The City of Edmonds Planning and Development Department presented its latest update of the Waterfront Vision Conceptual Design Workshop at the Edmonds Waterfront Center Thursday – part of the 2024 Edmonds Comprehensive Plan Update. The presentation covered the proposed designs of Edmonds Waterfront to improve walkability, accessibility and preservation of the Edmonds Marsh. 

“We have a unique opportunity because we actually have very few owners of properties in the waterfront area,” said Edmonds Planning and Development Director Susan McLaughlin. She pointed out that the Port of Edmonds  owns the new Port of Edmonds building as well as the Harbor Square Business Complex, while the city owns the parks near the waterfront. Unocal Corporation owns the land south of the Edmonds Marsh and north of Point Edwards condominiums.

The city sponsored a design charette involving more than 90 Edmonds residents in March, and McLaughlin highlighted some of priorities identified  from that event, including:

• Preserving the natural character of the waterfront.
• Creating a “pedestrian-centric” environment where people can walk, bike or scooter between downtown Edmonds and the waterfront.
• Reducing car reliance.
• Supporting retail and civic uses, such as pop-up stores, food trucks, cafes and plazas.
• Managing the risks associated with climate change and sea level rise
• Create first-aid centers and lifeguard stations.

Urban Design

McLaughlin said that one major element that most Edmonds residents want is to improve walkability at the waterfront so that it connects people to several major landmarks in the area, including the marsh, Edmonds Waterfront Center, Port of Edmonds, Cascadia Art Museum, Salish Crossing shops and restaurants, Brackett’s Landing, Marina Beach Park and Willow Creek. The plan would also prioritize green space over vehicle space. 

“We want to incorporate waterfront, family-friendly activities,” she said. “Yes, there’s the beach, but what else? What can kids play on and interact with?” Other identified activities include kayaking and paddleboarding, bird-watching, and walking and biking. Adding amenities such as public restrooms and community spaces would encourage people to linger, McLaughlin said.

In addition to having outdoor spaces for seasonal events and music and cultural festivals, it’s important to ensure that local Indigenous tribes receive “culturally appropriated art and representation,” McLaughlin added. These tribes include the Snohomish, the Duwamish and other Coast Salish tribes. 

“We know our tribes didn’t actually have settlements in this area; however, it’s an important migratory area for the tribal gathering and fishing,” she said. 

Other urban design elements include:

• Supporting designs that blend with the surroundings while preserving the waterfront’s unique identity and charm.
• Having murals, sculptures and cultural exhibits that reflects local heritage and character.
• Engaging with local artists, architects and designers to gather ideas.
• Using sustainable designs, such as solar energy, recycled materials and green infrastructure.

Ecology

The Waterfront Vision includes several public spaces for people to interact with and learn about the marsh restoration. These include observation decks and designated pathways to prevent habitat destruction. Such pathways would be an Edmonds Marsh Loop, a boardwalk that loops around the marsh that is similar to the Scriber Lake trail in Lynnwood.

The city plans to establish natural buffers to mitigate sea-level rise and flooding while collaborating with coastal and wetland ecology experts and monitoring climate impacts. “By 2100, sea levels in Washington are likely to rise 1.5 to 2.5 feet,” McLaughlin said. “We’re already seeing [coastal flooding] and increases in storm surges and salinity change.”

Waterfront access and integration

The Waterfront Vision proposes several walkways to allow people better access between the waterfront and downtown Edmonds. One solution is to create a “multimodal hub” that supports different transportation modes, such as rideshare and bike facilities, public transit, designated parking areas with electric charging stations and pedestrian-only areas.

“We need to tell people how they can seamlessly connect to non-motorized options to stay at the local level,” McLaughlin said.

In addition to the Edmonds Marsh Loop, McLaughlin proposed a network of pathways and trails around the waterfront and the marsh. This includes: 

• Pedestrian access to the waterfront at James Street and Alder Street.
• A pedestrian bridge that connects Salish Crossing, the Sounder station and waterfront center somewhere between Dayton Street and Main Street.
• Adding bike lanes on Railroad Avenue.
• Adding more signaled intersections from downtown Edmonds to the waterfront.

The Waterfront Vision also proposed several public plazas within Salish Crossing and Harbor Square and “pocket parks” along the waterfront boardwalk for pop-up uses. It also supports the expansion of the Willow Creek Salmon & Watershed Education Center and the creation of Edmonds Marsh Visitor Education Center.

McLaughlin emphasized that some of the land where changes are proposed are on private property, which depends on partnerships, investments and regulations to find common grounds between the city and landlords.

“Property owners will always have a final say about what they do with their land, when they do it, how they fund it,” she said. “Cities are obligated to create long-term visions for land in accordance with the Growth Management Act and alignment with the community. So we set that vision and that vision will have some parameters. Some of the vision will set the direction for future code amendments which will regulate what happens on private land.”

Attendees voted online after the presentation, during which 30 people partially agreed to the direction the City of Edmonds is taking, 20 people voted yes and two people voted no. Many commented in the online survey that they would like to see less traffic and more pedestrian-friendly spaces to travel.

Artist Carol Rashawnna Williams was not able to attend the event, but she will be attending the Mayors Climate Protection Committee meeeting on June  20. She will be creating artwork relating to sea-level rise as part of the Waterfront Vision. Contact the Planning Board for details attending the committee: Planning@edmondswa.gov.

— Story and photos by Nick Ng