Tag: Public Works

  • What Everett’s Critical Areas Update Means If You Own Land Near a Wetland, Stream, or Bluff: A 2026 Property Owner’s and Builder’s Guide

    What Everett’s Critical Areas Update Means If You Own Land Near a Wetland, Stream, or Bluff: A 2026 Property Owner’s and Builder’s Guide

    Featured Snippet

    **What does Everett’s 2026 Critical Areas Regulations update mean for property owners and builders?**

    If your parcel touches a wetland, stream, frequently flooded area, geologically hazardous slope/bluff, or critical aquifer recharge area, the February 13, 2026 second review draft of Chapter 19.37 changes the buffer width, mitigation sequence, and technical-study requirements you have to meet before disturbing the feature. Wetland buffer tables 37.2 and 37.3 are updated; some categories carry wider buffers than the 2007 rules. Stream classifications are revised. Geotechnical and habitat study expectations are tightened. The City Council held a public hearing on April 15, 2026 and is targeting a vote in the coming weeks.

    If you own a lot, an in-fill site, or a development parcel in Everett that touches any of the city’s critical areas, the regulations updating right now will determine what you can build, where you can put it, and how much site work it will take to get there.

    This is the property owner and builder read of Chapter 19.37’s 2026 update — the practical consequences, before the council vote.

    Step One — Find Out If Your Parcel Has a Critical Area Overlay

    Before you read the ordinance text, check your specific parcel against the city’s GIS overlays. The five categories the rules cover:

    • Wetlands — Howarth, Pigeon Creek, Forest Park edges, low-lying parcels in many corridors
    • Streams — named (Pigeon Creek, Snohomish River edge) and unnamed reaches throughout the city
    • Frequently flooded areas — the regulatory floodplain, including parts of the Snohomish River corridor
    • Geologically hazardous areas — bluff faces, landslide-prone slopes, erosion zones, seismic hazard areas
    • Critical aquifer recharge areas — zones over drinking-water aquifers

    Many parcels carry more than one overlay. A lot above the Snohomish River may sit inside a frequently flooded area at the base, a wetland in the riparian zone, and a geologic hazard area on the bluff. Each overlay applies independently. Where they conflict, the more restrictive rule prevails.

    What Changes in the Wetland Tables

    Tables 37.2 and 37.3 — the wetland buffer width tables — are updated in the February 13, 2026 draft to reflect Best Available Science. The practical translation:

    • Buffer widths shift by wetland category. A Category I wetland (highest functional value) carries a different buffer than a Category IV. The draft recalibrates several of those category-buffer pairings.
    • Some buffers widen. For affected parcels, the developable area inside the parcel boundary shrinks proportionally.
    • Mitigation may now be required where it wasn’t. A site that previously qualified for a buffer reduction or averaging may face a different review under the updated standards.

    Owners with parcels containing a wetland edge should expect the buildable footprint analysis from a 2018 site plan to be different than what the new code produces. The size of the difference depends on the wetland category, the rating, and the parcel geometry.

    What Changes for Streams

    The draft revises stream classifications and the corresponding buffer widths. For owners whose parcels front, back, or contain a stream:

    • Stream classifications can shift. Reclassification under the new draft can move a parcel from one buffer regime to another.
    • Buffer widths recalibrate. The directional change varies by stream type.
    • Wildlife habitat overlays may expand on some corridors. The Fish and Wildlife Habitat Conservation Areas designation pulls in additional protections.

    The planning commission’s February 17, 2026 hearing recorded that stream provisions were among the most-discussed elements of the draft. Owners with stream-adjacent parcels should check the specific stream’s classification under the new draft against the old code.

    What Changes for Geologic Hazard Parcels

    Buffer and setback rules for landslide-prone slopes and bluff edges are recalibrated. The Everett bluff is the most visible example, but the city has many smaller landslide-classified slopes inland.

    For owners building on or near a slope:

    • Geotechnical study expectations are updated — qualifications, scope, content
    • Setback distances may shift — both from the slope crest and from the toe
    • Erosion and seismic hazard overlays apply independently of the landslide rules

    Practical implication: any project at the design stage that relied on a 2018 geotechnical report should expect the report’s setback and stabilization assumptions to be reviewed against the new standard.

    What Changes for Mitigation Sequencing

    The draft tightens the standard sequence applicants follow when a critical area impact is unavoidable:

    1. Avoid — design the project to avoid the impact

    2. Minimize — if avoidance isn’t feasible, minimize the extent

    3. Mitigate — if minimization isn’t sufficient, mitigate the residual impact

    State law requires this sequence. The draft reinforces and clarifies how Everett applies it. The practical effect: a site plan that could previously skip directly to mitigation must now demonstrate avoidance and minimization first. That changes the documentation burden and the design iteration timeline.

    Technical Study Requirements — The New Documentation Burden

    For applicants, the most operationally consequential change is often the updated qualifications, scope, and content expectations for:

    • Wetland delineations
    • Stream studies
    • Geotechnical reports
    • Habitat assessments
    • Hydrogeological assessments (for aquifer recharge parcels)

    Practical translation: engage credentialed consultants earlier in the design process than the old rules required. Wetland delineations are field-season-dependent (most reliable late spring through early fall in Everett); geotechnical work has its own schedule; habitat assessments may require surveys in specific windows.

    For owners targeting a 2026 or 2027 permit submittal, that schedule matters more under the new rules than the old.

    What Owners Can Do Before the Council Vote

    • Pull your parcel’s overlays now from the city’s GIS map. This is free and doesn’t commit you to anything.
    • Compare the existing rules against the February 13 draft for the categories that touch your parcel. The ordinance text is the authoritative reference.
    • Engage a consultant early if you’re planning to build, add, or sell. Wetland delineations and geotechnical reports take weeks; starting before the vote gets ahead of any application backlog.
    • Submit comment to the council if you have technical objections to specific provisions. The April 15, 2026 hearing was the formal moment, but written comment continues to be accepted on the record before the vote.
    • Plan for the documentation gap. If your project plan was built against 2007-vintage rules, expect to redo at least some of the supporting studies.

    Vesting and Existing Applications — The Critical Practical Question

    Property owners with active applications often ask: which version of the rules applies to my project?

    The general principle in Washington land use law is that complete applications submitted before a code change are vested under the rules in force at the time of submittal. However:

    • “Complete application” has a specific procedural definition the city uses
    • Pre-application meetings do not create vesting
    • Material changes to a vested application may trigger review under the new rules

    For owners with applications in progress, this is the single most important question to confirm with city planning staff before the council vote.

    Frequently Asked Questions

    Q: How do I find out if my Everett parcel has a critical area overlay?

    A: Check the City of Everett’s GIS map. It shows critical area overlays on individual parcels for all five categories — wetlands, streams, frequently flooded areas, geologically hazardous areas, and critical aquifer recharge areas.

    Q: Will the Critical Areas Regulations update affect my existing house?

    A: The regulations primarily govern new development, additions, and disturbance of critical areas. Existing legally established structures are typically grandfathered, though substantial alterations or expansions trigger review.

    Q: Are wetland buffers wider under the February 13 2026 draft than under the 2007 rules?

    A: For some wetland categories, yes. The draft updates tables 37.2 and 37.3 to reflect Best Available Science, which generally produces wider buffers for higher-functional-value wetlands. Specific buffer width changes depend on the wetland category and rating.

    Q: How do the changes affect mitigation sequencing for development?

    A: The draft tightens the avoid/minimize/mitigate sequence — meaning applicants must demonstrate avoidance and minimization steps more rigorously before mitigation is approved as the resolution path.

    Q: When does the Everett City Council vote on the Critical Areas Regulations update?

    A: The council held a public hearing on April 15, 2026 and is targeting a vote in the coming weeks. The exact date will be published on the council agenda.

    Q: Can I still submit comment to the council after the April 15 hearing?

    A: Written comment is generally accepted on the record up to the moment of the vote. The published council agenda for the vote will indicate any additional public comment opportunities.

    Q: What happens to my application if I submitted before the new rules pass?

    A: The general rule under Washington land use law is that complete applications submitted before a code change are vested under the rules in force at submittal. The specific application of vesting to your project should be confirmed with Everett planning staff before the council vote.

    Q: Do I need a wetland delineation or geotechnical report before the vote?

    A: If you are planning a project on a critical-area parcel, getting credentialed studies started early is a practical hedge — both because the studies have field-season constraints and because any post-adoption application backlog can extend timelines. Whether they’re required depends on the project scope and the parcel.


  • Everett’s Critical Areas Regulations Update: A Complete 2026 Guide to Wetland Buffers, Stream Setbacks, Landslide Rules, and the Path to a Council Vote

    Everett’s Critical Areas Regulations Update: A Complete 2026 Guide to Wetland Buffers, Stream Setbacks, Landslide Rules, and the Path to a Council Vote

    Featured Snippet

    **What is Everett’s Critical Areas Regulations update and when does the council vote?**

    Everett is updating Chapter 19.37 of the Everett Municipal Code — the section that governs how close anything new can be built to a wetland, stream, frequently flooded area, geologically hazardous area (landslide-prone slopes and bluffs), or critical aquifer recharge area. The update is required by Washington’s Growth Management Act, which had a December 31, 2025 deadline. The City Council held a public hearing on April 15, 2026. The current draft (the February 13, 2026 second review draft) updates wetland buffer width tables, stream classifications, mitigation sequencing, and the technical-study requirements that property owners and developers must meet on parcels that touch any of those features. A council vote is targeted for the coming weeks.

    If you’ve ever wondered why a vacant Everett lot has stayed vacant for years even when home prices were climbing, the answer is often hidden in a single section of city code: Chapter 19.37, the Critical Areas Regulations.

