Highway 2 Bypass Temporary Trail Study

Western Washington University (WWU) students participating in Sustainable Communities Program concluded the program’s coursework with a presentation to City of Monroe’s Park Board February 20, 2020.  The student’s studied the City’s proposed temporary trail within the Washington State Department of Transportation (WSDOT) US 2 Bypass right-of-way, between Chain Lake Road to the east and eastern edge of Snohomish County Fairgrounds.  The Program provided an opportunity for students to use the Trail project to gain experience working on an actual project with real-world conditions and clients.   

The three reports will assist City staff in developing a conceptual site plan to be used in future discussions with WSDOT. For more information, email Mike Farrell.

Their reports may be found here:

• ENVS 475 Community Development and Participatory Methods, taught by Dr. Tammi Laninga (PDF)
• ENVS 373 Transportation Systems Analysis, taught by Dr. Paul Stangl (PDF)
• ENVS 493 Environmental Impact Assessment, taught by Dr. Tammi Laninga (PDF)

Lake Tye Park and Cadman Master Plans 

In early 2018, the City’s Parks and Recreation Department completed long range master planning work for an existing park, Lake Tye Park, and future city park, Cadman Site.  HBB Landscape Architects of Seattle served as the City’s consultant in this effort.  The plans were developed from an extensive public involvement process where the community provided a vision for the future of these parks.

The planning process began in 2017 and included a robust public outreach effort where the community, Park Board, and City Council participated in developing plans and designs to incorporating surrounding community values, celebrating the unique context of each site.  The Lake Tye Park and Cadman Final Master Plans were approved by the Monroe City Council, winter 2019.

One of the signature planning elements strongly recommended by the community was the Lake Tye All Weather Fields Project (Lake Tye Project). Project completion occurred in late July 2021, with a grand opening ceremony on August 5th, 2021. More information about the completed project can be found on the Capital Projects page. 

North Hill Park Acquisition 

The City of Monroe has taken steps to acquire 5 acres of land to develop into a public neighborhood park in the City’s rapidly-developing North Hill Area of Monroe, and have recently completed purchase of the property.  In addition, the City received notification that the State Recreation and Conservation Funding Board (RCFB) awarded grants for 2020 applicants during their June 30 meeting, with the City of Monroe receiving a $1 million grant award for the property acquisition. Learn more about Washington State Recreation and Conservation Office. 

Because of planned development, rapid growth and the resulting underserved population, acquiring parkland in this area has been listed as a high priority in our Parks, Recreation & Open Space (PROS) plans for over a decade.  Our current PROS Plan states that it is critical to reach the City’s Level of Service Objective in the North Hill area of town. In August 2020, the Monroe City Council authorized Mayor Thomas to sign a Purchase and Sale Agreement for the 5 acre acquisition, located at the southwest corner of 191st Ave & 134th St. Staff applied for $1 million State RCO Washington Wildlife & Recreation Program Grant to help fund the acquisition, appraised at $1.3 million, with the remaining $300,000 budgeted within the Parks Capital Improvement Project fund. For more information, read about the North Hill Park Story. Next steps include seeking additional grant funding to support design (with public input) and development of a park.

April, 2020 UPDATE:

Due to subsequent events involving COVID-19, the Governor’s Stay Home/Stay Safe order, and the ongoing potential disruption which may affect our residents and businesses, Mayor Geoffrey Thomas felt that it would be prudent to withdraw a park bond request from the April 28, 2020 election.

During 2019, the City assisted the East County Parks and Recreation District with a bond/excess levy request to help fund capital parks projects located within the District.  Because the City is part of this District, the excess levy request included City of Monroe priority capital parks projects.

The Washington State constitution requires that excess tax levies (bond request) used to pay for capital projects must pass by a minimum of 60% (sixty percent).  The November 2019 bond measure only passed by 56.79% district-wide, thus failed to meet the 60% threshold.  However, within the City of Monroe precincts, the bond measure passed by 61.90%.

