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Edmonds staff propose Highway 99 work group to boost placemaking, economic vitality
Summary
City staff proposed a multi-stakeholder Highway 99 work group to coordinate placemaking, economic development and connectivity across three corridor districts; council members urged careful pacing and use of existing data and volunteers.
The Edmonds city administration proposed forming a Highway 99 work group to focus coordinated action on placemaking, economic vitality and connectivity along the corridor at a City Council meeting March 4.
Todd Tatum, Director of Community Culture and Economic Development, told the council the work group would address three distinct Highway 99 areas — the Healthcare District, the International District and the Gateway District — and aim to move from policy toward coordinated action with community partners, commissions and regional agencies.
“By organizing ourselves a little differently we'll start to build an improved understanding of the corridor and the combined tools we have for managing it effectively,” Tatum said. He said staff wants to square internal work plans, identify tools such as community renewal and CPTED (Crime Prevention Through Environmental Design), and reach out to the Economic Development Commission, the Planning Board, local business and property owners for participation.
Tatum said staff does not plan an immediate large budget request and expects initial work to be achieved through more focused coordination of existing staff time and regional outreach to partners such as Snohomish County Economic Development and the Economic Alliance of Snohomish County. He recommended bringing detailed proposals to council in the latter half of the year to allow time for ballot measures and comp-plan work already underway.
Council members generally supported the concept but urged realistic scope and phasing. Council member Ek called the effort “an investment that we absolutely need to make” and asked staff to treat it as a revenue-generating long-term strategy. Council member Rose asked for clarity on staff-time and potential funding; Tatum replied that he did not expect a near-term large dollar ask but that the work will require focused staff time and education about financing options such as community renewal or tax-increment approaches.
Council members suggested specific priorities and lessons to carry forward: minimum-density policy discussion for the corridor, attention to the southern portion of Highway 99 where crime and concentrated needs exist, and learning from nearby redevelopment efforts in Shoreline and Lynnwood.
Tatum said the first steps are to convene an internal staff work group, perform outreach to community partners and coordinate with commissions before presenting more formal recommendations to the council later in the year.
