EVERETT — The city is planning to create a proposed 2.1-acre nature park and stormwater facility at the southwest corner of the intersection of Holly Drive and 100th Street SW.
In early April, the City Council approved accepting more than $2 million toward funding the acquisition of five residential properties that are meant to become the proposed nature park and stormwater facility.
“The City of Everett has a goal to have a park within a 10-minute walk of every resident and this area is currently a park deficit area,” Everett spokesperson Simone Tarver said in an email. “The addition of a park space helps increase access to green spaces for our residents to enjoy. Access to parks is a major factor in quality of life and also has health benefits.”
The site also has the acreage that meet the needs of both a stormwater facility and a park, Tarver said.
While the park will be the first combination nature park and stormwater facility in Everett, Tarver highlighted similar parks in neighboring municipalities such as Stormwater Wetlands Park/Eagle Trail in Arlington, and Kirkland’s 132nd Square Park Redevelopment and Stormwater Retrofit.
The city plans to acquire the five properties to create the proposed Holly Neighborhood Nature Park.
Tarver said the Holly Neighborhood Nature Park is in its early stages and she hasn’t seen a firm date yet as to when it will be complete.
Conservation Futures is funded with a 6.25 cent per $1,000 assessed valuation that pays for property purchases that help preserve open space, agricultural land, timber, according to the Snohomish County Code.
County spokesperson Rose Intveld said the county collects $2 million a year toward the fund.
In 2023, the county awarded 11 projects funding.
In addition to the Everett project, other entities receiving funding included county projects for the Chinook Marsh Acquisitions, East Side Rail/Centennial Trail South. The City of Lynnwood received money for the Lund’s Gulch South Addition. The Tulalip Foundation received funding for the Kellogg Marsh Valley Cooperative Acquisition. Ducks Unlimited received funding for its
North Ebey Island acquisitions.
