Tygart Media

Author: Will Tygart

  • After the Production-Standard Flight: What Boeing’s 777-9 Still Has to Clear Before Everett Can Celebrate

    After the Production-Standard Flight: What Boeing’s 777-9 Still Has to Clear Before Everett Can Celebrate

    Q: What certification steps remain for the Boeing 777-9 after its May 2026 production-standard flight?
    A: After Phase 4A of the Type Inspection Authorization (TIA), Boeing must complete Phase 4B (the largest testing block in the TIA sequence), Phase 5, Functionality & Reliability testing, and ETOPS certification before FAA type certification can be granted. Following certification, roughly 30 stored 777-9s at Paine Field must undergo change incorporation before the first delivery to Lufthansa, targeted for Q1 2027.

    On the evening of May 7, 2026, a massive white airplane with green winglet tips climbed out of Paine Field and banked over Puget Sound. Aircraft WH128 — registration N20080 — flew for three hours and 27 minutes, reached 39,000 feet, and landed back at Paine Field at 4:52 p.m. PT. It was the first Boeing 777-9 ever built to full production standard, complete with Lufthansa’s Allegris cabin already installed inside.

    For Everett, the production-standard flight was a milestone worth celebrating. For anyone tracking the certification program, it was the beginning of the end of a very long middle. Here’s what still stands between that May 7 moment and the day Lufthansa takes delivery of its first widebody jet — and what each remaining gate means for the people who build them at Paine Field.

    What “Production-Standard” Actually Means

    Not all 777-9 test flights are equal. The first five jets to fly were test aircraft — built with placeholder interiors and experimental configurations to gather data. WH128 is different. It’s built exactly the way every 777-9 will be built for airline service: the same cabin configuration, the same systems, the same production processes that Everett’s widebody line will use for every delivery to follow.

    Flying a production-standard aircraft is significant for one specific reason: it lets the FAA begin evaluating whether the production configuration performs the same way as the test airframes that the entire prior campaign was built around. When an FAA test pilot climbs into WH128, they’re not just checking a box — they’re confirming that what Boeing promised to build is actually what Boeing is building. That confirmation is the gateway to Phase 4B.

    Phase 4A: What’s Happening Right Now

    The 777-9 entered FAA Type Inspection Authorization (TIA) Phase 4A on March 17, 2026. TIA is the multi-phase framework the FAA uses to formally evaluate new commercial aircraft before granting type certification. Phase 4A specifically involves FAA test pilots flying alongside Boeing crews in structured evaluation flights.

    Phase 4A is not a single flight. It’s a block of tests covering specific systems, maneuvers, and performance envelopes the FAA must formally observe. WH128’s May 7 production-standard flight was an early milestone within this phase — demonstrating to the FAA that the production configuration is consistent with the test configuration that the prior campaign validated.

    Aviation industry analysts at The Air Current, who have closely tracked the 777-9 certification campaign, have reported that Phase 4B is expected very soon after Phase 4A completion. That’s the phase that changes the volume of work significantly.

    Phase 4B: The Largest Block Yet

    Phase 4A and Phase 4B together account for roughly the same volume of testing as Phase 3 — which began in November 2025 and focused on avionics and primary flight control systems. That’s not a reassuring comparison if you were hoping the 777-9 was nearly done. Phase 3 was a substantial block of work.

    Phase 4B is the longer and more complex of the two Phase 4 segments. It involves broader evaluation across more operational conditions, more FAA test pilot hours, and a wider range of systems verification. Both phases must be completed before the program advances to Phase 5.

    For Everett’s flight test workforce at Paine Field — the crews that maintain, configure, and support the test aircraft on the ground between flights — Phase 4B means continued steady employment through the summer and likely into the fall of 2026.

    Phase 5: The Final TIA Stage

    Phase 5 is the concluding chapter of the TIA process. By this point, the FAA has formally observed the aircraft through four prior evaluation phases. Phase 5 still involves final confirmatory testing and FAA review before the agency clears the path to type certification.

    Boeing has stated publicly that it expects FAA type certification in the second half of 2026. The 777-9 Level D simulators were also certified by FAA and EASA earlier this year, removing one more pre-delivery barrier. But Phase 5 completion is necessary — and not sufficient on its own — for the type certificate to arrive.

    After Phase 5: F&R Testing and ETOPS

    Two more major milestones follow Phase 5 before Boeing can receive type certification.

    Functionality and Reliability (F&R) testing is essentially an extended airline-simulated operation. The aircraft must accumulate a defined number of flight cycles and hours while demonstrating that all systems function reliably under real-world operational conditions. It’s the final confirmation that the airplane isn’t just test-worthy — it’s operationally dependable across the full range of conditions airlines actually encounter.

    ETOPS certification (Extended Operations, allowing twin-engine aircraft to fly routes more than 60 minutes from a diversion airport) is required for the long-haul missions the 777-9 will perform. Lufthansa’s 777-9 order is specifically for premium long-haul service, including transatlantic routes where ETOPS authorization is not optional. Only after both F&R and ETOPS can the FAA issue the type certificate.

    The 30 Jets at Paine Field: The Long Tail of Change Incorporation

    Here’s the part that often gets glossed over in the certification conversation: even after the type certificate arrives, Boeing won’t be delivering aircraft immediately.

    More than 30 777-9s are currently stored at Paine Field — some since 2020, all built before the final certification requirements were fully established. Every one of them must undergo change incorporation before delivery. Change incorporation means updating each stored jet to the current production standard: incorporating every design change, safety improvement, and production process update that has occurred since that individual aircraft was assembled.

    Boeing CEO Kelly Ortberg addressed this directly on the Q1 2026 earnings call on April 22, describing the work scope as significant — “pretty massive activity” — and confirming that Boeing has a dedicated team focused specifically on change incorporation. He noted that the work scope for each aircraft is still being defined on a per-plane basis. The older the stored jet, the more structural changes are required and the longer the process takes. A jet stored since 2020 faces a materially different scope than one stored since 2023.

    Leeham News reported on May 3 that Boeing plans to bring all stored aircraft to a common configuration level before completing the final round of changes — an approach Boeing describes as more efficient than resolving each jet’s full individual change list sequentially.

    The timing per aircraft is not yet public. Leeham News noted that 787 fuselage gap changes took 3-4 months per airplane. The 777-9 change scope will vary widely across the stored fleet, and the full multi-year pipeline means this work extends well past the initial certification date.

    What This Means for Everett’s Widebody Workforce

    Read this sequence carefully: type certification (targeted second half 2026) → change incorporation on stored fleet (multi-year, per-jet) → Lufthansa first delivery Q1 2027 → continued deliveries through the decade.

    For Everett’s widebody technicians, this is not a short-term story. The change incorporation work alone represents years of sustained employment at Paine Field for mechanics specializing in widebody systems, avionics, and structural modifications. These are not entry-level positions — they’re exactly the kind of specialized aerospace work that commands family-wage salaries and has historically been a career anchor for Snohomish County.

    The 767 commercial freighter line completes its final deliveries in 2027. The KC-46 tanker program continues on the same line thereafter. But the 777-9 change incorporation work, running in parallel through the same period, means that Everett’s widebody workforce footprint doesn’t simply contract as the 767 winds down — it transitions and in some respects expands, into a different but equally demanding class of work.

    The production-standard flight on May 7 was the beginning of the visible endgame. For Everett, that endgame is also the beginning of a new decade of widebody work.

    Frequently Asked Questions

    Q: Has the Boeing 777-9 received FAA type certification?
    A: Not yet. As of May 2026, the 777-9 is in TIA Phase 4A. Type certification is targeted for the second half of 2026, pending completion of Phases 4B, 5, F&R testing, and ETOPS.