    That chapter — which protects wetlands, streams, frequently flooded areas, landslide-prone slopes, and important wildlife habitat — sets the buffer widths, building setbacks, mitigation requirements, and technical-study requirements every Everett property owner has to follow before disturbing those features. It is one of the most frequently misunderstood parts of the municipal code, because it cuts across so many properties. Lots near Howarth Park, Pigeon Creek, Forest Park, the Snohomish River edge, and the city’s many ravine-cut blocks all carry critical-area overlays.

    Everett’s update of those regulations is now closer to adoption than at any point in the multi-year process. This is the complete 2026 guide.

    What the City Is Required to Do — and Why

    Critical Areas Regulations updates are not optional. Under Washington’s Growth Management Act (GMA), every city in the state has to periodically review and update its critical-area rules to incorporate Best Available Science — the current scientific consensus on what actually protects sensitive habitat.

    Everett’s last comprehensive update was in 2007. The state’s deadline for the current periodic update was December 31, 2025. The city has been working toward this update for several cycles.

    The city published a first review draft on October 31, 2025 and a second review draft on February 13, 2026. The February 13 draft is the version under active council consideration.

    The council does not have the option of leaving the rules alone. The only choice is what version to adopt and on what schedule.

    The Five Categories of Critical Areas

    The Everett Municipal Code defines five categories of critical areas:

    • Wetlands — areas saturated long enough to support hydrophytic vegetation
    • Streams and other Fish and Wildlife Habitat Conservation Areas — including riparian corridors and habitat for state-listed species
    • Frequently flooded areas — typically the regulatory floodplain
    • Geologically hazardous areas — landslide-prone slopes, erosion zones, and seismic hazard areas
    • Critical aquifer recharge areas — zones where surface activity affects groundwater used for drinking water

    Each category has its own buffer requirement and its own mitigation standard, and a single parcel can be touched by more than one. A property near a wetland on a steep slope is subject to both wetland and geologic-hazard rules, with the more restrictive prevailing.

    What’s Changing in the February 13 Draft

    The February 13 draft preserves the basic five-category framework but updates several technical components that determine how the rules apply on a given lot. Among the most consequential:

    Wetland Buffer Widths

    The draft updates Tables 37.2 and 37.3 — the wetland buffer width tables — to reflect current Best Available Science. In practice, that adjusts how many feet of undisturbed land must remain between a wetland edge and a building, fence, or hard surface.

    For some wetland categories, the draft buffers are wider than the rules currently in place. For property owners with parcels touching wetland edges, that translates into different developable area calculations than the 2007-vintage code allowed.

    Stream Buffer Standards

    The draft revises stream classifications and corresponding buffer widths. Stream buffers were one of the most-discussed elements at the planning commission’s February 17 hearing.

    Streams in Everett include named corridors (Pigeon Creek, the Snohomish River edge, smaller drainages within Forest Park and Howarth Park) and a number of unnamed reaches. The classification of a given stream determines its buffer width. Reclassification under the new draft can move a parcel from one buffer regime to another.

    Mitigation Sequencing

    The draft tightens the standard sequence applicants have to follow when an impact to a critical area is unavoidable. The standard sequence — avoid, minimize, mitigate — is the framework state law requires; the draft reinforces and clarifies how Everett applies it.

    Technical Study Requirements

    The draft updates the qualifications, scope, and content expectations for the wetland delineations, stream studies, geotechnical reports, and habitat assessments that applicants must submit. For property owners, that often means engaging credentialed consultants earlier in the design process than was practiced under the old rules.

    Geologic Hazard Areas

    Buffer and setback rules for landslide-prone slopes and bluff edges are recalibrated in the draft. The Everett bluff is the most visible example, but the city has many smaller landslide-classified slopes inland.

    The Public Process Underway

    The council has been working through the draft on a structured schedule:

    • October 31, 2025 — first review draft published
    • February 13, 2026 — second review draft published; the version now in front of the council
    • February 17, 2026 — planning commission hearing on the draft
    • April 15, 2026 — City Council public hearing on the proposed update
    • Council vote targeted in the coming weeks

    The April 15 public hearing was the formal moment for residents and developers to put their objections, support, or technical concerns into the record. The council is now working through the testimony before voting.

    Who Is Affected

    The set of properties touched by Chapter 19.37 is broader than most residents realize. Critical area overlays in Everett include:

    • Lots fronting or backing onto Pigeon Creek
    • Properties near Howarth Park’s wetland edges
    • The bluff and slope corridors in north and west Everett
    • Parcels along the Snohomish River edge, including the Bayside and Riverside corridors
    • Forest Park’s perimeter and the ravine-cut blocks adjacent to it
    • Any lot inside a geologic hazard overlay (frequently visible on the city’s GIS map)
    • Properties inside the regulatory floodplain
    • Lots inside a critical aquifer recharge area

    For homeowners doing additions, fences, or accessory dwellings, the rules apply. For developers proposing infill, the rules drive site design. For homebuyers evaluating a lot, the rules determine what the parcel actually allows.

    How Resident and Developer Concerns Tend to Diverge

    The two largest constituencies have predictably different stakes:

    • Residents near wetlands, streams, and bluffs generally support stronger buffer protections, citing flooding, slope failure, water quality, and habitat
    • Developers and property owners with affected parcels generally argue against wider buffers, citing reduced developable area and the difficulty of meeting the technical-study burden

    The April 15 hearing reflected both. The Council’s job is to adopt a version that meets the GMA’s Best Available Science requirement while balancing the city’s affordability and housing supply objectives — including the buildable land assumptions that underpin the city’s Comprehensive Plan.

    What Property Owners Can Do Before the Vote

    • Check your overlay. The city’s GIS map shows critical area overlays on individual parcels. Knowing what categories touch your property is the first step.
    • Track council agenda. The council vote will appear on a published agenda. Public comment is generally accepted up to the moment of the vote.
    • Read the February 13 draft directly. The actual ordinance text is the authoritative reference.
    • Engage a credentialed consultant if you are planning a build, addition, or sale. Wetland delineations and geotechnical reports take weeks; starting before the vote gets you ahead of any application backlog the new rules may produce.

    Frequently Asked Questions

    Q: When does the Everett City Council vote on the Critical Areas Regulations update?

    A: The council held a public hearing on April 15, 2026 and is targeting a vote in the coming weeks. The exact date will be posted on the published council agenda.

    Q: What is Chapter 19.37 of the Everett Municipal Code?

    A: Chapter 19.37 is Everett’s Critical Areas Regulations — the section governing development near wetlands, streams, frequently flooded areas, geologically hazardous areas (landslide-prone slopes), and critical aquifer recharge areas.

    Q: When was Everett’s last Critical Areas Regulations update?

    A: 2007. The current update is the periodic state-required refresh under Washington’s Growth Management Act. The state deadline was December 31, 2025.

    Q: What categories of critical areas does Everett regulate?

    A: Five: wetlands; streams and Fish and Wildlife Habitat Conservation Areas; frequently flooded areas; geologically hazardous areas (landslide, erosion, seismic); and critical aquifer recharge areas.

    Q: What is changing in the February 13, 2026 draft?

    A: The most consequential changes are updated wetland buffer width tables (37.2 and 37.3), revised stream classifications and buffer standards, tightened mitigation sequencing, updated technical-study requirements, and recalibrated buffer and setback rules for landslide-prone slopes and bluff edges.

    Q: Does the update apply to existing buildings?

    A: The Critical Areas Regulations primarily govern new development, additions, and disturbance of critical areas. Existing legally established structures are typically grandfathered, though substantial alterations or expansions trigger review.

    Q: Where can I read the actual draft ordinance?

    A: The City of Everett’s planning portal publishes the February 13, 2026 second review draft. The ordinance text and supporting maps are the authoritative reference.

    Q: What is “Best Available Science” in the context of this update?

    A: A standard required by Washington’s Growth Management Act. Cities must consider current peer-reviewed scientific consensus on habitat protection, water quality, flooding, and slope stability when adopting critical-area rules. The February 13 draft is Everett’s attempt to incorporate that standard for the first time since 2007.


  • Everett’s Wetland and Stream Rules Are About to Change: What the Critical Areas Update Means for Anyone Building, Buying, or Living Near Water

    Everett’s Wetland and Stream Rules Are About to Change: What the Critical Areas Update Means for Anyone Building, Buying, or Living Near Water

    What is this? Everett is in the middle of updating its Critical Areas Regulations — the section of the Everett Municipal Code that governs how close anything new can be built to a wetland, a stream, a steep landslide-prone slope, or a designated wildlife habitat. The City Council held a public hearing on the proposed update on April 15, 2026 and is moving toward a vote in the coming weeks. The new rules adjust buffer widths, mitigation requirements, and the technical standards developers must meet on parcels that touch any of those features. If you own land, are looking to buy, or live near Forest Park, the Snohomish River corridor, Howarth, Pigeon Creek, or the city’s bluff edges, the update affects what can — and cannot — be built around you.

    If you have ever wondered why a vacant Everett lot has stayed vacant for years even when home prices were climbing, the answer is often hidden in a single section of city code: Chapter 19.37, the Critical Areas Regulations.

    That chapter — which protects wetlands, streams, frequently flooded areas, landslide-prone slopes, and important wildlife habitat — sets the buffer widths, building setbacks, mitigation requirements, and technical-study requirements every Everett property owner has to follow before disturbing those features. It is also one of the most frequently misunderstood parts of the municipal code, because it cuts across so many properties. Lots near Howarth Park, Pigeon Creek, Forest Park, the Snohomish River edge, and the city’s many ravine-cut blocks all carry critical-area overlays.

    This week, Everett’s update of those regulations is closer to adoption than it has been at any point in the multi-year process. Here’s what’s actually in front of the council, what would change for residents and developers, and where the city is in the timeline.

