How to handle region’s growing problem

Planning for the future in the Puget Sound region means different things in different communities.

In Mill Creek, city leaders are focused on sustainability – mixed-use development and other strategies aimed at pulling cars of crowded roadways.

“That’s the challenge,” Community Development director Bill Trimm said. “Our job is to provide residents as livable a community as possible … As we look to the future, we need to think about how we get people closer to work, how we reduce their dependence on cars.”

Much has been made of growth and development over the last decade as commute times on local roadways have grown exponentially.

That’s especially true in Mill Creek, where rush-hour traffic backs up for miles in and out of the city on 164th Street Southwest and State Route 527 and parts of 180th Street and 35th Avenue Southeast.

“You can’t build your way out of congestion,” Trimm said. “We reduce traffic by improving efficiency, by offering places for people to live work and shop in one location.”

Town Center is Mill Creek’s first such development, combining retail and mixed density housing as well as parks and open spaces for community gatherings. It took the better part of 10 years to get Town Center off the ground, and — despite some hang ups with signage and parking — the “urban village” has been recognized by experts across the state for innovation in community planning.

A second urban village is being planned at Mill Creek’s east entrance; however, East Gateway will be residential-based with a large community park and a handful of retail businesses.

Another difference: New construction in East Gateway will be LEED certified.

“The architecture is really changing,” Trimm said. “Sustainability and efficient land use will become more important as we continue growing.”

Selling that idea to the people whose definition of “dream home” hinges on a half-acre estate buffered by trees and meadows is perhaps the biggest challenge, said Snohomish County Planning and Development Services director Craig Ladiser.

The Growth Management Act forces cities and counties to work together in establishing targets to accommodate anticipated population increases. Employment, housing and infrastructure are among the many elements local leaders must take into consideration as they plan for the future.

“People need to accept that lots are getting smaller, that the days of sprawling estates are numbered,” Ladiser said. “At some point, the only way you can build is up. Several cities are embracing that idea.”

Ladiser agrees with planners in Mill Creek that sustainable, low-impact development is worth pursuing, but it’s not an essential component in accommodating growth.

“Green building — sustainable development — That’s an environmental issue,” he said. “You invest more in an energy efficient car or home, knowing you will save money over time. That is something the population hasn’t fully adapted to at this point. It has to become cost effective — and it will — to generate that buy-in.”

County Councilman Dave Gossett contends that bridging the infrastructure gap in the Puget Sound region is the most daunting task facing both local and state lawmakers.

“We have to address the backlog of transportation improvements, but much of that is dependent on the state,” he said. “If we don’t get funding we can’t complete those projects. All the projects on the transportation initiative that failed last year belonged to the state.”

A paired-down proposal from Puget Sound Regional Transit — that will go to voters in November — would extend light rail into Lynnwood, Mountlake Terrace and other south Snohomish County cities. It also includes funding for additional buses.

“It’s important to point out here that these are not isolated problems,” Gossett said. “This backlog of infrastructure improvements carries out nationwide.”

What the county can do to help cities accommodate growth is implement stricter building codes and limit density in areas where infrastructure has fallen behind.

“They need to address density and start looking at the impacts these big cluster developments have had,” Trimm said. “When the county is approving these developments it should consider the building regulations in the surrounding urban centers.”