    Q: What is TIA Phase 4A?
    A: Type Inspection Authorization Phase 4A is a structured evaluation stage in which FAA test pilots fly alongside Boeing crews to formally assess the aircraft across defined test conditions. The 777-9 entered Phase 4A on March 17, 2026.

    Q: When will the first Boeing 777-9 be delivered?
    A: Boeing has confirmed no 777-9 deliveries until at least 2027. Launch customer Lufthansa is targeting Q1 2027 for first delivery, with revenue service in summer 2027.

    Q: Why are there 30+ 777-9s stored at Paine Field?
    A: These jets were built during the extended certification period, before final design and production requirements were fully established. Each must undergo change incorporation — updating the aircraft to the current production standard — before delivery is possible.

    Q: How does the 777-9 certification affect Everett jobs?
    A: The ongoing certification campaign sustains Paine Field’s flight test workforce through 2026. After certification, multi-year change incorporation work on 30+ stored jets provides extended employment for Everett’s widebody specialists — bridging the period as the 767 commercial freighter line completes in 2027.

    Q: What is “production-standard” in the context of the 777-9?
    A: A production-standard aircraft is built to delivery configuration — the same cabin, systems, and production processes used on every 777-9 sold to airlines. WH128, which flew on May 7, 2026, is the first such aircraft.

    Q: What comes after Phase 4A in the certification sequence?
    A: Phase 4B (the largest TIA testing block), then Phase 5 (final TIA stage), then Functionality and Reliability (F&R) testing, then ETOPS certification, then FAA type certificate.

  • Claude Code Hooks: The Workflow Control Layer That Actually Enforces Your Rules

    Claude Code Hooks: The Workflow Control Layer That Actually Enforces Your Rules

    Last refreshed: May 15, 2026

    You’ve been there. You add a rule to CLAUDE.md — “always run prettier after editing files” — and Claude follows it, most of the time. Then it doesn’t. The formatter doesn’t run, the lint check gets skipped, and you’re back to reviewing diffs manually.

    Hooks fix this. Claude Code hooks are shell commands, HTTP endpoints, or LLM prompts that fire deterministically at specific points in Claude’s agentic loop. Unlike CLAUDE.md instructions, which are advisory, hooks are enforced at the execution layer — Claude cannot skip them.

    As of early 2026, Claude Code ships with 21 lifecycle events across four hook types. This article covers the two that matter most for daily workflow: PreToolUse and PostToolUse.

    How Hooks Work Architecturally

    Claude Code’s agent loop is a continuous cycle: receive input → plan → execute tools → observe results → repeat. Hooks intercept this loop at named checkpoints.

    Every hook is defined in .claude/settings.json under a hooks key. A hook entry has three parts: the lifecycle event name, an optional matcher (a regex against tool names), and the handler definition — either a shell command, an HTTP endpoint, or an LLM prompt.

    {
  "hooks": {
    "PostToolUse": [
      {
        "matcher": "Write|Edit",
        "hooks": [
          {
            "type": "command",
            "command": "npx prettier --write "$CLAUDE_TOOL_INPUT_FILE_PATH""
          }
        ]
      }
    ]
  }
}

    That’s it. Every file Claude writes or edits now auto-formats. No CLAUDE.md reminders, no hoping Claude remembers — the formatter runs on every single Write or Edit tool call, period.

    PreToolUse: Enforce Before Claude Acts

    PreToolUse fires before Claude executes any tool. Your hook receives the full tool call — name, inputs, arguments — and can return one of three signals:

    • Exit 0 → allow the tool call to proceed
    • Exit 2 → block the tool call; Claude receives your error message and adjusts
    • Exit 1 → hook error; Claude proceeds but logs the failure

    This makes PreToolUse the right place for guardrails. Here’s a real example: blocking npm in a bun project.

    #!/bin/bash
# .claude/hooks/check-package-manager.sh
# Blocks npm commands in projects that use bun

if echo "$CLAUDE_TOOL_INPUT_COMMAND" | grep -qE "^npm "; then
  echo "Error: This project uses bun, not npm. Use: bun install / bun run / bun add" >&2
  exit 2
fi
exit 0

    Wire it in settings.json:

    {
  "hooks": {
    "PreToolUse": [
      {
        "matcher": "Bash",
        "hooks": [
          {
            "type": "command",
            "command": ".claude/hooks/check-package-manager.sh"
          }
        ]
      }
    ]
  }
}

    Now when Claude tries npm install, the hook exits 2, Claude sees the error message, and it switches to bun install without you intervening. The correction happens in the same turn.

    Another production pattern: blocking writes to protected paths.

    #!/bin/bash
# Prevent Claude from modifying migration files already run in production
if echo "$CLAUDE_TOOL_INPUT_FILE_PATH" | grep -qE "db/migrations/"; then
  echo "Error: Migration files are immutable after deployment. Create a new migration instead." >&2
  exit 2
fi
exit 0

    PostToolUse: React After Claude Acts

    PostToolUse fires after a tool completes successfully. It can’t block execution, but it can provide feedback — and it can run any side-effect you need automatically.

    Auto-format every edit:

    {
  "hooks": {
    "PostToolUse": [
      {
        "matcher": "Write|Edit",
        "hooks": [
          {
            "type": "command",
            "command": "npx prettier --write "$CLAUDE_TOOL_INPUT_FILE_PATH" 2>/dev/null || true"
          }
        ]
      }
    ]
  }
}

    Run tests after code changes:

    #!/bin/bash
# Run affected tests after any source file edit
FILE="$CLAUDE_TOOL_INPUT_FILE_PATH"
if echo "$FILE" | grep -qE "\.(ts|js|py)$"; then
  if [ -f "package.json" ]; then
    npx jest --testPathPattern="$(basename ${FILE%.*})" --passWithNoTests 2>&1 | tail -5
  fi
fi

    Desktop notification on task completion:

    {
  "hooks": {
    "Stop": [
      {
        "hooks": [
          {
            "type": "command",
            "command": "osascript -e 'display notification "Claude finished" with title "Claude Code"'"
          }
        ]
      }
    ]
  }
}

    Environment Variables Available to Hooks

    Claude Code exposes context about the triggering tool call through environment variables. The ones you’ll use most:

    VariableValue
    $CLAUDE_TOOL_NAMEName of the tool being called (e.g., Edit, Bash, Write)
    $CLAUDE_TOOL_INPUT_FILE_PATHFile path for Edit, Write, Read calls
    $CLAUDE_TOOL_INPUT_COMMANDShell command for Bash calls
    $CLAUDE_SESSION_IDCurrent session ID — useful for audit logging
    $CLAUDE_TOOL_RESULT_OUTPUTOutput of the tool (PostToolUse only)

    These are injected by Claude Code before your hook runs. You don’t configure them — they’re always there.

    The Model Question: Which Claude Runs Agentic Tasks?

    One practical consideration for hook-heavy workflows: the default model affects how well Claude responds to hook feedback. As of May 2026:

    • claude-opus-4-7 ($5/MTok input, $25/MTok output) — highest agentic coding capability; best at interpreting hook rejection messages and self-correcting without re-asking
    • claude-sonnet-4-6 ($3/MTok input, $15/MTok output) — strong balance of speed and reasoning; handles most hook-corrected flows well
    • claude-haiku-4-5-20251001 ($1/MTok input, $5/MTok output) — fastest; may require more explicit hook messages to course-correct reliably

    For workflows with complex PreToolUse guardrails — especially ones that provide long error messages with corrective instructions — Opus 4.7 handles the feedback loop most reliably. For simpler PostToolUse automation (formatters, notifications), model choice doesn’t matter; the hook runs regardless.

    To configure the model: export ANTHROPIC_MODEL=claude-opus-4-7 before launching Claude Code, or set it in your team’s .env.