    What the City Is Required to Do

    Critical Areas Regulations updates are not optional. Under Washington’s Growth Management Act, every city in the state has to periodically review and update its critical-area rules to incorporate Best Available Science — the current scientific consensus on what actually protects sensitive habitat.

    Everett’s last comprehensive update was in 2007. The state’s deadline for the current periodic update was December 31, 2025, which the city has been working toward for several cycles. The city published a first review draft on October 31, 2025 and a second review draft on February 13, 2026, the latter of which is the version under active council consideration.

    In other words: the council does not have the option of leaving the rules alone. The only choice is what version to adopt and on what schedule.

    What Critical Areas Are Covered

    The Everett Municipal Code defines five categories of critical areas:

    • Wetlands — areas saturated long enough to support hydrophytic vegetation
    • Streams and other Fish and Wildlife Habitat Conservation Areas — including riparian corridors and habitat for state-listed species
    • Frequently flooded areas — typically the regulatory floodplain
    • Geologically hazardous areas — landslide-prone slopes, erosion zones, and seismic hazard areas
    • Critical aquifer recharge areas — zones where surface activity affects groundwater used for drinking water

    Each category has its own buffer requirement and its own mitigation standard, and a single parcel can be touched by more than one. A property near a wetland on a steep slope is subject to both wetland and geologic-hazard rules, with the more restrictive prevailing.

    What’s Changing in the February 13 Draft

    The February 13 draft preserves the basic five-category framework but updates several technical components that determine how the rules apply on a given lot. Among the most consequential:

    • Wetland buffer widths. The draft updates Tables 37.2 and 37.3 — the wetland buffer width tables — to reflect current Best Available Science. In practice, that adjusts how many feet of undisturbed land must remain between a wetland edge and a building, fence, or hard surface. For some wetland categories, the draft buffers are wider than the rules currently in place.
    • Stream buffer standards. The draft revises stream classifications and the corresponding buffer widths. Stream buffers were one of the most-discussed elements at the planning commission’s February 17 hearing.
    • Mitigation sequencing. The draft tightens the standard sequence applicants have to follow when an impact to a critical area is unavoidable: first avoid, then minimize, then compensate, in that order.
    • No-net-loss standard. The draft preserves the existing short-term goal of no net loss of critical-area functions and values, and adds a long-term goal of a net gain.

    The city’s posted public document — Everett Critical Area Regulations Periodic Update REVIEW DRAFT February 13 2026 — runs to several hundred pages. Comments and responses through April 1, 2026 are also published on the city’s website.

    What Stakeholders Have Said

    The hearings and comment record show a familiar split on critical-area rules.

    • The Port of Everett submitted comments dated January 8, 2026 raising concerns about how the proposed buffers and mitigation requirements would interact with redevelopment of port-owned waterfront parcels.
    • The Master Builders Association of King and Snohomish Counties (MBAKS) submitted comments at the January 28 planning commission meeting raising concerns about the cost and feasibility implications of wider buffers on infill parcels.
    • The Washington State Department of Fish and Wildlife submitted comments dated March 2, 2026 supporting science-based buffers and asking for additional protections for habitat-conservation areas.

    Each set of comments is published on the city’s website at everettwa.gov. The council saw all of them before the April 15 public hearing.

    What Happens Next

    The procedural path runs roughly like this:

    1. Planning commission recommendation — issued February 17, 2026
    2. Council briefings and discussions — held in March and April 2026
    3. Council public hearing — held April 15, 2026
    4. Council action on an ordinance — anticipated in the weeks following the public hearing

    The exact council vote date has not been finalized as of this article, but the city’s project documents indicate the council expects to act in the spring of 2026.

    Once adopted, the new ordinance applies to any new permit application after the effective date. Pending applications already in the pipeline are typically processed under the rules in place when they were filed (a “vested rights” question that applicants and city staff handle on a case-by-case basis).

    Why This Matters for Regular Residents

    The Critical Areas Regulations update is not the kind of city-hall story that lights up social media. It does not have a dollar figure attached, and the most consequential changes are technical adjustments in tables of buffer widths.

    But for an Everett resident, the practical reach is broad:

    • If you own a vacant or underbuilt lot anywhere near a wetland, stream, slope edge, or known habitat area, the buffer and mitigation rules in the new ordinance will determine what you can do with it.
    • If you live in a neighborhood with sensitive features — Pigeon Creek, the Snohomish River edge, the bluff that drops off Bayside, the wooded ravines that run between Forest Park and the south end — the rules determine what your neighbors can build.
    • If you are watching environmental quality on the Snohomish River and Port Gardner Bay, buffer standards on contributing streams are one of the few city-level levers that materially affect what runs into the bay over time.

    This is also one of the few regulatory updates Everett does where the technical content matters far more than the political framing. The buffers either reflect current science or they don’t. The mitigation sequence is either tight or it isn’t. Two parcels with identical zoning can have very different development potential depending on what the critical-areas overlay says.

    What to Do Next

    If you want to engage:

    • Read the documents. The City of Everett’s 2025 Critical Area Ordinance Update page hosts the February 13 review draft, the comment-and-response document, and all stakeholder letters at everettwa.gov/3354/2025-Critical-Area-Ordinance-Update.
    • Email comments to staff. The city has accepted written comments at cao@everettwa.gov.
    • Attend a council meeting. The City Council meets at 3002 Wetmore Avenue. Regular meetings are at 6:30 p.m. on most Wednesdays; fourth Wednesdays start at 12:30 p.m. Agendas are posted at everettwa.gov/AgendaCenter. The council’s next action on the critical-areas ordinance will be on a regular meeting agenda.
    • Check your parcel. If you own land in Everett and want to know whether a critical-area overlay touches your parcel, the city’s GIS map and the Permit Center can both tell you. The Permit Center is at City Hall, 2930 Wetmore Avenue.

    Frequently Asked Questions

    Will my house become non-conforming if the rules change?
    For an existing legally permitted structure, no. Critical-areas rules apply to new development and to expansions of existing development. An existing house in a buffer is generally treated as a legal nonconforming use, with limited rules around expansion and replacement.

    If buffers get wider, can the city take part of my yard?
    No. The buffer is a regulatory setback that limits what new construction or land disturbance can happen there. It is not a property taking. The land remains yours.

    Does this affect routine yard work?
    Generally no for ordinary maintenance. Significant tree removal, grading, structures, or land disturbance within a critical area or its buffer typically requires a permit and may require an environmental review.

    How does this connect to the Comprehensive Plan?
    The Critical Areas Regulations are one of the implementing tools of the city’s Comprehensive Plan. The plan sets the policy direction; the critical-areas chapter is where the specific land-use rules live.

    When does the new ordinance take effect?
    After the council adopts an ordinance and the city publishes the adoption notice. Effective dates are typically set 30 days after publication unless the ordinance specifies otherwise.

    Are there exemptions?
    Yes — the code includes a list of activities that are exempt from full review (certain routine maintenance, emergency repairs, some agricultural activity). The exemption list is part of the chapter and is being reviewed in the update.

    Will this change be appealed?
    Critical-areas updates are sometimes appealed to the Growth Management Hearings Board. Whether anyone files an appeal will depend on the final adopted text and which stakeholders feel their issues weren’t resolved.

    Sources: City of Everett 2025 Critical Area Ordinance Update project page (everettwa.gov); Everett Critical Area Regulations Periodic Update REVIEW DRAFT, February 13, 2026; Planning Commission record, February 17, 2026; comments-and-responses document dated April 1, 2026; Port of Everett comment letter, January 8, 2026; MBAKS comment letter, January 28, 2026; WDFW comment letter, March 2, 2026; City Council public hearing, April 15, 2026; Washington State Growth Management Act; Everett Municipal Code Chapter 19.37.

    Continue Reading: Critical Areas Update Cluster

    Two persona-targeted deeper reads on the 2026 Critical Areas Regulations update:

  • The $6.75M Wharf Rebuild on West Marine View Is About to Finish — Here’s What 20 Years of Bulkhead Work Looks Like When It’s Done

    The $6.75M Wharf Rebuild on West Marine View Is About to Finish — Here’s What 20 Years of Bulkhead Work Looks Like When It’s Done

    Quick Answer: The Port of Everett’s $6.75 million final-phase bulkhead and wharf rebuild — the project running along West Marine View Drive at Port Gardner Landing — is on track to wrap by May 2026 after starting in early September 2025. Bergerson Construction is replacing roughly 165 lineal feet of aging wooden bulkhead with steel piles to stabilize State Route 529 above it, and the wharf overhead is getting fresh decking, ADA-compliant trail connection, and new landscaping. It is the last piece of a 20-year bulkhead replacement effort that has quietly been holding the marina in place for two decades.

    The $6.75M Wharf Rebuild on West Marine View Is About to Finish — Here’s What 20 Years of Bulkhead Work Looks Like When It’s Done

    If you’ve driven southbound on West Marine View Drive any time since last September and wondered why one lane has been closed near Port Gardner Landing and the Grand Avenue Park Bridge, the answer is the most quietly important construction project on the Everett waterfront. The Port of Everett’s final phase of marina bulkhead replacement and wharf rebuild — a $6.75 million contract awarded to Oregon-based Bergerson Construction — is on schedule to complete in May 2026. After 20 years of bulkhead work, segment by segment, this is the piece that finishes the system.

    It is not the splashiest project on the waterfront. It does not come with a ribbon cutting and a brewery opening. But it is the structural reason the road above it stays put, and the reason the marina behind it does not slowly slide into Port Gardner Bay. So we walked the project, read the contracts, and figured out what May actually means.

    What’s Actually Being Replaced

    The project is doing two things in one footprint:

    Segment E bulkhead. The Port is pulling out approximately 165 lineal feet of aging wooden bulkhead and driving steel piles in its place. That bulkhead is the engineered wall that separates the marina from the highway above it. It is the reason State Route 529 — better known locally as West Marine View Drive — has not subsided into the water. The original wooden structure is decades old. Steel piles will hold the same line with significantly more long-term stability and capacity to support the corridor above.

