While several key topics were discussed at Tuesday night’s Edmonds City Council meeting, the one that is likely to be of most interest to residents wasn’t even on the agenda: Mayor Mike Cooper’s strongly worded opposition to Edmonds becoming a replacement site for the Mukilteo ferry terminal, an idea that’s been considered by the Washington State Ferries.
The ferry system announced a few weeks ago it was looking at options for upgrading or replacing the Mukilteo ferry terminal with one that provides better access to train and bus connections, and one possibility is moving the terminal from Mukilteo to either Everett or Edmonds. Public meetings were held on Whidbey Island and in Mukilteo, but due to intense citizen interest, ferry officials have scheduled two more meetings next week, in Edmonds and Everett, Cooper noted.
The Edmonds meeting will be from 5-6:30 p.m. Oct. 27 at City Hall, 121 5th Ave. N., while the Everett meeting will run from 5-7 p.m. Oct. 28 at City of Everett Public Hearing Room, Wall Street Building, 2930 Wetmore Ave.
Making Edmonds the destination for the Clinton ferry on top of the current sailings from Kingston would mean 18 additional boats coming into the city daily, “and that’s not acceptable to the mayor or the city staff or hopefully anyone on the Council,” Cooper said. The increased boat and car traffic would have a host of negative impacts on both land and in the water, he added.
Cooper said he has discussed the ferry system proposal with Mukilteo Mayor Joe Marine, and the two mayors are determined to keep the current ferry system intact in both towns.
Edmonds residents are encouraged to attend the Oct. 26 City Council meeting, at which time Councilmembers will discuss in more detail what the ferry system plan could mean to Edmonds so that citizens are better prepared to comment at the Oct. 27 meeting.
In other action Tuesday night, the council:
– Held a public hearing on the recommendations by the Edmonds Planning Board to update the City’s Comprehensive Plan. The Planning Board’s proposals were subjected to numerous council amendments, and in some cases those amendments were also amended, but in the end the council approved the revised plan. Now the City Atorney will include the amendments in an ordinance for council adoption later this year.
-Held a public hearing on the Mayor’s 2011 proposed budget. The Council will conduct a two-hour budget workshop next week, and Council President Steve Bernheim said his goal to have the council’s version of the budget ready for a final vote by Dec. 7, with a public hearing likely on Nov. 23.
-Heard a presentation on Complete Streets, a Cascade Land Conservancy-sponsored initiative aimed at encouraging cities to make their streets more pedestrian- and bicycle-friendly.
-Welcomed its new student representative, Peter Gibson of Edmonds-Woodway High School.
-Heard Cooper read a proclamation announcing Oct. 17-23 as “Friends of the Edmonds Library Week,” and noting the library group’s 30th annual book sale will be held this Saturday from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. More details on the sale can be found here.
In addition, Councilmember Adrienne Fraley-Monillas returned to the Council after a several-week absence while she underwent treatment for lung cancer. Fraley-Monillas, who had part of her right lung removed, thanked everyone who had sent cards, flowers and good wishes, and noted she will be undergoing weekly chemotherapy on Thursdays, starting next week.
Make the Antique Mall and the DOT site a holding lot. Solves the building height issues. Park in a way so people know what boat and time they will be on: Anacortes Kingston, BC locations. Shuttle them to downtown passing by resturanrts along the way. Let people spend some money in town while they wait for a boat. On Saturday we can drop them at the farmers market. On weekends with the wait is really long the Edmonds theater could run short movies for travelers. These folks are just a different type of visitor to town. Lets find a way to provide them a way to spend money while they wait.
While I am not at all agreeable to Darrol’s suggestion, I do find it refreshing. Its an original idea, perhaps a door operner to further ideas and discussion.for our waterfront. And especially it isn’t iniitated by a greedy developer(s). We need this kind of idea; after all little acorns and big trees do happen.
Hi Ray, If you what to do some free thinking. Look at the following issues all in the same breath. New Senior Center, Harbor Square Development, Yost Pool, Library modernization, and the civic play field. Some of these ideas can coexist on the same site. When we look at needs and scarse land sometimes putting things together will make the sum of the parts greater than the whole.
I certainly agree with your last sentence. For a nearby example simply study the berfore and after of the Seattle Center!
Ray, your example of the Seattle Center is a good one. All to often we look at projects one by one with little thought to how they might interact. Looking at a number of projects at the same time can bring some creative thinking to the table. If we can find logical ways to do some of the major projects at the same time with an eye on their interaction we can save land and save money. We have little land left and we are certanly low on spare money.