    Hooks vs. CLAUDE.md: When to Use Each

    CLAUDE.md is the right place for context, preferences, and guidance — things you want Claude to know about your project. Hooks are the right place for behavior that must happen every time without exception.

    The practical test: if failing to follow the instruction costs you five minutes of manual cleanup, put it in a hook. If it’s a style preference or a reminder about architecture decisions, put it in CLAUDE.md. The two are complementary — you’ll likely end up with both in any mature project setup.

    A team that gets this right builds CLAUDE.md as documentation for Claude and hooks as the CI/CD equivalent for the agentic loop.

    Getting Started

    The fastest path to a working hook setup:

    1. Create .claude/settings.json in your project root if it doesn’t exist
    2. Add a PostToolUse hook wired to your formatter — this is low-risk and immediately valuable
    3. Test it by asking Claude to edit a file; the formatter should run automatically
    4. Add PreToolUse guardrails for any tool calls that have caused problems in the past

    The official hooks reference is at code.claude.com/docs/en/hooks — it covers all 21 lifecycle events, HTTP handler format, and the full JSON output schema for hook responses.

    Hooks are the difference between Claude Code as a powerful suggestion engine and Claude Code as a reliable automation layer. Once you have a PostToolUse formatter running on every edit, going back feels like working without version control.

  • For Navy Families at NAVSTA Everett: What Everett’s New VOAWW Shelter Means for Military Spouses Facing Housing Crisis

    For Navy Families at NAVSTA Everett: What Everett’s New VOAWW Shelter Means for Military Spouses Facing Housing Crisis

    For NAVSTA Everett families: The new VOAWW Pallet Shelter Village on Sievers-Duecy Boulevard — 20 units for women and children, opened April 27, 2026 — is part of a growing Snohomish County civilian safety net that Navy spouses and dependents should know exists. Military families experience housing crises at rates above the civilian average, often triggered by PCS transitions, deployment, separation, or financial hardship. The civilian resources described here do not require active-duty status, rank, or command referral to access.

    Military families understand housing pressure in ways the civilian world rarely talks about openly. PCS orders arrive with 30 days notice. Base housing waitlists run months long. A deployment can change the calculus of whether a family stays in Everett or moves back to extended family. A separation — whether from the military or from a spouse — can leave a Navy wife with children in a city she didn’t choose, navigating a rental market where Snohomish County’s April 2026 median home price is $750,000 and rental vacancies are tight.

    Everett’s civilian safety net has grown significantly in the past two years. The newest addition — VOAWW’s 20-unit Pallet Shelter Village for women and children, which opened April 27, 2026, off Sievers-Duecy Boulevard — is the piece most military families haven’t heard about yet. This guide maps the full picture. For the complete guide to the shelter itself, see the VOAWW Pallet Shelter complete guide.

    The VOAWW Pallet Shelter: What It Is

    VOAWW operates the new Pallet Shelter Village on city-owned land off Sievers-Duecy Boulevard in west Everett. Twenty units, each housing one woman and up to three children, opened April 27, 2026. Each unit has a lockable door, climate control, and secure storage. The surrounding village has a community kitchen, showers, restrooms, and a playground. Stays are up to 12 months, with wraparound recovery and job support from VOAWW. Funding came from City of Everett ARPA dollars and a $250,000 Snohomish County match — total project cost $2.7 million.

    Who can access it: any woman with children experiencing homelessness in Snohomish County. There is no military-specific restriction, but also no military-preference track. Referrals through VOAWW or 211.

    Why Navy Families Should Know This Exists

    The NAVSTA Everett Family Support ecosystem — Fleet and Family Support Center (FFSC) at 425-304-3735, the Command Financial Specialist program, unit ombudsmen, and Military Family Life Counselors (MFLCs) available without referral — is the first-line support system. Use it. But when a Navy spouse finds herself in a housing crisis that extends beyond what the military support chain can resolve — particularly if a marriage has ended, if a sailor is deployed and the family’s housing situation has collapsed, or if financial crisis has made the current arrangement unworkable — civilian resources become the path forward.

    The Full Snohomish County Resource Map for Military Families in Crisis

    VOAWW Pallet Shelter Village (Sievers-Duecy) — Women with children, transitional, up to 12 months. Referrals through VOAWW (voaww.org) or 211.

    Everett Gospel Mission — West Everett, with a $30 million expansion underway adding 172 shelter beds. Emergency shelter, meals, recovery support, transitional housing. See the complete Gospel Mission guide.

    211 Snohomish County — Dial 2-1-1 or text your zip code to 898-211. 24 hours, multilingual. Real-time referrals to all housing resources in the county.

    Snohomish County Veterans Assistance Program — 3000 Rockefeller Avenue, Everett. Emergency financial assistance for veterans and families, including rent and utilities. County-funded, not VA benefits. Does not require service-connected disability.

    Everett Vet Center — 3311 Wetmore Avenue, Everett. Counseling, readjustment support, and referrals. Specific expertise helping veterans and military families navigate civilian systems after separation or during family crises.

    HousingHope — Snohomish County’s largest homeless services and affordable housing nonprofit. Family housing programs, rapid rehousing assistance, transitional units. No military restriction.

    FFSC Everett (Fleet and Family Support Center) — 425-304-3735 at NAVSTA Everett. Financial counseling, crisis intervention, relocation support, and civilian resource referrals. Works with Navy spouses even during deployment. No command referral required.

    For the broader 2026 NAVSTA mental health resource map, see Mental Health Awareness Month at NAVSTA Everett 2026.

    A Note on Privacy

    Military families sometimes hesitate to access civilian resources out of concern it will be visible to the chain of command or affect a service member’s career. Civilian resources — VOAWW, Everett Gospel Mission, 211, Snohomish County Veterans Assistance, HousingHope — have no connection to the military reporting chain. Accessing them is confidential. The FFSC also operates under client confidentiality rules and does not report to command except in specific safety situations. If you are unsure, ask the FFSC intake counselor about their confidentiality policy before sharing information.

    Frequently Asked Questions for Navy Families at NAVSTA Everett

    Can a Navy spouse access the VOAWW Pallet Shelter if her service member is deployed?

    Yes. The shelter serves women with children experiencing homelessness regardless of military status. Deployment status of a spouse does not affect eligibility.

    Does accessing civilian housing resources affect a service member’s security clearance?

    Accessing civilian homelessness resources is not a reportable event for security clearance purposes. Consult with a JAG officer or legal assistance attorney if you have specific clearance concerns.

    How long can a family stay at the VOAWW Pallet Shelter?

    Up to 12 months, with wraparound services from VOAWW. This is a transitional shelter, not emergency overnight housing.

    What if the shelter doesn’t have availability?

    Contact 211 (dial 2-1-1) for real-time referrals to other available resources in Snohomish County. The FFSC can also assist with emergency housing referrals.

    Does the Snohomish County Veterans Assistance Program serve active-duty families?

    The program primarily serves veterans. Active-duty family members in crisis should start with FFSC, which can facilitate access to emergency funds and make civilian resource referrals.

    Is the FFSC confidential?

    The FFSC operates under client confidentiality rules and does not report to command except in specific safety situations. Ask the intake counselor directly about their confidentiality policy.

  • Everett’s VOAWW Pallet Shelter for Mothers and Children: The Complete 2026 Guide to the Sievers-Duecy Village, Who It Serves, and How to Access It

    Everett’s VOAWW Pallet Shelter for Mothers and Children: The Complete 2026 Guide to the Sievers-Duecy Village, Who It Serves, and How to Access It

    Quick facts: On April 27, 2026, the City of Everett and Volunteers of America Western Washington (VOAWW) opened a 20-unit Pallet Shelter Village for women experiencing homelessness with their children, on city-owned land off Sievers-Duecy Boulevard in west Everett. Each unit houses one mother and up to three children. Residents can stay up to 12 months with wraparound recovery and job support. Funding: City of Everett ARPA dollars plus a $250,000 match from Snohomish County. Total capital and grant operational expenses: $2.7 million. This is Everett’s third Pallet shelter project and the first built specifically for families with children.