    Wharf reconstruction. Directly above the bulkhead, the section of overwater wharf is being torn out and replaced with new decking. New landscaping is going in alongside it, and the rebuilt wharf will tie into the Port’s waterfront trail system with an ADA-compliant connection — closing a long-standing accessibility gap on the trail. Pedestrian separation from the busy roadway is part of the design, which matters on a corridor that carries commuter, freight, and military traffic in and out of Naval Station Everett.

    Why SR 529 Is the Real Story

    The official name of the project — “Segment E Wharf and State Highway 529 Stability Improvements” — buries the lead. This is a stability project for a state highway as much as it is a marina project. SR 529 / West Marine View Drive is the spine of the Everett waterfront. It connects downtown to the Port, to NAVSTA Everett, and to the freight and military supply chain that runs through the seaport. The wooden bulkhead that has been holding it up was placed before most of the apartments at Waterfront Place were even drawings. It earned its retirement.

    The Washington State Department of Transportation is a stakeholder in the project for the same reason. Anything that happens to the bulkhead happens to the roadway. Replacing 165 LF of aging wood with engineered steel piles is the kind of unsexy infrastructure investment that quietly extends the design life of a critical regional corridor by decades.

    Why This Is the End of a 20-Year Project

    The Port has been replacing bulkhead segments along this stretch of waterfront in phases for two decades. Each segment has been a distinct contract, a distinct construction window, and a distinct round of permitting with state and federal regulators. Segment E is the final phase. When Bergerson hands the keys back to the Port in May, the bulkhead replacement program — the one that has been running quietly underneath every photo of the marina since the early 2000s — is structurally complete.

    That matters because the next 20 years of waterfront development at Waterfront Place — the 660 housing units at full build-out, the 447,500 square feet of office, the two hotels, the 63,000 square feet of retail and restaurants — all sit on top of, or directly behind, a marina that is now backed by modern bulkhead the entire length of Segment A through E.

    The Lane Closure Story

    The construction has required southbound lane closures on West Marine View Drive in the work zone, with traffic reduced to one lane in the affected section. Public access to the trail in that area has also been re-routed during the work window. If you have been driving north-south through the Port and noticing the cone line near Grand Avenue Park Bridge, that is the project. The lane closures end when the project ends — May 2026 is the target.

    How the Project Connects to the Port’s $70M 2026 Budget

    The Segment E work is being delivered out of the Port’s preservation and maintenance budget rather than its capital expansion budget. The Port Commission’s adopted $70 million 2026 budget — covered in our breakdown of what Everett’s waterfront is actually getting this year — sets aside $7.1 million for maintenance and preservation, including pier strengthening, marina bulkhead work, boat launch updates, and dredging. The Bergerson contract was awarded in May 2025, so Segment E is largely a 2025-funded project crossing into 2026, but the maintenance posture that allowed it sits squarely in the 2026 budget posture as well.

    That posture matters for residents and tenants. The Port is funding both the new buildings — $2.6 million in the 2026 budget for new public infrastructure and Waterfront Place retail and restaurant buildings — and the unglamorous work of keeping the existing marina structurally sound. Segment E is the second category.

    What Changes for Trail Users in May

    For everyday waterfront users, the most visible change in May will be the trail itself. The new ADA-compliant connection through the rebuilt wharf section closes a gap that has frustrated wheelchair users, stroller pushers, and anyone using the waterfront trail for the full distance. New landscaping, new decking, and a designed pedestrian separation from the roadway will turn what is currently a construction zone into a finished section of trail. The kind of walk that has been awkward for two decades — past wood pilings, narrow paths, and an unfinished feel — gets rebuilt to the standard the rest of the waterfront has been moving toward.

    What Comes Next

    With the bulkhead done, the next major Port construction milestone in the pipeline is the Jetty Landing renovation, which is anticipated to begin in 2027 per the Port’s 2026 budget plan. The Eclipse Mill Park Riverfront work — covered in our piece on why Everett’s riverfront signature park is now a spring 2028 opening — runs on its own timeline, with Phase 1 (City) running July to November 2026 and Phase 2 (Shelter Holdings) running fall 2026 through spring 2028. And the West Marine View Drive pipeline project — the $113 million combined sewer, stormwater, and water-main replacement we covered when council approved it April 2 — kicks off later this year just a few hundred feet north of where Bergerson is finishing up. The order of operations is intentional: stabilize the bulkhead, then dig the pipeline, then build the buildings.

    Frequently Asked Questions

    What is the Segment E bulkhead and wharf project?

    It is a $6.75 million Port of Everett construction project replacing approximately 165 lineal feet of aging wooden bulkhead with steel piles along West Marine View Drive at Port Gardner Landing, near the Grand Avenue Park Bridge. The overwater wharf above it is also being rebuilt with new decking, an ADA-compliant trail connection, and new landscaping. Bergerson Construction is the contractor.

    When does the project finish?

    Construction began in early September 2025 and is targeted for completion in May 2026.

    Why does this affect State Route 529?

    The bulkhead structurally supports the embankment that holds State Route 529 / West Marine View Drive in place. Replacing the aging wooden structure with steel piles stabilizes the highway corridor above the marina for the long term.

    Will the lane closures end when the project ends?

    Yes. The southbound single-lane configuration on West Marine View Drive in the work zone is in place for the duration of construction and ends when Bergerson completes the project in May 2026.

    Is this part of Waterfront Place?

    Geographically yes — the work site is along the same waterfront corridor — but the project is funded out of the Port’s preservation and maintenance budget, not the Waterfront Place capital build-out. It is the unglamorous structural work that keeps the marina in place while the new buildings go up around it.

    Does the rebuilt wharf improve the waterfront trail?

    Yes. The new wharf section will include an ADA-compliant connection to the Port’s waterfront trail system, closing a long-standing accessibility gap, plus new landscaping and pedestrian separation from the roadway.

    Is this the last bulkhead replacement project?

    Yes. Segment E is the final phase of a roughly 20-year, segment-by-segment bulkhead replacement program along this stretch of the marina. When Bergerson finishes in May, the program is structurally complete.

  • Everett’s $113 Million Pipeline Project: A 2026 Operational Guide for Waterfront Businesses and Developers

    Everett’s $113 Million Pipeline Project: A 2026 Operational Guide for Waterfront Businesses and Developers

    How will the $113 million West Marine View pipeline project affect waterfront businesses? Two business-relevant headlines: (1) sustained corridor disruption from approximately June 2026 through the end of 2027 along the only direct route between the north end and the downtown waterfront, marina, and Port; and (2) longer-term water-quality improvement of Port Gardner Bay — engineers project a 95% reduction in combined sewer overflows — that meaningfully strengthens the waterfront’s commercial value over the next decade.

    This is the business and developer read of the $113 million pipeline core guide. The core walks through the engineering and the funding mechanism. This one walks through the operational impact for waterfront restaurants, marina-adjacent businesses, hotel and tourism operators, and developers with active or planned projects in the corridor.

    Map your exposure to the corridor

    Three operational variables to model right now:

    1. Customer access. If your customers reach you via West Marine View Drive between Grand Avenue Bridge and Hewitt Avenue, plan for sustained lane impacts during pipe-trench excavation phases. Phased lane closures with traffic-control management are the standard pattern for projects of this scope; full corridor closure is unlikely but not impossible during specific phases.
    2. Delivery and supplier access. Suppliers accessing waterfront tenants need realistic delivery-window assumptions. Construction corridors compress the time bands when heavy delivery vehicles can move efficiently. Renegotiating delivery windows with suppliers in advance is cheaper than fixing missed loads in real time.
    3. Staff commute patterns. Waterfront staff arrival and departure timing should be reviewed. Shift starts and ends that pre-construction tracked one corridor pattern will need to track a different one once active work begins.

    The marina, port, and Waterfront Place tenants

    The Port of Everett’s marina and the active commercial development at Waterfront Place sit at the southern end of the affected corridor. The boater experience and the dine-and-dock pattern that the Port has been building (covered in our Waterfront Place complete guide) keeps functioning during construction, but operational planning should assume that visiting boaters and waterfront visitors arrive having navigated more friction than usual on the way in.

    The honest customer-experience read: the businesses that win during the construction window are the ones who actively help customers navigate to them — clear directions in marketing materials, real-time updates on access status, and partnerships with the city’s project communication team to push closure information to mailing lists.

    Hotels, tourism, and event venues

    Waterfront hotel and short-term rental operators should price the corridor reality into 2026-2027 reservation marketing. Visitors arriving by car for a downtown stay will encounter the construction corridor; visitors arriving for a marina-side or waterfront event will encounter it more directly.

    For event venues with logistics tied to the corridor — load-in, parking, shuttle routes — build a 2026-2027 logistics playbook that assumes corridor congestion. The lift on event ops is real but manageable with planning; the operators who get blindsided are the ones who run a 2024 playbook against 2026 conditions.

    Developers with active or planned projects in the corridor

    Three considerations:

    Permitting interactions. Site-specific permits along West Marine View Drive will reference the active construction corridor. Coordinate with the city on staging, deliveries, and traffic control to avoid conflicts with the public project’s phasing schedule.

    Long-horizon valuation. The combined sewer overflow program is the foundation that lets future shoreline development continue. A waterfront with chronic CSO events constrains shoreline use; a waterfront with a 95% overflow reduction expands the development envelope. The $113 million is the unglamorous infrastructure that protects the value thesis of every shoreline development project on the books.

    Connection to the broader $200M+ storage facility procurement. The pipeline construction is the first half of a two-part program. Watch the Port Gardner Storage Facility procurement milestones — they signal the second half of the construction window and the ultimate compliance schedule the city is operating against.

