Lake Stevens consultants show three civic‑center site plans emphasizing shared space, wetland protection and public plaza

Consultants and city staff on Tuesday presented three preliminary site alternatives for a proposed Lake Stevens Civic Center that would combine city hall, a Sno Isle Libraries branch and administrative offices for the Lake Stevens Sewer District, and sought public feedback on layout, wetlands protection, stormwater treatment and shared spaces.

The presentation, led by Russ Wright, community development director for the City of Lake Stevens, and Bob Stowe of the Stowe Group, described concepts that place civic programs and public plaza space near a Category 2 wetland on the Chapel Hill site while reusing an existing underground stormwater detention vault.

The plans matter because they shape how much public land is used for civic functions, how the site protects the wetland and how much room remains for public plazas and private development that could help offset public costs.

All three alternatives aim to limit impacts to the wetland buffer and preserve or reuse existing infrastructure. Mike Jobes, design principal at Miller Hull Partnership, and Emily Van Geldren of Site Workshop described design goals that emerged from a community survey, including a “Pacific Northwest” architectural character, outdoor public space for four‑season use, native planting and flexible indoor–outdoor meeting rooms that can open onto plazas.

Alternative 1: shared single building with south‑facing plaza Alternative 1 places a two‑story city hall and a one‑story library in a single, linked building with a shared central zone for community uses (for example, a community kitchen and meeting rooms). That option uses both the city and library parcels and provides a large south‑facing plaza visible from Market Street and State Route 9. Project staff said this layout is “sensitive to the wetland,” with impacts to portions of the buffer to be mitigated elsewhere on site.

Alternative 2: compact, taller building to preserve library parcel for private development Alternative 2 stacks city and library programs into a more compact, taller building on the city parcel so the library parcel to the north could remain available for private development. The team said that approach would create more on‑site parking but slightly reduce some exterior green spaces; it maximizes shared indoor space while concentrating building footprint on the city parcel.

Alternative 3: two separate buildings with shared plaza between them Alternative 3 separates the library and city hall into two independent buildings that would share parking and stormwater infrastructure and face a central public plaza. The team said this approach reduces shared mechanical systems and therefore increases building “skin” and cost modestly, but it creates a large central outdoor space between the two buildings.

Site constraints and environmental measures The team highlighted several physical constraints that shaped the designs: a delineated Category 2 wetland along the west side of the property, an approximate 110‑foot buffer the team intends to honor in design, disturbed gravel areas where new construction could be focused, and an existing underground stormwater detention vault the presenters said is “worth a lot of money” and that they plan to reuse rather than replace. The design team said they will place visible, artful stormwater features around the site to reduce load on the existing vault.

Public‑space priorities and examples Designers emphasized flexible indoor spaces that can open onto outdoor plazas so events (including farmers markets) can expand outside. Jobes said the team has considered a small neighborhood cafe and spaces that can scale for both large annual events and everyday community use. The team showed precedent images and said public input favored native planting, tree canopy restoration and “indoor–outdoor” connections.

Community questions and concerns Local residents who asked questions during the open house raised practical concerns. Resident Madeline said, “Parking is really at a premium. … If you have any big social events … you’re just not gonna have it. You’re gonna end up taking over parking at Target, at the doctor's offices, and the streets here can’t handle all the overflow of parking.” Project staff acknowledged parking will be a design issue and pointed to shared parking strategies and pedestrian links as options to address overflow.

Next steps and public involvement The project team said the public survey will remain open through April 22 and that the agencies (the City of Lake Stevens, Sno Isle Libraries and the Lake Stevens Sewer District) will review public input during April to identify a preferred concept, refine that concept in May, finish environmental review and present a preferred design in June. Presenters stressed no funding or construction decisions have been made and the preferred concept will be refined based on community input.

Tapered next steps Staff encouraged residents to complete the project survey, which the city will post on its website, and said the team will continue refining design options and technical reports before agencies consider funding and delivery models.