    On April 27, 2026, a ribbon was cut on a piece of city-owned land off Sievers-Duecy Boulevard in west Everett, and 20 addresses came into existence. Not mailing addresses. Living addresses — places where a mother and her children now have a lockable door, a bed, a community kitchen a short walk away, and up to 12 months to work on what comes next.

    This is VOAWW’s third Pallet shelter project in Everett. It is the first one built specifically for women and their children. Here is what is on site, how a family qualifies, who paid for it, and what this means for Everett’s broader effort to address homelessness among the most vulnerable households in Snohomish County.

    What Is On Site at Sievers-Duecy

    Twenty Pallet structures are installed on the enclosed, managed site. Each unit is a modular shelter built by Pallet Shelter, the Everett-based company whose structures have been deployed in more than 70 cities. Each unit is designed for one mother and up to three children — a sleeping space with climate control, secure storage, and a lockable door. The lock matters more than it might seem: most emergency shelter beds available to families in Snohomish County prior to this opening were in congregate settings with no private door.

    • Detached restrooms and a separate shower facility — enclosed, year-round
    • A community kitchen and gathering space — hard-walled, where residents can cook and meet with case workers
    • A playground — the feature that signals most clearly who this village is for

    The site is enclosed and access-controlled. VOAWW manages the site and provides on-site services.

    Who It Serves and How Long Residents Can Stay

    The shelter is for women and their children. Residents can stay up to 12 months — transitional, not emergency. The distinction matters: emergency shelter is measured in days or weeks. Transitional shelter at 12 months gives VOAWW’s case managers enough time to work with a family on housing search, employment, recovery support, and the practical paperwork that reconnects people to stable housing.

    VOAWW provides wraparound services including recovery assistance and job support. Their 2026 service footprint includes more than 315,000 service requests annually across their full program portfolio. Referrals go through VOAWW directly or through the 211 system. For a broader look at VOAWW’s full Everett service map, see Where to Get Help in Everett in 2026.

    Who Paid For It

    Funded through City of Everett American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) dollars, with a $250,000 match from Snohomish County. Total capital and grant operational expenses as of end of 2025: $2.7 million. The city provided the land — city-owned property off Sievers-Duecy Boulevard. The ribbon cutting was attended by Everett City Council President Don Schwab, VOAWW Executive Director of Housing Services Galina Volchkova, VOAWW CEO Brian Smith, and Everett Mayor Cassie Franklin.

    Everett’s Third Pallet Shelter: The Full Picture

    Everett has now opened three Pallet shelter projects. The Sievers-Duecy village is the first built specifically for women and children. The Pallet company itself is an Everett story: founded here, with structures deployed in more than 70 cities nationally. The Pallet model — modular structures, enclosed sites, transitional time frames, wraparound services — has become a consistent component of Everett’s homelessness response strategy.

    The Sievers-Duecy location matters geographically. West Everett — the corridor around Casino Road, Sievers-Duecy Boulevard, and the neighborhoods running toward Merrill Creek — has a significant concentration of low-income households and historically has had the highest demand for human services access in the city.

    What This Means for Snohomish County’s Homelessness Response

    Single mothers with children are among the most difficult households to serve in the existing shelter system. Congregate shelters frequently can’t accommodate families. Hotel diversion programs are expensive. Rapid rehousing requires affordable rental vacancy — which Snohomish County’s market, with its $750,000 April 2026 median and tight supply, frequently doesn’t offer. A 20-unit transitional village gives 20 families a stable enough platform to work on the next step.

    For the broader network, the $30 million Everett Gospel Mission expansion underway adds 172 additional shelter beds. For NAVSTA Everett military families who may need these resources, see the Navy family housing resource guide. Also see the complete Everett Gospel Mission guide.

    Frequently Asked Questions

    Where is the VOAWW Pallet Shelter in Everett?

    On city-owned land off Sievers-Duecy Boulevard in west Everett. The site opened April 27, 2026.

    Who is eligible for the VOAWW Pallet Shelter?

    Women experiencing homelessness with their children. Each unit accommodates one mother and up to three children.

    How long can families stay?

    Up to 12 months, in a transitional model with wraparound recovery and employment support provided by VOAWW.

    How do families get referred to the shelter?

    Through VOAWW directly (voaww.org) or through the 211 system — dial 2-1-1 or text your zip code to 898-211.

    How was the shelter funded?

    City of Everett ARPA dollars plus a $250,000 match from Snohomish County, on city-owned land. Total capital and grant operational expenses: $2.7 million as of end of 2025.

    What is the Pallet Shelter company?

    An Everett-based company that manufactures modular shelter units deployed in more than 70 cities nationwide. The Sievers-Duecy units were built by Pallet Shelter and installed on the city-owned site.

    Is this Everett’s only shelter for families with children?

    It is the first Pallet shelter village in Everett built specifically for mothers and children. Other resources for families in Snohomish County include Everett Gospel Mission, Cocoon House (youth), and 211 for referrals to all available resources.

  • Everett Resident’s Guide to the August 4 EMS Levy: What Initiative 747 Means for Your Property Tax Bill, Your Fire Department, and Your Vote

    Everett Resident’s Guide to the August 4 EMS Levy: What Initiative 747 Means for Your Property Tax Bill, Your Fire Department, and Your Vote

    The bottom line for Everett residents: The EMS levy lid lift on the August 4, 2026 primary ballot would raise your EMS property tax rate from approximately $0.36 to $0.50 per $1,000 of assessed value — about $80 per year, or $6.67 per month, for a $500,000 home. If it passes, it funds approximately 78 firefighter-paramedic positions at Everett Fire. If it fails, the levy rate stays where it is and the funding gap for EMS services widens further. The reason this is on the ballot is a 2001 state law called Initiative 747, which caps how much property tax revenue cities can collect per year at 1% growth.

    You are going to get a Voters’ Pamphlet in mid-July. It will include a measure for the August 4, 2026 primary asking you to approve a levy lid lift for Emergency Medical Services. Here is everything you need to make that decision — including the part most explanations skip, which is why this keeps ending up on your ballot. For the full structural explanation of Initiative 747, see the complete Initiative 747 guide.

    What You’re Actually Being Asked

    You are being asked to restore the EMS property tax levy rate — not raise it above what was originally voter-approved, but restore it to that level. The rate has drifted down from the original voter-approved figure over the past 25 years because of a state law (Initiative 747, RCW 84.55.010) that limits how much cities can collect. The lid lift would bring the rate back from approximately $0.36 per $1,000 of assessed value to $0.50 per $1,000.

    In dollars: for a home assessed at $500,000, the difference is about $70 per year. For a home at $750,000 (near the current Snohomish County median), it is about $105 per year. To calculate your exact increase: multiply your assessed value by $0.00014. Find your assessed value at snohomishcountywa.gov.

    What the Money Funds

    EMS levy funds go specifically to Everett Fire Department’s emergency medical services operations — the firefighter-paramedics who respond when you call 911 for a medical emergency. According to the City of Everett, the lid lift funds approximately 78 firefighter-paramedic positions. EMS calls make up the majority of Everett Fire’s call volume. Unlike fire suppression, which can be partially handled by mutual aid agreements, medical calls require local personnel on scene fast.