    Utility rate context for commercial ratepayers

    The $113 million pipeline funding comes from the city’s water and sewer utility fund. Commercial ratepayers carry a portion of that fund’s revenue base alongside residential ratepayers. As the city absorbs the broader cost of the Port Gardner Storage Facility program, the pressure on the rate-setting calculus increases.

    For commercial operators with high water and sewer consumption — restaurants, hotels, food production, laundries — the medium-term outlook should assume continued upward pressure on utility costs. The exact rate impact depends on bond structure, federal and state grant offsets, and procurement timing on the larger storage facility. The broader budget context is in our complete 2027 budget deficit guide.

    The 24-month operational checklist

    • Update customer-facing wayfinding for corridor access
    • Renegotiate supplier delivery windows in advance
    • Review staff commute patterns and shift-start logistics
    • Subscribe to city project communications for West Marine View Drive
    • For events: build a 2026-2027 logistics playbook that assumes corridor congestion
    • For developers: coordinate permits with the public project’s phasing schedule
    • For high-consumption commercial ratepayers: model continued utility rate pressure into 2026-2028 budgets

    The longer view

    The combined sewer overflow program is one of the largest infrastructure investments the city has made in years. It is unglamorous and will not get a ribbon cutting that draws a crowd. But its downstream effect — a meaningfully cleaner Port Gardner Bay over the next decade — strengthens the waterfront’s commercial fundamentals in a way that no marketing campaign can match. For waterfront businesses and developers willing to absorb the construction window, the post-construction waterfront is a stronger commercial environment than the pre-construction one.

    Frequently Asked Questions

    When does construction start?

    Construction could begin as early as June 2026 and is expected to continue through the end of 2027.

    Will the corridor close completely?

    Full corridor closures are unlikely as the standard pattern for projects of this scope. Phased lane closures with traffic-control management are typical. Watch the city’s project page for phase-by-phase closure schedules; the lane configuration in place today is not what will be in place for much of 2026-2027.

    How will customer access be affected?

    Customers reaching waterfront businesses via West Marine View Drive should plan for sustained lane impacts during active pipe-trench excavation phases. Operators who push real-time access information to their mailing lists and social channels typically maintain customer flow better than those who do not.

    How does this affect Waterfront Place?

    Waterfront Place tenants and Port marina users continue operating during construction; the corridor congestion is the variable. The post-construction waterfront — with reduced overflow events and a meaningfully cleaner bay — is a commercially stronger environment than the pre-construction one.

    Will commercial water rates go up?

    The $113 million is funded out of the utility fund, and the broader Port Gardner Storage Facility program is estimated at more than $200 million total. As the city carries those costs, upward pressure on rates is realistic. Exact impact moves with bond structure, grants, and rate-setting decisions; commercial operators with high consumption should model continued pressure into 2026-2028 budgets.

    What’s the upside for waterfront businesses?

    Engineers project a 95% reduction in combined sewer overflow events into Port Gardner Bay once the system is operational. Cleaner bay water compounds the commercial value of the working waterfront — for restaurants, hotels, marina operators, and developers — over the next decade.


  • Everett’s $113 Million Pipeline Project: What It Means for Residents — Construction, Water Bills, and the Bay

    Everett’s $113 Million Pipeline Project: What It Means for Residents — Construction, Water Bills, and the Bay

    What does Everett’s $113 million pipeline project mean for me as a resident? Three things to plan for: (1) sustained construction along West Marine View Drive from approximately June 2026 through the end of 2027, (2) eventual upward pressure on water and sewer rates as the city absorbs the cost of the broader Port Gardner Storage Facility program, and (3) measurably cleaner Port Gardner Bay water once the system is operational — engineers project a 95% reduction in combined sewer overflows.

    This is the resident-side read of the $113 million pipeline core guide. The core walks through the engineering and the funding mechanism. This one walks through what it actually means for your driving, your bills, and your relationship with the bay.

    Your driving: assume the corridor changes

    West Marine View Drive between the Grand Avenue Bridge and Hewitt Avenue is going to be an active construction corridor for most of 2026 and 2027. That stretch is one of the most-driven roads in the city — it is the route between the north end and the downtown waterfront, the marina, and the port.

    The realistic posture: assume sustained lane impacts during pipe-trench excavation phases, plan an alternate route for any time-sensitive trips, and check the city’s project communication channels before driving the corridor at peak hours during construction windows. The lane configuration in place today is not the configuration that will be in place for much of the next 18 months.

    If you commute to the waterfront for work, watch for early communication on staging and night-work windows. The most disruptive phases of pipe replacement projects tend to be lifted into night and weekend windows when feasible, but the corridor is long enough that not every phase will fit that pattern.

    Your water bill: pressure, but not a single line item

    The $113 million for the pipeline is funded out of the city’s water and sewer utility fund. That money cannot legally be redirected to parks, police, or the general fund — utility infrastructure dollars stay with utility infrastructure. So the question is not “is this taking money from city services I use.” The question is “does this push my monthly utility bill higher.”

    The directionally honest answer: yes, projects of this scale put pressure on the utility rate-setting conversation. The $113 million pipeline is part of the broader Port Gardner Storage Facility program estimated at more than $200 million total. As the city carries the cost through bond issuances and ratepayer revenue, the rate calculus tightens.

    The exact monthly impact depends on bond structure, federal and state grant offsets, and the timing of the larger storage facility procurement. Watch for utility billing notifications and the public rate-setting meetings — those are where the line items become specific. The broader budget context for this rate pressure is in our complete 2027 budget deficit guide.

    Your bay: the actual win

    Combined sewer overflows are the reason Port Gardner Bay water quality has historically not been what it could be. When heavy rains overwhelm the city’s combined stormwater-and-sewer pipes, the system overflows at designated discharge points — sending a mix of rainwater and untreated wastewater into the nearest body of water. Port Gardner Bay and the Snohomish River have been the destinations.

    The Port Gardner Storage Facility, once built, will hold approximately 7 million gallons of excess flow during heavy rain events, then meter that flow through the treatment plant in the hours and days after the storm. Engineers expect approximately a 95% reduction in combined sewer overflow events.

    That is a measurable, tangible benefit that compounds over time — for shellfish health, recreational water use, ecological function, and the Port’s working waterfront character. If you have ever wondered why the city pours this much money into infrastructure no one will ever see, the bay is the answer.

    Your waterfront, in context

    The pipeline and storage facility are happening alongside a lot of other waterfront work. Read these as one connected story:

    • Waterfront Place at the Port of Everett — the restaurant row and tenant development
    • The Millwright District Phase 2 — apartments and commercial space
    • The Edgewater Bridge reopening
    • The broader Imagine Everett vision

    The combined sewer overflow infrastructure is the unglamorous foundation that lets the waterfront keep developing. Without it, future shoreline development gets harder.

    The practical resident calendar

    • Now through May 2026: Pre-construction planning, design finalization, watch for staging communications.
    • June 2026: Construction could begin. Watch for the first lane closure notices.
    • 2026-2027: Active construction along the corridor. Plan alternate routes for any peak-hour driving along West Marine View Drive.
    • End of 2027: Pipeline construction wraps. The Port Gardner Storage Facility’s separate construction timeline carries forward.
    • Multi-year: Combined sewer overflow events drop sharply once the full system is operational.

    What you can actually do

    • Subscribe to the city’s project notifications for West Marine View Drive (the city’s CSO program page is the master source)
    • Show up to the rate-setting public meetings — that is where utility bill impacts get decided
    • Plan an alternate route for waterfront-bound trips during 2026-2027 construction windows
    • Ask candidates running for council about utility rate strategy — the bills that come out of these projects are a council-level decision

    Frequently Asked Questions

    Will my water bill go up immediately?

    Not as a direct line item tomorrow. Utility rate impacts from infrastructure projects this large move through bond structures, grant offsets, and rate-setting meetings over time. Watch for utility billing notifications and the public rate-setting hearings for specifics.

    Will West Marine View Drive be closed during construction?

    Multi-month lane impacts are realistic for a project of this scope and corridor length. Full closures of the corridor are unlikely; phased lane closures with traffic-control management are the standard pattern. Watch the city’s project page for phase-by-phase closure schedules.

    What if I use the marina or the Port?

    Plan extra travel time during peak construction windows. Port and marina access remains; the corridor congestion is the variable. Marina users with shift-sensitive boat work should build a 15-minute buffer into trips during active construction phases.

    How clean will the bay actually get?

    Engineers project approximately a 95% reduction in combined sewer overflow events once the full system is operational. The bay will not become a different body of water overnight, but the cumulative water-quality, shellfish-health, and ecological improvements compound year over year.

    Could the project be cancelled or delayed?

    The Washington Department of Ecology has ordered the broader combined sewer overflow reduction program. The schedule is enforceable — material delays carry compliance risk. Funding can shift between bond and grant sources, but the project itself is not optional.

    Where does the money come from if not from my taxes?

    The $113 million is funded out of the city’s water and sewer utility fund, which is fed by utility ratepayer revenue and bond issuances. That fund is legally restricted to utility infrastructure and cannot be redirected to general government services like parks or police.


  • Everett’s $113 Million West Marine View Pipeline and the $200M+ Port Gardner Storage Facility: A Complete 2026 Guide

    Everett’s $113 Million West Marine View Pipeline and the $200M+ Port Gardner Storage Facility: A Complete 2026 Guide

    What is the $113 million Everett pipeline project? On April 2, 2026, the Everett City Council approved $113 million for the construction phase of new combined stormwater and sewer pipes plus a 48-inch water main replacement along West Marine View Drive — from the Grand Avenue Bridge in the north down to Hewitt Avenue in the south. The pipes feed the planned Port Gardner Storage Facility, a state-mandated combined sewer overflow project budgeted at more than $200 million that will hold approximately 7 million gallons of excess stormwater so it can be treated rather than discharged into Port Gardner Bay or the Snohomish River. Construction could begin as early as June 2026 and continue through the end of 2027. Engineers expect the facility to reduce combined sewer overflows by approximately 95%.