Upon consideration of the strong support for the measure within Monroe, the Monroe City Council passed an ordinance on February 11, 2020, providing for the submission of a bond measure to fund Monroe’s priority parks capital projects to City voters at a special election on April 28, 2020.  If passed by voters, the proposition would authorize the City to issue general obligation bonds financing park and recreation acquisitions and improvements as described in the following links below, with a bond principal amount, not to exceed $8,155,000.

• Monroe City Council Agenda Bill No. 20-027 2020 Park Capital Bond Election Ordinance (PDF)

MONROE PROPOSED PROJECTS

Lake Tye Park Athletic Fields Renovation: Convert unlighted, poor-draining grass fields to all-weather, lighted, synthetic turf, athletic fields to allow year-round play for baseball, football, lacrosse and soccer. This will expand user options. $2,300,000. 

North Hill Area Park acquisition, design & development: Acquisition, design & development - $3,200,000. Priority project from Parks 6-year CIP.  Would become new city park serving North Hill area residents. 

Neighborhood Park Improvements: Replace and upgrade playground equipment at eight City parks: Blueberry Children’s Park, Cedar Grove, Currie View, Hillcrest, Park Meadows Park, Stanton Meadows, Wales Street, Rainier View - utilizing features and materials similar to recent upgrades to Lake Tye, Sky River & Lewis Street Parks. $2,000,000.

Extend Chain Lake Road Trail between Rainier View Park and Brown Road: Priority pedestrian project from 6-year Transportation Improvement Plan.  Will extend existing southerly segment to connect new residential developments in north area of City to central commercial core services. $655,000.

FAQ’s

Why are we asking for a capital bond measure? Thank you to voters in the City of Monroe for approving the East County Park and Recreation District’s (ECPRD) Proposition 1 presented at the November 2019 election.  While the ECPRD’s Prop 1 failed to achieve the 60% majority to pass, it did pass by this margin within the City of Monroe.  Washington requires a 60% majority among all the voters of a voting district to pass bonds requiring voter approval.  

The need for the City’s projects have not changed.  Based on the support received by the City’s voters, the Monroe City Council has approved placing a ballot measure before voters for April 28, 2020 that would fund the City’s identified projects.

Why didn’t the city put the measure on the February or March ballot to save taxpayer money? To qualify for the 02/11/2020 election, the City had to have our ordinance to the County by 12/13/2020.  November 2019’s election validated on 11/26/19.  The first Council meeting to adopt an ordinance after that was 12/10/19, after which the ordinance requires five days to become effective.  With the five days, we would have missed the 12/13/2020 deadline. The March election is limited to the presidential primary. 

What projects will be paid for with this bond?  How are funds allocated? Total costs for the identified City projects are $8.155 million, to be completed in two phases. The following projects are scheduled for the first bond issue of $5.355 million which would allow them to be constructed between 2020 and 2023:

The following projects are scheduled for the second bond issue of $2.8 million which would allow them to be constructed between 2022 and 2025:

How were the projects chosen? All of the projects were identified from the City’s capital projects list and the current Parks, Recreation & Open space Plan (PROS Plan) that was developed through an extensive public process.  This included multiple surveys, pop-up studios, and open house workshops that received high engagement from our community.  Money from the bond will be used to leverage grant funding awarded to the city from the state and county to complete proposed projects, such as the Lake Tye Athletic Fields and Chain Lake Trail Development.  

How is this different than the November 2019 vote? Again, thank you to voters in the City of Monroe for approving the ECPRD’s Proposition 1 during the November 2019 election.  While the ECPRD’s Prop 1 failed to achieve the 60% majority to pass, it did pass by this margin within the City of Monroe.  

The April 28, 2020 vote is limited to the City of Monroe voters and would fund just the City of Monroe projects that were part of the November request.  In addition, the costs of the identified projects have been update to reflect new estimates associated with design and construction.  Based on the new information available to us now, the total costs for the Monroe projects have decreased by $895,000 (from $9,050,000 to the $8,155,000 request).

