OK, fine. If we can’t have an auto yard at the Riverside Industrial Park in Everett, a long-desired public trail along the Snohomish River will just have to do for now. Sigh.
Northeast Everett neighbors horrified at the thought of having wrecked cars waiting to be auctioned off as their new neighbor, should be thrilled at the Port of Everett’s decision to pursue the possibility of a public path. North Everett is on a peninsula, yet water access is limited — as many residents have noted with great frustration. That, of course, is because the city has had a working waterfront for all of its history. Still, as plans for the area have evolved, people have been demanding more access to the area’s beautiful waterways.
Port officials are not only listening, they’re responding.
It didn’t hurt that the troubled economy is making it difficult for the port to find a tenant for the property. Wisely, port officials are hoping to market the area to a broader range of companies by eliminating properties along the shoreline that would be used only by businesses that are water-dependent. They’ve put in a request to the City of Everett to have the shoreline plan changed accordingly.
It’s a move that benefits everyone, as port planner Graham Anderson told a Herald reporter. The port gets a wider range of tenants to woo for that piece of land and the people get a path to walk, run, skip, ride or skate on thanks to a 50-foot-wide buffer that would yield a 10-foot-wide trail.
City officials appear on board too, as Mayor Ray Stephanson and port officials are asking Burlington Northern Santa Fe railway to OK the construction of a track overpass.
Many residents were happy enough at the news that the auto yard deal was pretty much dead. This latest news should have them dancing in the streets if it comes to fruition. Of course, the area could still be used for a business that neighbors might not be thrilled with, but this is definitely a move in the right direction.
Everett is seeing some fantastic opportunities come its way with the marina development plan and the exciting news that Bastyr University is exploring the area — opportunities to develop economically and in ways that make our community better for everyone.
Port and city officials are listening and they deserve credit for it.
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