    The two projects, and how they work together

    What got approved on April 2 is the connective tissue. The $113 million pays for the pipes that carry the flow. Those pipes feed the Port Gardner Storage Facility — a separate, much larger project currently estimated at more than $200 million. The storage facility is the catchment basin; the pipes are the route. Without the pipes, the storage facility is a giant tank with no way to fill it. Without the storage facility, the pipes are oversized infrastructure with nowhere to send the flow.

    That is why the council is treating the funding as a single decision tree even though the dollar figures are split. The April 2 vote authorized the construction phase of the pipe component. The storage facility funding sits in its own approval and procurement track. Both have to land for the system to function.

    What the $113 million buys

    The ordinance allocates the construction-phase funding for three concurrent scopes inside the West Marine View Drive corridor:

    • A new combined stormwater-and-sewer pipe sized to carry significantly more flow than the existing system
    • Replacement of the existing 48-inch water main running along the same corridor
    • Connections that tie the new pipes into the upstream Port Gardner Storage Facility

    The corridor runs from the Grand Avenue Bridge at the north end of the waterfront down to Hewitt Avenue at the southern downtown waterfront — the entire length of the road that connects the north end of the city to the marina, the port, and the downtown waterfront.

    Why the state is making Everett build this

    Combined sewer systems are a 19th- and early-20th-century engineering pattern. In a combined system, stormwater and sanitary sewer share the same underground pipe. On a normal day that works fine. During a heavy rain, the system gets overwhelmed and the pipes do what they were designed to do as a safety valve — they overflow at designated points, sending a mix of rainwater and untreated wastewater into the nearest body of water.

    In Everett, the nearest bodies of water are Port Gardner Bay and the Snohomish River.

    The Washington Department of Ecology has been requiring cities with combined sewer systems to reduce overflow events for decades. Everett’s combined sewer overflow reduction program has been ratcheting down the number of allowed overflow events year by year. The Port Gardner Storage Facility — and the $113 million pipes that feed it — is the city’s response to the most recent compliance requirements. This is not an optional project. The state has ordered it. The schedule is enforceable. The $113 million is the price of compliance.

    The 7-million-gallon answer

    The Port Gardner Storage Facility, once built, will hold approximately 7 million gallons of excess stormwater during heavy rain events. Instead of overflowing into the bay, that flow gets metered out through the treatment plant in the hours and days after the storm. Engineers expect the facility to reduce combined sewer overflows by approximately 95%.

    The downstream effect is significant. Port Gardner Bay is the working waterfront, the marina, and an active recreational and ecological zone. Reducing overflow events there has water-quality, shellfish-safety, and habitat implications that compound year over year.

    Where the money comes from

    This is the part that often gets lost in the headline. The $113 million pipeline funding comes from the city’s water and sewer utility fund, not the general fund. That money cannot be redirected to parks, police, libraries, or general government. Utility fund revenue comes from utility ratepayers, and it is restricted to utility infrastructure spending.

    What that means in practice: the project is not a tradeoff against other city services. It does, however, sit inside the broader rate-setting conversation that determines water and sewer bills going forward. As the city carries the cost of large combined-sewer-overflow compliance projects, the pressure on ratepayer bills increases. That conversation runs in parallel with the budget deficit story already covered in our complete 2027 budget deficit guide.

    The construction footprint

    Construction could begin as early as June 2026 and continue through the end of 2027. The corridor — Grand Avenue Bridge to Hewitt Avenue along West Marine View Drive — is one of the most-driven roads in the city. It connects the north end of Everett to the downtown waterfront and the Port. Multi-month lane impacts are realistic for a project of this scope and length, particularly during pipe-trench excavation phases.

    For commuters, marina users, and waterfront business operators, the practical advice is to assume sustained corridor disruption and watch the city’s project page for phase-by-phase closure schedules. The lane configuration that exists today is not the lane configuration that will exist for much of 2026 and 2027.

    How this fits with the rest of the waterfront story

    The pipeline and storage facility are not happening in isolation. The waterfront is in active redevelopment — see the Waterfront Place complete guide, the Millwright District Phase 2, the Edgewater Bridge reopening, and the broader Imagine Everett vision. The combined sewer overflow infrastructure is the unglamorous foundation that makes everything above ground possible. Without compliance, future shoreline development gets harder. With it, the bay water quality story moves in the right direction over the next decade.

    What to watch next

    • June 2026 construction start signal — confirms the ramp into the heavy work
    • Port Gardner Storage Facility procurement milestones — the $200M-plus parent project
    • Department of Ecology compliance reporting on overflow events
    • Water and sewer rate notifications — the pass-through to ratepayers
    • Lane closure communications from the city — the operational impact

    Frequently Asked Questions

    What does the $113 million pay for?

    The $113 million funds the construction phase of new combined stormwater and sewer pipes plus replacement of an existing 48-inch water main along West Marine View Drive, from the Grand Avenue Bridge to Hewitt Avenue. The pipes feed the planned Port Gardner Storage Facility.

    What is the Port Gardner Storage Facility?

    The Port Gardner Storage Facility is a state-mandated combined sewer overflow project, currently estimated at more than $200 million, that will hold approximately 7 million gallons of excess stormwater during heavy rain events. Instead of overflowing into Port Gardner Bay or the Snohomish River, the stormwater is held until it can be treated.

    Why did the state require this project?

    The Washington Department of Ecology requires cities with combined sewer systems — older systems where stormwater and sanitary sewer share one pipe — to reduce overflow events. Everett has been ratcheting down its allowed overflow count for decades; this facility is the city’s response to the most recent compliance requirements.

    When does construction start?

    Construction could begin as early as June 2026. Work is expected to continue through the end of 2027.

    Where does the money come from?

    Funding comes from the city’s water and sewer utility fund. That money is restricted to utility infrastructure and cannot be redirected to general government services like parks or police.

    How much will combined sewer overflows be reduced?

    Engineers expect the Port Gardner Storage Facility, once operational, to reduce combined sewer overflows by approximately 95%.

    Will my water bill go up because of this?

    Utility infrastructure spending of this scale puts pressure on the rate-setting conversation that determines water and sewer bills. The exact rate impact moves with the broader utility fund and bond pictures; watch city utility billing notifications and the rate-setting public meetings for specifics.

    Will West Marine View Drive be closed?

    Multi-month lane impacts are realistic for a project of this scope and corridor length. Watch the city’s project page for phase-by-phase closure schedules; the lane configuration in place today is not the configuration that will be in place for much of 2026 and 2027.


  • Everett Just Approved $3.1M to Design a Pedestrian Bridge Over Broadway: What the New EvCC + WSU Everett Crossing Actually Solves

    Everett Just Approved $3.1M to Design a Pedestrian Bridge Over Broadway: What the New EvCC + WSU Everett Crossing Actually Solves

    What did Everett approve for the Broadway pedestrian bridge? On April 23, 2026, the Everett City Council approved a $3.1 million contract with engineering and planning consultancy Kimley-Horn to design a pedestrian bridge over Broadway in north Everett. The bridge will connect Everett Community College’s main campus to the Learning Resource Center on the east side of Broadway, with a connection that also serves the WSU Everett campus. The design is expected to be complete by the end of 2028. The bridge will likely be located just north of 10th Street.

    There is a six-lane road in north Everett called Broadway that thousands of college students cross every weekday — most of them on foot, most of them on a tight schedule between classes, almost all of them at street level with cars. On April 23, the Everett City Council took the first step toward fixing that.

    The council approved a $3.1 million contract with engineering firm Kimley-Horn to design a pedestrian bridge over Broadway connecting Everett Community College’s main campus to the Learning Resource Center, the campus library and study building that sits across the road on the east side. The same bridge will also tie into the WSU Everett campus, which shares the same general area on Broadway just north of downtown.

    This is one of those projects that does not get covered the way a stadium vote or a waterfront groundbreaking gets covered, but that quietly shapes daily life for thousands of Everett residents. We watched the contract approval and dug into the scope to figure out what is actually being built and on what timeline.

    What the $3.1 million does, and what it does not do

    The first thing to understand about the April 23 vote is that it does not build a bridge. It pays for the design of a bridge.

    The $3.1 million contract with Kimley-Horn — a national engineering and planning firm with a Northwest office — covers the design phase only. That includes the structural engineering, the architecture, the geotechnical work, the traffic analysis, the utility coordination, the permitting work, the public outreach process, and the construction documents that a future contractor will need to actually build the structure.

    A pedestrian bridge over a six-lane arterial like Broadway is not a small piece of engineering. It has to clear traffic with adequate vertical clearance, accommodate emergency vehicle heights, meet ADA accessibility requirements end to end, handle Pacific Northwest weather and seismic loading, and connect cleanly to existing pedestrian paths on both campuses. Kimley-Horn’s contract covers all of that work.

    The design phase is expected to wrap up at the end of 2028. That is the realistic timeline for a piece of infrastructure of this complexity, and it accounts for the public engagement, environmental review, and permit process that has to happen before construction can be put out to bid.

    Once the design is complete, a separate council vote will approve the construction contract. That is a different ordinance, a different price tag, and a different timeline — and right now the city has not announced a target construction start date or estimated total cost for the build.

    Why a bridge here, specifically

    Everett Community College is one of the larger institutions in the city by daily population. The main campus sits on the west side of Broadway between roughly 22nd Street and Tower Street. The Learning Resource Center — which houses much of the library, study, and student services functions — is on the east side of Broadway. The WSU Everett campus sits in the same area, sharing facilities and a daily student population with EvCC.