    Why This Is on the Ballot: Initiative 747

    Initiative 747, approved by Washington voters in 2001, limits how much property tax revenue any local government can collect from existing properties each year to 1% growth. EMS costs — paramedic wages, pension contributions, ambulance equipment, fuel — grow at 3% to 7% per year. The 1% limit does not keep up. Over 25 years, the gap has grown large enough that a lid lift is needed to restore the funding relationship voters originally approved. This is why you have also seen library levies and fire service questions — same mechanism, same law, different service. For the current Snohomish County fiscal context, see the Everett $14 Million Budget Deficit Guide.

    If You Vote Yes

    The EMS levy rate restores to $0.50 per $1,000 of assessed value. Approximately 78 firefighter-paramedic positions are funded at Everett Fire. Your annual property tax bill increases by the difference between $0.50 and your current EMS levy rate, multiplied by your assessed value divided by 1,000.

    If You Vote No

    The rate stays at approximately $0.36 per $1,000. The funding gap between EMS levy revenue and EMS costs continues to grow. The City would need to address that gap through general fund allocations, service reductions, or a future ballot measure.

    Key Dates

    • Mid-July 2026: Voters’ Pamphlet mails to all Snohomish County households
    • August 4, 2026: Primary election ballot due (Washington is a mail-in state; ballots arrive approximately 18 days early)

    Frequently Asked Questions for Everett Residents

    How much will my property taxes go up if the EMS levy passes?

    Approximately $80 per year for a home assessed at $500,000. Multiply your assessed value by $0.00014 to get your specific annual increase.

    Is this a new tax or a restoration of an existing one?

    A restoration. Voters approved the original EMS levy rate. Initiative 747’s 1% cap caused the rate to drift down over 25 years. The lid lift restores it to the voter-approved level.

    What happens to EMS if the levy fails?

    The rate stays at approximately $0.36 per $1,000 and the gap between EMS revenue and costs continues to widen. The City would need to address the gap through general fund allocations or a future ballot measure.

    Why can’t the City Council just fund this without a vote?

    Because Initiative 747 (RCW 84.55.010) requires voter approval to raise the levy rate above the 1%-cap-adjusted level. The Council does not have the authority to lift the lid on its own.

    When does my ballot arrive?

    Approximately 18 days before August 4. Washington is a mail-in state; ballots mail automatically to all registered voters at their registered address.

    How do I find my home’s assessed value?

    At the Snohomish County Assessor portal, accessible through snohomishcountywa.gov.

  • Initiative 747 and Everett’s EMS Levy: The Complete Guide to Why Washington’s 1% Property Tax Cap Keeps Sending Services to the Ballot

    Initiative 747 and Everett’s EMS Levy: The Complete Guide to Why Washington’s 1% Property Tax Cap Keeps Sending Services to the Ballot

    Why does Everett keep putting things on the ballot? Because of Initiative 747, a 2001 Washington voter initiative (RCW 84.55.010) that caps how much property tax revenue any local government can collect from existing properties each year — at 1%. Since fire, EMS, library, and city services cost more than 1% extra each year, the gap between what the levy produces and what services cost grows continuously. When the gap becomes large enough, cities and districts ask voters to restore the original rate in a “lid lift” election. Everett’s EMS lid lift on the August 4, 2026 primary ballot is the third such vote for emergency services since the original EMS levy passed in 2000.

    If you live in Everett, you have noticed something: the city keeps asking you to vote on funding for services that already exist. The EMS levy on the August 4, 2026 ballot is the latest. Before it was a library question. Before that, fire services. The question most residents ask is: why does this keep happening? Why can’t the City Council just fund these services without going back to voters?

    The answer is one law: Initiative 747. Understanding it takes about ten minutes, and once you understand it, every levy on every Everett ballot for the rest of your life will make immediate sense.

    The 1% Problem

    In November 2001, Washington voters approved Initiative 747 by a wide margin. The law is codified at RCW 84.55.010. Its core rule: cities, counties, fire districts, library districts, and other taxing districts may not increase the amount they collect from existing properties by more than 1% per year without going back to the voters for approval.

    That seems reasonable until you look at what cities actually spend money on. The Everett Fire Department’s biggest costs are firefighter wages, paramedic salaries, pension contributions, health insurance, fuel, and ambulance equipment. Those costs do not grow at 1% per year. They grow at 3% to 7% per year, sometimes more. The arithmetic is relentless. If your revenue is capped at 1% growth and your costs grow at 4%, after ten years you have a 30-point gap. After 25 years — which is roughly how long Everett’s original 2000 EMS levy has been in place — the gap is enormous.

    The EMS levy rate has dropped from the original voter-approved rate to approximately $0.36 per $1,000 of assessed value today. The lid lift on August 4 asks voters to restore it to $0.50 per $1,000. For the average Everett homeowner, that is roughly $80 per year. That restoration funds approximately 78 firefighter-paramedic positions at the Everett Fire Department. For more on what this means for your specific tax bill, see the Everett Resident’s Guide to the August 4 EMS Levy.

    A Brief History of I-747

    Initiative 747 emerged from a sequence of Washington property tax limitation measures. In 1971, the legislature set the regular levy cap at 6% or inflation. In November 1999, Initiative 695 changed the levy limit. In November 2000, Initiative 722 rolled back some levy increases. Then in November 2001 came I-747, which set the 1% cap that has governed Washington property taxes ever since.

    In 2007, the Washington Supreme Court ruled I-747 unconstitutional on technical grounds (Washington Citizens Action of Washington v. State). But the legislature reinstated the 1% cap in a special session within weeks of the ruling. It has been in state code ever since. Most recently, Senate Bill 5770 in the 2025 session would have raised the cap to 3%, but it did not pass. The 1% cap appears stable for the foreseeable future.

    How the Lid Lift Actually Works

    When a taxing district wants to raise its levy rate above the 1%-cap level, it must ask voters to approve a “levy lid lift” under RCW 84.55.050. A lid lift can be temporary or permanent. Here’s the specific mechanism: each year, a district’s maximum levy is the higher of (a) the prior year’s actual levy plus 1%, or (b) the “highest lawful levy” — the highest rate the district was ever authorized to collect. A lid lift restores it from the current depressed rate back up to the voter-approved rate.

    Two important nuances: First, the 1% cap is on revenue from existing properties, not on individual tax bills — your bill can rise faster than 1% if your assessed value increases faster than the average. Second, new construction is excluded from the 1% limit, which means growing cities collect more from new buildings without a vote. In a built-out city like Everett where most development is infill and renovation, the new-construction exception doesn’t close the gap by much.

    The August 4, 2026 Vote

    The measure on the August 4, 2026 primary ballot would restore the EMS levy rate from approximately $0.36 per $1,000 of assessed value to $0.50 per $1,000. For a home assessed at $500,000, that is about $80 additional per year — roughly $6.67 per month. The Voters’ Pamphlet goes to Snohomish County mailboxes in mid-July. For the electoral context alongside other August 4 races, see the Snohomish County 2026 Primary Voter Guide.

    Why This Will Keep Happening

    Even if voters approve the August 4 lid lift, they are not solving the underlying structural problem — they are resetting the clock. The new $0.50 rate will begin eroding again at 1% per year while costs continue to grow at 3-7%. In another 15 to 25 years, the gap will be large enough to require another lid lift vote. That is not a criticism of the levy or the city. It is simply what Initiative 747 produces: a permanent structural gap between revenue growth and cost growth for every taxing district in Washington.

    Frequently Asked Questions

    What is Initiative 747 and what does it do?

    A 2001 Washington voter initiative (RCW 84.55.010) that caps how much property tax revenue local governments can collect from existing properties at 1% growth per year without voter approval.

    Why does Everett keep putting levies on the ballot?

    Because service costs grow faster than 1% per year, so the gap between what the levy produces and what services cost expands continuously. When it becomes large enough, the city asks voters to restore the rate in a lid lift election.

    What is a levy lid lift?

