The process of developing ideas and exploring the feasibility of acquiring the Landmark 99 property fits into the City of Edmonds’ long-term priority of supporting the vitality of the Highway 99 corridor and neighborhoods through strategies like renewal and revitalization. The city’s Comprehensive Plan update has been a topic on the EDC radar prior to the announcement of the Landmark 99 opportunity, and our preparation to engage in the update process has provided the us with a base of understanding of the issues. This understanding allows us to become productive contributors to the Landmark 99 work.
– We have spent the past three weeks having positive meetings with each individual councilmember and the mayor, and we will soon complete meetings with each council and mayoral candidate to listen to each person’s perspective on EDC involvement around Landmark 99 and related issues. We will consider this feedback, along with our commissioners’ interests and capacity to engage in a productive and efficient way.
– We have been invited to participate in the upcoming Landmark 99 Advisory Committee, which will include representatives from city council, the planning board, and the EDC.
– We take our role seriously, as non-partisan fact-finders and creative systems thinkers… without predetermined agendas or outcomes; open-minded, and with useful diverse backgrounds. We understand the urgency of this role, especially with respect to the current six-month early stage of the Landmark 99 timeline, including a determination of whether this project makes sense moving forward for all of us as citizens of Edmonds.
– While we are in appointed volunteer positions, we consider ourselves to have a large degree of independence – we promote collaborative engagement with the public, other boards and commissions, elected officials, experts, and city staff that supports our goal to explore opportunities to benefit the economic vitality and health of our city.
– Our EDC commissioners are volunteers who live in a variety of Edmonds neighborhoods and have professional experience that offers a diverse set of perspectives and opinions, all of which create a balance of strengths, ideas, and approaches. EDC meetings are open to the public and we welcome visitors (and public comment) in person or via Zoom.
We look forward to engagement and exploration on these important and interconnected topics.
— By Nicole Hughes/Chair
and
Kevin Harris/Vice-Chair
Edmonds Economic Development Commission
Thank you for the perspective and process of the Economic Development Commission regarding the acquisition of the “Burlington” property on Highway 99. It will be interesting to hear how a piece of property will be developed to enhance the 99 corridor. What is the purpose/goal of this “enhancement”? Has the EDC interviewed corridor homeowners, business/motel owners, etc. in addition to Council members and candidates? I am sure the EDC will reach a thorough and representative determination as to whether the Landmark 99 purchase makes sense. Keep us posted.
A big THANK YOU for this letter.
Now we can only hope that you have a seat at the table when the presentation is made to the Council and you are not just left as a foot note in the proceedings.
Thank you for the initiative to submit this column to MEN. We unfortunately have a culture in Edmonds of citizen volunteer commissions and boards being overly polite, not making unpopular decisions, only looking at small incremental changes, and generally being change-adverse. The vol. citizens housing commission overcame some of those tendencies and came up with recommendations that the Council and Mayor did not even review in depth- let alone implement. I will be watching what the EDC’s advice is on the Landmark proposal. Please comment on: is this the right time? Do the city directors have the financing expertise and tax forecasting expertise to do this right? is this the right part of the Hwy 99 corridor, esp given the weird access? Is the buildout about a $100-125M project?
This was a good letter and somewhat reassuring assuming they are listened to in the end, regardless of what their conclusions are. To me, the real problem, though, is how this rather grandiose plan was presented to six of our citizens’ representatives and us citizens by a Mayor in concert with the Council President. This might not be bad, but it looks bad, especially when you add in the factor of promoting the need to act now with cash deposit or possibly miss out on the deal. Looks like Edmonds’ top down politics and influence as usual to me. I think they really did a snow job on Jenna Nand, our newest and least experienced CM. I do not hold her resounding support fof this plan against her on that account. Too much manipulative behavior in this for me to like it.