    Today, students moving between buildings cross Broadway at street-level signalized intersections. Broadway in this stretch is a six-lane arterial that carries significant car traffic between north Everett and downtown, and the at-grade crossings introduce real conflicts between pedestrian flow and vehicle movement. During class change times — the 10-minute windows when several thousand students simultaneously try to get from one building to the next — the crossings get crowded, the wait times for cars stack up, and pedestrians and drivers end up in the same intersections under time pressure.

    A grade-separated pedestrian bridge eliminates the conflict. Students walk over the road. Cars do not stop. Class change becomes faster, safer, and more predictable for everybody.

    The likely location north of 10th Street puts the bridge close to the natural foot traffic between the main campus and the Learning Resource Center. The exact siting will be one of the design phase decisions over the next two and a half years.

    Why this fits Everett’s broader pattern

    The Broadway pedestrian bridge is part of a noticeable shift in how Everett is thinking about its right-of-way. The city has spent the last several years putting more weight on pedestrian and bike infrastructure as a deliberate policy choice — the new Edgewater Bridge that opens to traffic April 28 includes wide sidewalks and 5-foot bike lanes on each side, the Pacific Avenue Gateway project includes a public art installation at the Pacific entrance from I-5, and the multi-year work on downtown streetscapes has prioritized pedestrian-friendly design over pure vehicle throughput.

    The Broadway bridge fits the same pattern. North Everett is one of the densest pedestrian environments in the city — between EvCC, WSU Everett, the residential neighborhoods around them, and the commercial strips on either side of Broadway, this is a part of the city that is genuinely walked. Investing $3.1 million in design now signals that the city is willing to put real capital into making that walkability safer.

    It is also a partnership story worth noting. The bridge serves the EvCC and WSU Everett campuses primarily. The design and construction are being led by the city. That kind of city-and-institution coordination is the only way a piece of infrastructure like this gets built — campuses cannot construct in city right-of-way on their own, and the city cannot prioritize a single-purpose pedestrian crossing without a clear partner. The fact that the project moved from concept to a $3.1 million design contract suggests that all the parties involved have aligned on what they want and how to pay for it.

    What to watch over the next two and a half years

    A few specific things will tell us how this project actually evolves between now and the end of 2028.

    Watch the public engagement process. The city and Kimley-Horn will run multiple rounds of public input on the bridge design — siting, aesthetics, lighting, public art elements, how it connects to existing pedestrian paths, how it handles weather. Students, faculty, neighbors, and broader Everett residents will all have a chance to weigh in. The dates and meeting formats will be posted on the city’s project page as they firm up.

    Watch the alignment selection. Kimley-Horn will likely produce two to four candidate alignment options early in the design process. The exact location north of 10th Street, the angle of the bridge, the column placement and the connection points to existing campus paths are all decisions that will be made publicly. Each option has trade-offs around cost, traffic disruption during construction, sightlines, and how cleanly it ties into existing buildings.

    Watch the construction cost estimate when it lands. The $3.1 million is design only. The construction estimate will not be public until the design phase produces a real, biddable scope — likely in late 2027 or 2028. When it does land, it will be the number that determines whether the bridge actually moves to construction or whether the project stalls for funding reasons. Pedestrian bridges over six-lane arterials are not cheap, and the city will need to decide where the construction money comes from.

    Watch what happens to the on-the-ground experience for EvCC and WSU Everett students between now and the end of 2028. The bridge does not exist yet, and will not for several more years. In the meantime, signal timing improvements, crosswalk markings, and other interim safety measures at the existing at-grade crossings are within the city’s reach right now. The Broadway pedestrian bridge is the long-term answer. Better at-grade crossings are the bridge between now and the bridge.

    The honest read

    This is the kind of city-shaping decision that does not move the news cycle but moves a piece of the city. By the end of 2028, north Everett will have a fully designed pedestrian bridge over one of its busiest arterials, ready to put out to bid. By some point in the early 2030s, depending on construction funding and timing, that bridge will be carrying students between EvCC’s two main building groups every weekday.

    For a $3.1 million design vote that did not make a single regional headline, that is a meaningful piece of how the city actually changes over the next decade.

    Frequently Asked Questions

    What did the Everett City Council approve on April 23, 2026?

    The Everett City Council approved a $3.1 million contract with engineering consultancy Kimley-Horn to design a pedestrian bridge over Broadway in north Everett. The contract covers the design phase only — including engineering, permitting, public engagement, and construction documents. A separate future council vote will be needed to approve the construction contract.

    Where will the Broadway pedestrian bridge be located?

    The bridge will likely be located just north of 10th Street on Broadway, connecting Everett Community College’s main campus on the west side of Broadway to the Learning Resource Center on the east side. The bridge will also connect to the WSU Everett campus, which shares the same area. The exact siting will be determined during the design phase.

    When will the Broadway pedestrian bridge be built?

    The design phase is expected to be complete by the end of 2028. After design is finalized, the city will need to put the construction phase out to bid and approve a separate construction contract. A specific construction start date and overall project completion date have not yet been announced.

    Who is designing the bridge?

    Kimley-Horn, a national engineering and planning consultancy, was awarded the $3.1 million design contract by the Everett City Council on April 23, 2026.

    Why does Everett need a pedestrian bridge over Broadway?

    Broadway in this stretch is a six-lane arterial carrying significant traffic between north Everett and downtown. Today, students moving between Everett Community College’s main campus and the Learning Resource Center on the east side of the road cross at street-level signalized intersections. A grade-separated pedestrian bridge eliminates the conflict between pedestrians and vehicles and improves safety and flow during class change times.

    How much will the Broadway pedestrian bridge cost in total?

    The $3.1 million approved on April 23 covers only the design phase. The construction cost estimate will not be public until the design phase produces a biddable scope, likely in late 2027 or 2028. Pedestrian bridges over multi-lane arterials are significant infrastructure projects and the construction cost will be set by the design once it is complete.

    What about students who need to cross Broadway right now?

    The bridge will not exist for several years. In the meantime, EvCC and WSU Everett students continue to cross Broadway at the existing signalized intersections. The city has tools for improving safety at those at-grade crossings — signal timing, crosswalk markings, signage — that are within reach in the near term while the bridge design and construction process plays out.

  • Everett Just Approved $113 Million for the Biggest Pipe Project in Years: Here’s What’s Going Under West Marine View Drive

    Everett Just Approved $113 Million for the Biggest Pipe Project in Years: Here’s What’s Going Under West Marine View Drive

    What is the $113 million Everett pipeline project? On April 2, 2026, the Everett City Council approved a $113 million ordinance funding the construction phase of new combined stormwater and sewer pipes plus a 48-inch water main replacement along West Marine View Drive, from the Grand Avenue Bridge in the north down to Hewitt Avenue in the south. The pipes will feed the planned $200 million-plus Port Gardner Storage Facility, a state-mandated combined sewer overflow project that will temporarily hold excess stormwater so it can be treated rather than dumped into Port Gardner Bay or the Snohomish River.

    There is a kind of Everett project that does not get a ribbon cutting and does not show up on most people’s mental map of the city, but that quietly determines what the waterfront looks like, smells like, and is allowed to be used for. Combined sewer overflows are at the top of that list. And on April 2, the Everett City Council voted to spend $113 million on the largest single piece of infrastructure addressing them in years.

    We have been watching this one for months because the dollar figure is enormous, the construction footprint runs along one of the most-driven roads in the city, and the underlying problem — sewage and stormwater dumping into Port Gardner Bay during heavy rains — is something the state has ordered Everett to fix on a schedule that does not move.

    Here is what the council actually approved, and what it means for the city.

    What the $113 million buys

    The ordinance allocates $113 million to the construction phase of new water, stormwater, and sewer pipelines along West Marine View Drive. The route runs from the Grand Avenue Bridge at the north end of the corridor down to Hewitt Avenue in the south — that is the entire length of the waterfront frontage road that connects the north end of the city to the downtown waterfront, the marina, and the port.

    Inside that corridor, the project includes:

    • A new combined stormwater and sewer pipe sized to carry significantly more flow than the existing system
    • Replacement of an existing 48-inch water main that runs along the same corridor
    • The connections needed to tie the new pipes into the upstream Port Gardner Storage Facility, which is the catchment basin the new pipes feed

    The pipe work itself is the visible part. The whole point of the pipe work is to feed the Port Gardner Storage Facility, which is a separate, much larger project — currently estimated at more than $200 million — that will hold excess flows during heavy rain events and meter them out for treatment instead of letting them overflow into the bay.

    The $113 million pipeline is the connective tissue. Without it, the storage facility is a giant tank with no way to fill it.

    Why the state is making Everett build this

    Combined sewer systems are an artifact of the way American cities built their underground infrastructure between roughly 1880 and 1950. In a combined system, stormwater and sanitary sewer share the same pipe. On a normal day that works fine. During a heavy rain, the system gets overwhelmed, and the pipes do what they were designed to do as a safety valve — they overflow at designated points, sending a mix of rainwater and untreated wastewater into the nearest body of water.

    In Everett, those nearest bodies of water are Port Gardner Bay and the Snohomish River.

    The Washington Department of Ecology has been requiring cities with combined sewer systems to reduce their overflow events for decades. Everett’s combined sewer overflow reduction program has been ratcheting down the number of allowed overflow events year by year. The Port Gardner Storage Facility — and the pipes that feed it — is the city’s response to the most recent compliance requirements.

    This is not an optional project. The state has ordered it. The schedule is enforceable. The $113 million spend is the price of that compliance.

    Where the money is coming from

    This is the part that often gets lost in the headline. The $113 million does not come out of Everett’s general fund. It cannot be used for parks, police, libraries, or anything else the city’s general budget covers.