    A voter-approved measure that restores a taxing district’s levy rate from the I-747-reduced level back to the voter-authorized maximum. It does not raise taxes above what voters originally approved; it restores them to that level.

    What does the August 4, 2026 EMS lid lift specifically do?

    Restores Everett’s EMS levy rate from approximately $0.36 to $0.50 per $1,000 of assessed value — about $80 per year for a typical Everett homeowner — and funds approximately 78 firefighter-paramedic positions at the Everett Fire Department.

    Was Initiative 747 ever overturned?

    The Washington Supreme Court ruled it unconstitutional on procedural grounds in 2007, but the legislature reinstated the 1% cap in a special session that same year. It has been in state code ever since.

    Will the EMS levy raise my property taxes permanently?

    A lid lift restores the voter-approved rate and holds it there. Under I-747, the restored rate will then be subject to the 1% growth cap going forward — meaning it will begin to erode again over time.

    Where can I read the Voters’ Pamphlet?

    Via the Snohomish County Auditor at snohomishcountywa.gov/190/Elections and the City of Everett at everettwa.gov. The pamphlet mails to all Snohomish County households in mid-July 2026.

  • The Review That Saw Everything

    The weekly review was accurate.

    Every item was named. Every delay was measured. The overdue tasks had their age printed next to them in days. The blocked projects were listed as blocked, with the reason stated plainly, and the site that had not been touched in three weeks was noted with the words pipeline check beside it, indicating that someone should look into why the pipeline had stopped.

    Then the review was filed and the week continued.

    There is a failure mode that arrives after you fix the pheromone problem. The pheromone problem—the chemical sense of progress produced by a busy interface—is the failure of misreading the signal. Once you solve it, the dashboard starts reporting honestly. The green items are green. The overdue items say overdue. The detection layer is doing its job.

    What appears next is harder to name, because it looks like progress.

    The operator reads the honest report. Notes the gap. Writes it into the summary: three days overdue, four days overdue, five. Files the review in the appropriate database, timestamped, searchable, linked to the relevant action items. Does this again the following Friday. Notes that the overdue count has grown. Files that review too.

    At some point—and this point is specific, not gradual—the item stops being late and becomes a fixture of the review.

    I wrote about the hour after the briefing: the gap between detection and action. The argument there was that detection had become cheap and action against the awkward thing had not. The bottleneck moved without anyone announcing the move.

    This is not that. This is one move further in.

    The hour-after-the-briefing problem assumes the briefing surfaces something the operator has not yet decided about. The failure mode I am describing now surfaces after the operator has decided—the item is acknowledged, flagged, measured, noted across multiple consecutive reviews—and still does not move. The operator is not failing to notice. The operator is noticing, recording the notice, and then closing the document.

    The distinction matters because the solutions are different. For the detection gap, you improve the surface. For the will gap, improving the surface makes things worse: a more precise report of what you are not doing is not a solution to not doing it.

    Here is the structural thing that happens when an item survives several reviews unchanged:

    It acquires a kind of tenure.

    The review that notes something overdue for the first time is a flag. The review that notes it for the third time is an implicit argument that the item belongs in the review—that overdue-for-three-weeks is a status, not a state of exception. By the fifth review, the item has been incorporated into the architecture of the workspace. Removing it would require acknowledging that it has been sitting there for five weeks, which is harder than noting it again.

    The review becomes a container for items it cannot release.

    This is different from the composting problem, which I wrote about recently—the failure to release captured work that no longer belongs in the pile. Composting is about items that have gone cold: the ambition that calcified, the opportunity that closed, the project whose premise aged out. The failure mode I am describing is warmer. These items are not dead. They are overdue. The operator knows what the first move is. The system has named it. The briefing has printed it in something like red for weeks.

    What the item needs is not release. It needs contact.

    The honest review is, in one sense, doing its job. It is accurately representing the state of affairs. But there is a second job a review is supposed to do that rarely gets named: it is supposed to be the kind of document that its author cannot comfortably read without changing their behavior.

    A review that can be read, filed, and forgotten has failed at the second job regardless of its accuracy.

    This is not a problem the review can solve by getting more accurate. The review is already accurate. The problem is that accuracy without friction is comfortable. A perfectly precise description of what you are not doing is surprisingly easy to live with, especially when it is filed in a system that makes you feel like you are managing the situation by the act of filing it.

    The filing is a pheromone. Not the dashboard this time—the review itself.

    There is a question I keep circling: does a system that surfaces everything, correctly, without consequence, eventually train the operator that surfacing is the whole loop?

    The briefing runs. The anomaly is noted. The note is logged. This happened. The system can prove it happened. The operator can point to the log. In any accountability conversation, the evidence is there: the item was seen, named, tracked across five consecutive reviews.

    And yet.

    What gets trained, slowly, is a tolerance for the gap between naming and acting. Not a conscious tolerance—an ambient one. The gap becomes part of how the workspace feels. Items accumulate in the overdue column the way email accumulates past a certain count: you know it is there, you are not unaware, you have simply made a separate peace with that fact.

    The peace is not neutral. It has a cost that only becomes visible when you try to close it.

    I am not going to pretend the solution is urgency. Urgency does not last and it does not scale, and a system that requires the operator to feel urgent about every overdue item is a system that requires the operator to be in a constant low-grade emergency, which is its own kind of failure.

    The more honest observation is this: a review that sees everything and changes nothing has answered the wrong question. The question it answered was what is true? The question it was supposed to answer was what is next, specifically, and who goes first?

    Those are different questions. The first produces a document. The second produces a date.

    Not a goal. Not a priority. A date—a specific one, on a calendar, before which the overdue item either moves or gets explicitly released from the review. A date that has a consequence when it passes, not just a note that it passed.

    The review that sees everything is a necessary thing. It is not a sufficient one. Between the seeing and the moving is a gap the review cannot close from inside itself. That gap is where the operator still has to be: not reading the document, but deciding, before closing it, what they are willing to say out loud is not going to happen—and whether they can write that down too.

    There is a category of items that should never survive three consecutive reviews unchanged. Not because three reviews is the magic number, but because by the third review the item has stopped being a task and started being a statement about what the operator actually believes is possible.

    Sometimes that statement is worth making. Sometimes the right move is to write: this is here because I am not ready to do it and I am not ready to release it and I am naming that rather than noting it overdue again.

    That is a different kind of accuracy—harder than the dashboard, more useful than the log, and the thing the review keeps failing to ask for.

  • For Everett Developers and Business Owners: What PUD’s Everett-Delta Transmission Line Means for Your Project’s Electrical Service

    For Everett Developers and Business Owners: What PUD’s Everett-Delta Transmission Line Means for Your Project’s Electrical Service

    The short version for developers: Snohomish County PUD’s new Everett-Delta 115-kV transmission line — 3.5 miles, connecting the Everett Substation to the Delta Switching Station near SR 529 / Marine View Drive — goes in service summer 2027. It adds the upstream transmission capacity PUD needs to connect the wave of new waterfront, downtown, and north-Everett developments at full load. If your building opens before summer 2027, confirm your electrical service agreement and any interim capacity arrangements with PUD now. If your opening is fall 2027 or later, you are in the planned capacity window.

    If you are developing, building out, or opening a business in Everett’s waterfront, downtown, or north-end corridor in 2026 or 2027, there is one piece of infrastructure that affects your electrical service capacity, your connection timeline, and your ability to run the systems your tenants and customers will expect. It is not a building permit. It is a power line.

    Snohomish County PUD’s new Everett-Delta 115-kilovolt transmission line is the upstream electrical capacity that the Millwright District, the downtown stadium, the Mosaic Apartments, and every other project in the corridor runs on. PUD held public open houses on May 7, 2026. Here is the business-owner and developer version of what you need to know. For the full project overview, see the complete Everett-Delta transmission line guide.

