Wrecking ball rally

Mukilteo residents strive to save community center from demolition

By Janice Podsada

Herald Writers

MUKILTEO — Tenants of the Rosehill Community Center in Mukilteo say the city’s decision to tear down the 75-year-old building leaves them out in the cold, along with more than 400 children and adults who attend classes there each week.

The center, located in the heart of the Old Town commercial district, is scheduled for demolition in fall 2002.

But those who want to save the building have solicited the support of initiative expert and resident Tim Eyman, who plans to get an initiative on a city election ballot to save the school.

"Everybody and their brother asks for my help on initiatives," Eyman said Friday. "I generally stay with state issues. But when I heard about this one, my instinct said this is like a black hole. It just screams, ‘Do it!’"

What’s at issue is the city’s plan to construct a new city hall where the old building stands. The current city hall near Harbour Pointe is cramped for space, city administrator Rich Leahy said.

Carol Harkins, director and founder of Gene Nastri Dance Studio, housed in the center at 304 Lincoln Ave., is determined to fight the city’s decree and has begun a petition drive that may be folded in to the initiative process. She thinks Rosehill should be spared the wrecking ball.

The city’s decision to tear down the building will displace its tenants, including the Allegro Dance studio, Jazzercise and businesses that provide art, dance or music classes.

Leahy said that’s not an issue with the city. Most of the tenants are for-profit firms and the city isn’t in the business of supporting them, he said.

"The people who are going to be displaced, almost without exception, are for-profit businesses. My obligation is to give these people as much advance notice as possible."

The city council approved the razing of Rosehill in 1999 after the council sought public input, Leahy said. Plans to bring down Rosehill finally materialized because the city has been able to budget for construction of a new city hall, a public works building, and police and fire stations this coming year without having to raise property taxes.

But Eyman pointed out that a new community center isn’t on the list of buildings to be funded and built in the 2002 budget.

"The politicians in town have made sure that they have the money to build a new city hall with offices with great views for them," Eyman said. "But the community center is on the bottom of the priority list and will only get done by raising taxes. That’s contrary to everything that tax initiatives have been about."

It’s that and the fact that the building is in his "own backyard" that got him interested in fighting this battle, he said.

Eyman said Mukilteo has an initiative process, and supporters have an attorney to help with the process.

"We’re going forward with this," he said. "We will be filing all the paperwork and begin collecting signatures."

It isn’t certain how fast residents can cast votes on whether to save the building.

Harkins, too, fears the interval between the time Rosehill is torn down and a new community center can be built.

"A community center is a dynamic — its much more than a building. By the time they get around to building a new one, the center will be dead."

Beth Lucas of Mukilteo, who attended Rosehill when it was an elementary school, said the community center is the city’s lifeblood.

"I can understand (the city’s) wanting a new city hall. If you put a beautiful city hall there (where Rosehill now stands), the mayor will have a beautiful view."

"Why do they want to ignore the city’s needs? I can count on one hand the number of times I’ve gone to city hall. I’m down there (at the community center) all the time with my kids."

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

Rosehill tenants will have information about the initiative process and petitions to save the community center at Mukilteo’s tree-lighting program at 6 tonightat the Rosehill Community Center, 304 Lincoln Ave. KIRO sportscaster Tony Ventrella will host the event.

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