Couple gifts land to Terrace

Two plots of land adjacent to Terrace Creek Park will become part of the park, thanks to an agreement between Mountlake Terrace and the former owners.

Merle Blevins, a retired school basketball coach, and his wife, Tilly, sold one parcel to the city for $95,000 and then donated the other plot in a deal finalized in recent weeks.

The first plot was slated for development before city officials offered to buy the land for the park. Together, both plots are a little over one acre of mature trees and wetlands.

Many residents presume the land, which is located at 221st Street and 48th Avenue West, is already park land and use an informal trail there, said interim city manager Jerry Osterman. The deal makes it official.

“The Blevins have been generous in letting people use their land over the years,” Osterman said. “They are good citizens and we really appreciate what they have done for everyone who lives here.”

Longtime Terrace residents or sports fans may recall Blevins as the basketball coach at Mountlake Terrace High School for about 22 years. During his tenure, Mountlake Terrace won the state AAA high school basketball championship, 67-54 over Richland.

The Blevins made a similar donation to the city’s parks a few years ago, according to city staff. The couple donated a 11,000-square-foot plot on the north side of 221st Street, which also contains part of Terrace Creek.

“He is the sweetest man and he has been extremely generous towards the community,” said Edith Duttlinger, a senior planner for the city.

A park bench with a plaque to honor Merle and Tilly Blevins will be installed at the park in the near future, city officials said. Otherwise, the land and the portion of Terrace Creek that runs through it will be left wild.

“We hope that people just enjoy it,” said Mrs. Blevins. “It is a place for people to go enjoy the trees, the birds and the greenery. People need some place to have some quiet in the trees like that.”