    The Capacity Problem the Line Solves

    Every large building in the waterfront corridor pulls electrical load. A 300-unit multifamily building with heat pumps, EV charging infrastructure, and commercial amenity spaces runs approximately 1 to 1.5 megawatts of peak demand. A restaurant with commercial kitchen equipment adds another 100 to 300 kilowatts per tenant. Stack the Millwright District Phase 2, Mosaic Apartments, the downtown stadium, and the Sage Investment Group conversion on top of projects already open at Waterfront Place — and you have a concentration of new load the existing north Everett transmission system was not designed to absorb.

    PUD’s language for why the line is being built is precise: “increasing electrical demand in the northern regions of the service territory” and “prevent the electric system from experiencing low voltage should local power be interrupted.” For a developer or building owner, that translates to: the existing infrastructure is operating with reduced headroom, and this line restores it.

    What Goes In Service and When

    The line connects PUD’s Everett Substation (west of I-5, between McDougall and Smith avenues) to the Delta Switching Station near SR 529 and West Marine View Drive. Construction is targeted to begin spring 2027. The line is planned to be in service by summer 2027, approximately six months of construction.

    The Practical Timeline Issue for Your Project

    If your building or commercial space is targeting an opening in 2026 or early 2027, you are opening before the Everett-Delta line is in service. For large-load projects — multifamily, high-load commercial anchors, destination restaurants with significant kitchen/HVAC load — confirm directly with PUD whether your project falls within the pre-line capacity envelope or whether there are interim arrangements needed.

    If your project is targeting a fall 2027 opening or later, you are timing well. PUD will have the upstream capacity in place and your service connection request goes into a queue that includes the new transmission headroom the Everett-Delta line creates.

    The Reliability Dimension

    Beyond raw capacity, the Everett-Delta line adds N-1 redundancy to the north Everett corridor. Once in service, PUD can reroute power around a failed line segment, maintaining voltage and continuity. For a restaurant, hotel, or high-density residential building where a power outage is a direct revenue and habitability event, this is a meaningful change in risk profile.

    The New Substation Implication

    PUD’s project documentation states the Everett-Delta line will “support at least one new substation in the Everett area” tied to the city’s 2044 Comprehensive Plan. The substation location has not been publicly announced. Developers planning projects in the 2028–2032 window should monitor PUD’s system improvements page for updates — the new substation’s location will directly affect which parts of the corridor have the most available service capacity after the line goes in. For the broader economic context, see the April 2026 Snohomish County market report.

    How to Stay Current

    PUD maintains a project page at snopud.com under System Improvements. For project-specific electrical service questions, PUD’s business services team handles large-load connection requests.

    Frequently Asked Questions for Developers and Business Owners

    Does the Everett-Delta line affect my electrical service connection timeline?

    For large-load projects opening before summer 2027, yes — confirm your connection capacity with PUD. For projects opening fall 2027 or later, the line adds upstream capacity that makes connection approvals more straightforward.

    When does construction begin and when is the line in service?

    Construction begins spring 2027; in service by summer 2027, approximately six months of construction.

    What load can existing north Everett transmission support now?

    PUD has not published a specific available capacity figure. Contact PUD’s business services team for a load study or capacity assessment for your specific project.

    Will there be construction disruption near Marine View Drive?

    Some work in the corridor is expected in spring-summer 2027. PUD will provide specific construction routing details as the project advances through permitting.

    Where is the new substation PUD mentioned?

    The location has not been publicly announced. PUD’s documentation states the line will support at least one new substation tied to Everett’s 2044 Comprehensive Plan. Watch snopud.com system improvements for updates.

  • Everett-Delta 115kV Transmission Line: The Complete 2026 Guide to PUD’s Grid Backbone for Everett’s Waterfront Buildout

    Everett-Delta 115kV Transmission Line: The Complete 2026 Guide to PUD’s Grid Backbone for Everett’s Waterfront Buildout

    What is the Everett-Delta transmission line and why does it matter? It is a new 3.5-mile 115-kilovolt power line Snohomish County PUD is building to connect the Everett Substation (west of I-5 between McDougall and Smith) to the Delta Switching Station (north of the SR 529 / West Marine View Drive interchange). Construction begins spring 2027; in service by summer 2027. It is the electrical backbone that makes the entire Everett waterfront, downtown, and north-end building wave possible — the Millwright District, the downtown stadium, Mosaic Apartments, and every heat pump, EV charger, and commercial kitchen going into new buildings along the corridor all depend on this line having enough capacity.

    Most of the coverage of Everett’s development boom focuses on what’s being built: the Millwright District’s 300-plus waterfront apartments, Skotdal Real Estate’s seven-story Mosaic Apartments on Pacific Avenue, the downtown stadium breaking ground in September 2026, the Sage Investment Group converting the 9602 19th Street SE Econo Lodge into 124 studios, and the Port of Everett’s continuing Restaurant Row expansion. What rarely gets covered is what has to be true underground and overhead before any of those buildings can function at full electrical load.

    That’s what the Everett-Delta transmission line is about.

    Snohomish County PUD held two public open houses on May 7, 2026 — 4 to 5:30 p.m. and 6 to 7:30 p.m., both at PUD headquarters at 2320 California Street in Everett — to explain the project to residents. Here is what those open houses covered, and why this infrastructure decision matters for every household, business, and development project in the corridor.

    What the Line Actually Is

    The Everett-Delta project is a new 115-kilovolt transmission line, approximately 3.5 miles long, connecting two existing PUD assets at opposite ends of the city’s growth corridor. On the south end: the Everett Substation, located just west of Interstate 5 between McDougall Avenue and Smith Avenue, north of 36th Street. On the north end: the Delta Switching Station, sitting just north of the State Route 529 and West Marine View Drive interchange in north Everett.

    A 115-kV line is what the utility industry calls mid-tier transmission — not the bulk transmission highways that BPA operates at 230kV and 500kV, but the layer that connects the high-voltage backbone to the local distribution substations that actually serve neighborhoods. It’s the difference between having electricity available somewhere in the region and having it available at the right voltage, in the right quantity, at a specific address on Pacific Avenue or Marine View Drive.

    PUD’s stated reasons for building the line now: increasing electrical demand in the northern regions of the service territory; the need to keep voltage stable if local power is interrupted; delivering more electricity from south to north to ease strain on the current system during peak hours; and supporting at least one new substation in the Everett area tied to the City of Everett’s 2044 Comprehensive Plan growth projections.

    The Development Connection

    The geographic overlap between this line and the Everett development map is not a coincidence. The line runs through or adjacent to the same West Marine View Drive corridor where the $113 million Port of Everett waterfront pipeline project, the Edgewater Bridge reconstruction, and the Port’s terminal investments have all been stacking up. The Millwright District Phase 2’s 300-plus apartments are in this zone. The downtown stadium site — with a September 2026 groundbreaking target — is within the service territory of the substations this line feeds.

    Every new building in this corridor carries electrical load. A 300-unit apartment building with heat pumps, EV charging stations in the garage, and full commercial kitchen and amenity spaces runs roughly 1 to 1.5 megawatts of peak demand. A commercial development with restaurant tenants adds more. Multiply that across the Millwright District, Mosaic Apartments, the stadium, and the pipeline of projects in the Imagine Everett comprehensive plan, and the aggregate load growth is significant — exactly the kind of growth that forces a utility to invest in transmission before the buildings open, not after.

    PUD’s 2044 Comprehensive Plan projection shows Everett absorbing a significant share of Snohomish County’s population growth over the next two decades. The Everett-Delta line is the infrastructure that makes that projection electrically possible, not just politically aspirational. For more on the waterfront development pipeline this line serves, see What 15 Years and $350 Million Built: The Port of Everett Story and Everett’s Downtown Stadium in 2026: The Complete Guide.

