@heraldnet.com.
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