Why can’t these projects be completed without a bond? As a governmental entity, the acquisition of property and capital improvements to existing facilities may be done through the bond process. Money from the bond will be used to leverage grant funding from the state to complete proposed projects, such as the Lake Tye Athletic Fields.  Without a voter approved bond measure, the City would have to delay projects, such as the development of the North Hill area park and the improvements to the neighborhood parks, until the City had enough cash to move forward. 

Why is a splash pad not on the list? The splash pad project was proposed by Snohomish County for the Evergreen State Fairgrounds as part of last November’s ECPRD bond measure.  The Monroe projects that would be funded by the April 28, 2020 bond measure do not currently include a splash pad.  However, a water feature option would be explored as a possibility during the public input process associated with the playground equipment replacement projects this bond measure would fund.  City residents will also have an opportunity to voice their support to prioritize such a project when the City’s Parks, Recreation & Open Space Plan (PROS Plan) is updated later this year. 

I’m a senior on a fixed income.  Will this cost me the same amount? Per state law, exemptions to this bond measure, if approved, may apply to homeowners that are age 61 years or older, the disabled, and those who meet certain income requirements.  For your specific situation and for more information, contact the Snohomish County Assessor at 425-388-3540 or on-line at www.snohomishcountywa.gov/328/Property-Tax-Exemptions.  

What does the taxpayer gain? The taxpayers would gain improved park access and updated facilities and equipment, meeting all current play and safety standards.  Each taxpayer would have a park improvement within one mile of where he or she lived.

What is the cost to the property owner? (30 year level debt) Bonds are currently anticipated to be sold in two separate increments: the first would be around $5.355 million in 2020 and the second would be around $2.8 million in 2022.  In this scenario, taxes would begin to be collected in 2021.  

First year cost estimates are $0.15 per $1,000 of assessed value.  For a home worth $500,000, this would be approximately $6.11 per month (less than the cost of a movie ticket) or $73.34 per year. 

The estimated tax rate is expected to steadily decrease each year as new construction values are added to the City’s overall assessment.  The following table highlights specific year’s impacts based on the $8.155 million 30 year bond issued in two installments:

All numbers are estimates based on conservative assumptions regarding the city’s overall assessed values.  Actuals would change depending on the exact timing of the bond sales and what the City’s overall assessed values are each year.  If the assessed values (and new construction added to the assessed values) come in higher than projected, the estimated impacts to an individual home would be less than illustrated.

Monthly cost comparisons:

Results

Thank you voters in the City of Monroe for voting in favor of Proposition 1 during the November election. Unfortunately, the Washington Constitution requires a 60% majority vote to authorize bonds and tax levies requiring voter approval and while the measure passed in the City of Monroe, it did not pass in the rest of the East County Parks and Recreation District. Moving forward, the Monroe City Council may consider a new ballot measure to fund just Monroe Parks.

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East County Park and Recreation District is a local junior taxing district of Snohomish County separate from the City of Monroe and Snohomish County. The District was formed in 1970 and is managed by a five member board of commissioners elected by residents within the District. District boundaries are roughly the same as those of the Monroe School District including the communities of Monroe, Maltby, and Echo Lake. Typically, park districts fit a niche between City and County park systems, helping to expand opportunities available to the public.

The East County Park and Recreation District will be proposing a $26.5 million capital bond measure on the November 2019 ballot. East County Park and Recreation District is committed to serving the citizens of its entire area, which includes the City of Monroe and portions of Snohomish County. The District’s last bond measure which was paid off in 2008 was used to build Maltby Park and develop Sky River Park in Monroe. The District is asking for approval of a new capital bond measure in order to greatly enhance and expand recreational opportunities throughout the entire district. The ECPRD, City of Monroe, and Snohomish County are partnering on this bond. Having a multi-jurisdictional cooperative approach increases efficiencies in providing services and will eliminate duplication of effort.