    Timeline: When This Gets Built

    • May 7, 2026: Public open houses at PUD headquarters, 2320 California Street, Everett
    • Environmental review and permitting: Ongoing through 2026
    • Spring 2027: Construction begins
    • Summer 2027: Line in service — approximately six months of construction

    What It Means for Existing Everett Customers

    The most direct benefit for existing residential and commercial customers is grid reliability. The Everett-Delta line adds a second transmission path into the north Everett grid, which means that if the existing line fails during a storm or equipment outage, the system can reroute power without causing a widespread outage. PUD’s language — “prevent the electric system from experiencing low voltage should local power be interrupted” — is describing what engineers call N-1 contingency planning: designing the system so it continues to work even if one element fails.

    For neighborhoods in the 36th Street to Marine View Drive corridor — including Bayside, the north waterfront, and the areas near PUD headquarters — this is a direct reduction in outage risk during major weather events. Also see the broader development context in Skotdal’s Mosaic Apartments: 102 Art-Infused Homes on Pacific Avenue.

    What It Means for Businesses and Developers

    If you are developing or planning to develop in the Everett waterfront, downtown, or north-end corridor, the Everett-Delta line affects your project in two practical ways.

    First, PUD’s ability to grant electrical service connections to new large-load customers depends on transmission capacity upstream. The Everett-Delta line adds that upstream capacity. Second, the summer 2027 in-service date matters for your construction and opening timeline. Buildings opening in fall 2027 or later are in good shape. Projects with 2026 or early 2027 openings should confirm with PUD directly whether interim capacity arrangements are needed.

    PUD’s project contact information is available at snopud.com under System Improvements.

    Frequently Asked Questions

    What is the Everett-Delta 115kV transmission line?

    A new 3.5-mile power line Snohomish County PUD is building to connect the Everett Substation (near 36th Street and I-5) to the Delta Switching Station (near SR 529 and Marine View Drive). Scheduled to go in service by summer 2027.

    Why is PUD building this line now?

    To support growing electrical demand in the Everett area, prevent low-voltage conditions during local power outages, deliver more electricity from south to north during peak hours, and support at least one new substation tied to Everett’s 2044 Comprehensive Plan growth projections.

    When does construction start and when will the line be in service?

    Construction begins spring 2027. The line is targeted to be in service by summer 2027, with construction taking approximately six months.

    How does this affect the Everett waterfront development projects?

    Every new building in the waterfront and downtown corridor adds electrical load. The Everett-Delta line adds the upstream transmission capacity PUD needs to connect new developments at full load without imposing service restrictions or connection queues.

    Does this reduce the risk of power outages for existing Everett customers?

    Yes. The line adds a second transmission path into the north Everett grid, enabling rerouting around a failed line segment rather than causing widespread outage. This is N-1 contingency coverage.

    Will there be construction disruption near Marine View Drive?

    Some work in the corridor is expected in spring-summer 2027 as the line connects near SR 529 and Marine View Drive. PUD will provide specific construction routing details as the project advances through permitting.

    Where can I get more information about the project?

    Snohomish County PUD maintains a project page at snopud.com under Community & Environment → Our Energy Future → Reliability → System Improvements → Everett-Delta Transmission Line.

  • New to North Mason? The HUB in Belfair Is the Senior and Community Support Infrastructure You Should Know

    When people move to Belfair or North Mason from somewhere with a larger city infrastructure, one of the first practical questions is: where is the support system here? What happens when someone needs a senior center, a community organization, a place to borrow a wheelchair, or a volunteer who will drive your parent to a Bremerton appointment?

    The answer, for 25 years, has been The HUB Center for Seniors at 111 NE Old Belfair Highway.

    What The HUB Is — and Why It Works Differently Here

    The HUB is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit that exists specifically to support independent living for seniors and people with disabilities in North Mason. It was incorporated in 2001, ran entirely on volunteers for its first 15 years, and built its permanent home on Old Belfair Highway in 2016 after Belfair community members — including lead donors Les and Betty Krueger — raised the funds to make it happen.

    That origin story matters if you’re new here. The HUB wasn’t built by a county program or a state grant. It was built by neighbors who recognized that North Mason doesn’t have a large hospital, doesn’t have the density of senior services you’d find in Bremerton or Tacoma, and that the SR-3 corridor is a real logistical barrier for people who can no longer drive it alone. The community built the solution it needed.

    Today The HUB employs 32 people, holds $2.49 million in assets, and operates a calendar that runs six to seven days a week depending on the program.

    The Services: What You Actually Get

    For newcomers trying to understand what The HUB provides, the clearest way to think about it is in three layers:

    Neighbors Helping Neighbors is the volunteer service network — the original 2001 mission, still running. Rides to appointments, grocery help, caregiver referrals, utility bill assistance, home heating support. The program has served more than 900 people in North Mason. If you or someone you know needs this kind of support, call (360) 275-0535.

    The Medical Lending Library is free, open to anyone of any age, and requires no membership. Wheelchairs, walkers, shower chairs, crutches — you walk in during center hours and borrow what you need. If you recently moved here and have a family member recovering from surgery or managing a new mobility limitation, this is a resource most newcomers don’t know exists until they’re standing in a Bremerton medical supply store paying rental fees.

    The Center Calendar runs Monday through Thursday, 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Monday and Tuesday mornings bring free live music open to the whole community. Family BINGO falls on the first Friday of the month. Fitness, painting, writing, cooking, and health events fill the rest of the week. The Great Room and commercial kitchen can be rented for community events and private fundraisers.

    The HUB SHOP: The Thrift Store That Funds Everything

    At 111 NE Old Belfair Highway Suite A, The HUB SHOP — Sales Helping Other People — runs Monday through Saturday, 9:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. It’s a full-service thrift store where proceeds fund HUB programs. For newcomers setting up a household in North Mason on a budget, it is one of the better-stocked thrift options in the area, and every purchase directly supports a local nonprofit.

    North Mason’s Support Infrastructure: How It All Fits

    Getting oriented to North Mason means learning which institutions hold the community together. The HUB is one of the most important. Mason County’s median age is among the highest in Washington state, which means the pressure on senior and disability services here is real and growing. The HUB has been the community’s primary response to that pressure for 25 years.

    If you’re new to the area and want to understand the community you’ve moved into, walking through The HUB’s doors on a Monday morning — when the live music is playing and the coffee is on — is one of the better starting points. The full 25-year history of The HUB in Belfair is worth reading. For more on getting oriented in North Mason, the newcomer’s guide to Tahuya State Forest is another entry point into the outdoor and recreation infrastructure that defines life here.

    Frequently Asked Questions for North Mason Newcomers

    Is there a senior center in Belfair?
    Yes. The HUB Center for Seniors at 111 NE Old Belfair Highway has served North Mason since 2001. It offers social programming, a free medical lending library, volunteer services including transportation, and caregiver referrals.

    Do you have to be a senior to use The HUB?
    No. Many services, including the medical lending library and community events like live music and BINGO, are open to anyone. The Neighbors Helping Neighbors program serves adults with disabilities of any age, not just seniors.

    Where is The HUB in relation to downtown Belfair?
    It’s on Old Belfair Highway, just off SR-3, on the left side heading away from the Belfair Town Center. It’s easy to miss if you’re not looking for it — but it’s been there since 2016.

    How far is The HUB from the Belfair Town Center?
    Less than a mile. It’s on Old Belfair Highway, a short drive from the SR-3/SR-300 intersection in Belfair.

    How do I get involved with The HUB as a newcomer?
    Call (360) 275-0535 or stop in during center hours (Monday–Thursday, 10 a.m.–4 p.m.). Volunteer opportunities, program participation, and community rentals are all available. Website: hubhappenings.org.