Lynne Hall says she’s looking forward to walking from her home along 48th Avenue W. to shopping and parks in City Center, Lynnwood’s planned downtown core.
“That’ll be a nice place to be, I think,’ said Hall, who attended the Lynnwood City Center Moving Forward Summit Oct. 24 at the Lynnwood Convention Center.
Planning for the new downtown, about 350 acres located east of 48th Avenue, south of 194th Street and northwest of Interstate 5, has been driven by anticipated growth and the push to create a city identity.
City officials say 5,400 new residents will arrive by 2020 and 13,800 new jobs will be created. And the city’s anxious to boost tourism. Creating an identifiable downtown, they say, is a good way to accommodate growth while giving Lynnwood an identity.
“There was an idea that if you wanted to attract visitors, they have to come to something,” said economic development director David Kleitsch.
He said the city is looking at ways to pay for an estimated $112 million worth of improvements. Grants, new regional taxes, and a Limited Improvement District (LID) in which businesses pay fees based on the estimated improvements City Center creates— are all being considered, Kleitsch added.
The summit was the first opportunity for the public to get a close-up look at some preliminary plans for new streets, parks and pedestrian improvements.
Four new parks are being considered for City Center:
• Town Center Park would be a gathering spot in City Center’s center.
• The Village Green, to the west, would provide open space, offering a playground for adjacent, high-density residences.
•Civic Park offers a more urban feel, with the potential for a skate park, memorial grove or contoured grass, said Katie Anderson, interim parks, recreation and cultural arts director.
• Icon, to the east, would attract people for a variety of leisure activities catering to the weekday lunch crowd. Among the proposals: a climbing wall and play area.
“Really what we’re trying to do is look at all the parks as they work together,” said Guy Michaelsen, a consultant with The Berger Partnership.
But Saundra McCarrell, owner of Countryside Apartments off of 36th Avenue West, said she’s not happy with the proposed parks plan. McCarrell said she wanted to convert her 52-unit townhomes into condominiums.
“Now we can’t because the zoning changed,” she said.
Pedestrians can expect an easier time getting around once City Center is completed.
Several new streets are being considered, though details have yet to be worked out. One tree-lined promenade would cut through City Center, offering wider sidewalks.
David Mach, Public Works Project Manager, said a proposed pedestrian overpass would allow those on foot to cross the I-5 off-ramp to 196th Street safely.
Under the plan, a wider sidewalk would be built on the existing freeway overpass’ north side and the 4-foot wide sidewalk on the south side of the overpass would be removed.
“We anticipate a lot more people using it,” Mach said.
Another pedestrian overpass would help bicyclists and pedestrians get from the Interurban Trail across 196th Street.
Lifelong Lynnwood resident Janet Still said she was leery about the City Center plans until she attended a few meetings.
“It’s really a great plan rather than to just let it develop haphazardly,” she said.
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