Snohomish County and Marysville officials couldn’t seal a deal with the International Speedway Corp., but the effort to bring a NASCAR racetrack here can still yield dividends.
The bold thinking that launched the proposal also forged partnerships between the county and city that didn’t exist before. The county showed how it can bring economic development resources to the aid of its cities, working with willing officials to make big dreams possible. It’s a model that can be used in the future to encourage good development – the kind that benefits the local economy and enhances the surrounding environment.
That can still happen on the 850 acres that had been targeted for a track. The NASCAR story got enough play nationally that developers across the country are aware that there’s an opportunity here, and many apparently are interested. Marysville Mayor Dennis Kendall and Chief Administrative Officer Mary Swenson now will shift gears from NASCAR to other possibilities.
They promise to do what they can to steer development in a positive direction. That means encouraging projects that bring jobs without paving the entire area. It means looking for ways to achieve the kind of stream enhancement that was envisioned in the racetrack plan. It means looking for creative ways to pay for the construction and maintenance of youth sports fields.
Opponents of the racetrack are relieved, but they shouldn’t be under any illusions regarding the land in question: It is zoned for development, and development will come. A NASCAR track would have ensured a cohesive plan; now it’s likely to be developed in a piecemeal fashion. If future planning is to be influenced by the public, it may require public investments in infrastructure. In other words, good development doesn’t come free. But that doesn’t mean it isn’t worth the investment.
When the plug was pulled on the NASCAR plan, Marysville and Snohomish County sent an important message: We’re committed to economic development, but not at any price. ISC wouldn’t sweeten its initial offer of $50 million toward a construction project that would cost more than $300 million, leaving too much of the risk to taxpayers. Kendall and county Executive Aaron Reardon were willing to make a deal, but it had to be the right deal. When the right deal didn’t emerge, they held their resolve and walked away.
Going forward, that’s the right strategy. Economic development, done right, provides good jobs without sacrificing quality of life. That should continue to be the goal.
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