How were projects selected? The East County Parks and Recreation District, the City of Monroe, and Snohomish County Parks each nominated three representatives to serve on a Citizens Advisory Committee (CAC) who represented residents, businesses, and user groups for our area parks including the Sky Valley Soccer Association, Fair Grounds Foundation, etc. The East County Parks District, City of Monroe, and Snohomish County presented suggested parks projects for the CAC’s consideration. The CAC reviewed the projects for appropriateness, cost estimates, amount of public input to date, and benefit to the district’s taxpayers, and recommended a list of projects to fund with the requested bonds.

View an informational video here.

ECPRD PROJECT PROPOSAL:

Maltby Park Improvements: Planning, design and construction to:

• Replace field grass with all-weather turf on north fields and updating all fields for multi-sport use.
• Replacing the grass and irrigation system on the south field.
• Additional drainage upgrades to support turf improvements.
• Replacing 20 year-old bathrooms to increase sanitation and water conservation.
• Replacing the walking path and installing lighting for increased visibility.
• Replacing parking lot surface and improving drainage swale.
• In conjunction with path completion, reclaim wetlands adjacent to park.
• Replace picnic shelter and upgrade sport court surface

The comprehensive planning and design of Maltby Park would potentially be scheduled from 2020 and 2023 as part of the first bond issue of $15.150 million and is estimated to cost $1,350,000. The construction is potentially scheduled between 2022 and 2025 with the second bond issue of $11.35 million and is estimated to cost $7,100,000 with a total bond ask of $8,450,000.

CITY OF MONROE PROJECT PROPOSALS:

Park Improvements: Replace and upgrade playground equipment at eight City parks: Blueberry Children’s Park, Cedar Grove, Currie View, Hillcrest, Park Meadows Park, Stanton Meadows, Wales Street, Rainier View - utilizing features and materials similar to recent upgrades to Lake Tye, Sky River & Lewis Street Parks.

North Hill Area Park acquisition, design & development: Acquisition of a new neighborhood park located in the growing North Hill Area estimated at $1,300,000 would be scheduled from 2020 and 2023 as part of the first bond issue of $15.150 million. The design and construction which is estimated to be $1,750,000 would be scheduled between 2022 and 2025 with the second bond issue of $11.35 million.

Extend Chain Lake Road Trail between Rainier View Park and Brown Road: Extend Chain Lake Trail to connect new residential developments in north area of City to North Kelsey. The construction is potentially scheduled between 2022 and 2025 with the second bond issue of $11.35 million and the bond ask is estimated to be $2,500,000.

Lake Tye Park Athletic Fields Renovation: Convert un-lighted, poor-draining grass fields to all-weather, lighted, synthetic turf, multi-purpose athletic fields to allow year-round play for baseball, football, lacrosse and soccer and also improve the use experience.

This project is potentially scheduled for the first bond issue which would allow it to be constructed between 2020 and 2023.

SNOHOMISH COUNTY PROJECT PROPOSAL:

Evergreen State Fairgrounds: The Fairgrounds is a 192 acre Snohomish County Park. It is open free to the public 353 days a year, 98.8% of the time. More than 735,000 people visit the Fair Park each year. The Evergreen Speedway, Evergreen Equestrian Park, Gary Weikel Events Center and multiple other buildings host more than 700 events and meetings each year, many at no cost to the public. Thousands of youth and adults enjoy free or low cost programs at the Fair Park each year. It is the largest public multi-use event site in the County and generates more than $48 million annually in positive economic impact for the region. Events at the Fairgrounds help our local businesses by bringing visitors to the City of Monroe and surrounding communities. The proposed improvements will help drive further economic development. 

The Fairgrounds improvement would include: A free spray pad/splash park open to the public. Frontage improvements/perimeter trail paralleling Hwy 2, and a 34,000 square foot building/community center. This project is potentially scheduled for the first bond issue of $15.150 million which would allow construction between 2020 and 2023. The projected total bond ask is $9,000,000.