    The money comes from the city’s water and sewer utility fund. That fund is fed by what residents and businesses pay on their water and sewer bills. It is legally restricted to water and sewer system uses, which is exactly what this project is.

    What that means in practice is that the pressure point for ratepayers is not now — the funds for this construction phase are being drawn from existing utility reserves and previously authorized borrowing — but over the long term as the utility recapitalizes those reserves through future rate decisions. Everett residents have already seen incremental increases in their water and sewer bills tied to the broader combined sewer overflow program over the last several years. This $113 million approval is consistent with the trajectory the utility has been on.

    It is also separate from the proposed utility tax increase that has been moving through council on a different track. That is general fund money. This is restricted utility fund money. Two different conversations, both important, easy to confuse.

    What construction looks like on the ground

    If you drive West Marine View Drive — the frontage road that connects the north end of the city, past the Naval Station gates, down past Legion Park and toward downtown — you are going to spend a lot of time over the next two years driving past construction.

    The pipe corridor runs underneath that road. Trenching a 42-inch combined pipe and replacing a 48-inch water main means digging significant sections of the right-of-way, staging materials, and managing traffic through a corridor that already carries Naval Station traffic, marina traffic, downtown commuters, and freight to the port.

    The city’s public works department has not yet released the full lane closure schedule for the West Marine View work tied to this approval, but the size of the spend and the length of the corridor make it almost certain that residents in north Everett, port users, and Naval Station personnel will see real impacts on their commutes once construction mobilizes.

    The Pacific Avenue pipeline work — a separate but related $1,000 linear foot, 42-inch pipe project between Pine Street and Chestnut Street that is scheduled to begin in summer 2026 — adds to the picture downtown. Together, these are the largest underground infrastructure projects the city has had in motion at one time in years.

    Why this matters beyond plumbing

    A few reasons this is worth paying attention to even if the words “combined sewer overflow” make your eyes glaze over.

    First, water quality. Every overflow event that does not happen is wastewater that does not enter Port Gardner Bay. The Port Gardner shoreline is the single most-used recreation corridor in the city — Howarth Park, Jetty Island, the marina promenade, the swimming and paddling that families do at the waterfront. Cleaner water there is a public health and quality-of-life issue, not just a regulatory checkbox.

    Second, the waterfront economy. The Port of Everett’s $1 billion Waterfront Place redevelopment, the Millwright District buildout, the new restaurants and apartments and the planned hotel expansion — all of it depends on Port Gardner Bay being a clean, swimmable, fishable waterfront. Combined sewer overflows are the single biggest threat to that economic story. The state knows it. The port knows it. The city knows it. The $113 million pipeline is part of the long unsexy work of protecting the asset that everything else is built around.

    Third, regulatory exposure. If Everett misses the state’s compliance schedule on combined sewer overflow reduction, the consequences are not abstract. Cities that fall behind on Ecology’s CSO orders face escalating enforcement actions, mandated additional spending under tighter timelines, and in extreme cases consent decrees that take spending decisions out of local hands entirely. Spending $113 million on a pipeline now is much less expensive than the alternatives a few years down the road.

    What to watch

    Three things to keep an eye on as this project moves into construction.

    Watch the construction schedule and lane closure announcements for West Marine View Drive. The city will publish them on its public works project page as they firm up. North Everett residents and Naval Station commuters in particular will want to plan around them.

    Watch the Port Gardner Storage Facility procurement and construction milestones. The pipe project is feeding a much larger storage facility, and the two have to land on a coordinated timeline for either to function. The storage facility is the bigger spend, the longer construction window, and the project that will most determine when Everett actually achieves its compliance targets.

    Watch the long-term utility rate trajectory. This $113 million is funded from existing utility reserves and authorized debt, but the cumulative cost of the city’s combined sewer overflow program — across this project, the storage facility, the Pacific Avenue work, and other planned upgrades — will eventually show up in water and sewer rates in the years ahead.

    The pipeline goes in the ground. The water gets cleaner. The waterfront keeps growing. That is the deal Everett is signing up for, and on April 2 the council put $113 million behind it.

    Frequently Asked Questions

    What did the Everett City Council approve on April 2, 2026?

    The Everett City Council voted to allocate $113 million to the construction phase of new combined stormwater and sewer pipes, along with the replacement of an existing 48-inch water main, running along West Marine View Drive from the Grand Avenue Bridge in the north to Hewitt Avenue in the south.

    What is the Port Gardner Storage Facility?

    The Port Gardner Storage Facility is a planned, more than $200 million city-built underground tank designed to temporarily hold excess flows from Everett’s combined sewer system during heavy rain events, so the wastewater can be treated rather than overflow into Port Gardner Bay. The $113 million pipeline project will carry flows to the storage facility.

    Why does Everett have combined sewer overflows?

    Like many older American cities, Everett’s underground infrastructure includes a combined sewer system where stormwater and sanitary sewer flow through the same pipes. During heavy rain events, the pipes can be overwhelmed and overflow at designated points into the nearest body of water — in Everett’s case, Port Gardner Bay and the Snohomish River. The Washington Department of Ecology requires cities with combined sewer systems to reduce these overflow events on a state-enforced compliance schedule.

    Who pays for the $113 million pipeline project?

    The $113 million comes from the city’s water and sewer utility fund, which is funded by what residents and businesses pay on their water and sewer bills. Utility funds are legally restricted to water and sewer system uses and cannot be redirected to general government services like parks, police, or libraries.

    Will this project affect my commute?

    Construction will require significant trenching along West Marine View Drive, which is the frontage road between north Everett and the downtown waterfront. The city has not yet released the full lane closure schedule, but the size and length of the corridor make traffic impacts likely for north Everett residents, marina and port users, and Naval Station commuters once construction mobilizes.

    Is this related to the Pacific Avenue pipeline project?

    The two projects are part of the same broader combined sewer overflow program but are technically separate. The Pacific Avenue Pipeline Improvements project is a roughly 1,000 linear foot, 42-inch pipe between Pine Street and Chestnut Street downtown, with construction scheduled to begin in summer 2026. The West Marine View pipeline approved April 2 is a much larger, much longer corridor project on the waterfront frontage road.

    When will construction start?

    The April 2 approval funded the construction phase of the project. Specific groundbreaking and mobilization timing will be set as the city completes contractor procurement and finalizes lane closure and traffic plans for West Marine View Drive.

  • What the Lenora Stormwater Project Means If You Live or Walk in Lowell: A 2026 Resident’s Guide to the $8.7M Facility on S 1st and Lenora

    What the Lenora Stormwater Project Means If You Live or Walk in Lowell: A 2026 Resident’s Guide to the $8.7M Facility on S 1st and Lenora

    If you live in Lowell, walk the Lowell Riverfront Trail, or drive S 1st Avenue every day, here is what the new Lenora Stormwater Treatment Facility actually means for your neighborhood. Construction starts in April 2026 on a 0.27-acre city-owned lot at the corner of Lenora Street and S 1st Avenue, right next to Lowell Riverfront Park. The whole thing — $8.73 million — is paid for by a Washington State Department of Ecology grant, which is why it is not on your Everett utility bill.

    What’s Actually Going In Down the Street

    The corner where the new facility is being built is small — just under a third of an acre. Most Lowell residents have driven past it hundreds of times without noticing it as anything special. After construction, what you will see at ground level is a small landscaped surface with bioretention cells, a low-profile access path, and a city interpretive sign explaining what the facility does.

    The technology underneath is a five-cell Filterra Bioscape system. Two of the five cells will be fully operational at opening; the city designed the site so the remaining three cells can be brought online as Lowell’s drainage subbasins develop further. The bottom line for anyone walking by: this is not a treatment plant in the visual sense. It is a small, landscaped intersection upgrade with serious water-quality machinery underneath.

    Why It Matters Specifically to Lowell

    Lowell sits on a low riverfront bench between the Snohomish River and the BNSF tracks. Three small drainage subbasins — LW-9, LW-10, and LW-11, totaling 146.10 acres — concentrate fast during rain events and run toward the Marshland Canal, which empties into the river. That geography is exactly what creates the water-quality problem the Lenora facility is designed to fix.

    The runoff coming off Lowell streets, parking lots, and roofs carries the standard menu of urban stormwater pollutants:

    • Suspended solids that cloud the river and smother salmon spawning gravel.
    • Petroleum hydrocarbons from oil and fuel.
    • Dissolved copper from vehicle brake pads — acutely toxic to juvenile salmon at very low concentrations.
    • Dissolved zinc from tire wear, galvanized metal, and roofing.
    • Total phosphorus, which drives summer algae blooms downstream.

    The salmon question is not abstract. The Snohomish River system is salmon-bearing, and the stretch downstream of Lowell — toward the river mouth, Possession Sound, and Jetty Island — is exactly the kind of habitat that benefits most from removing dissolved copper and zinc upstream of where juvenile salmon swim through.

    Why It’s Not on Your Bill

    This is the part most Lowell residents will care about most directly. The Lenora facility is funded by Washington State Department of Ecology Water Quality Combined Financial Assistance Agreement WQC-2025-EverPW-00177 in the amount of $8,733,920 — effectively the full project cost.

    Everett residents are already absorbing other utility-related conversations: the proposed $10.74-per-month utility tax hike going through City Council as part of the 2027 budget decision. The Lenora project is structurally separate. The state Ecology grant pays for it. The proposed utility tax is a different revenue mechanism for general fund purposes. Don’t conflate the two.

    What to Expect on the Lowell Riverfront Trail

    If your routine includes walking the Lowell Riverfront Trail, this is the practical part. The construction site is right at the corner of S 1st Avenue and Lenora Street, immediately adjacent to Lowell Riverfront Park. Expect:

    • Periodic construction activity through spring and summer 2026 — equipment, staging, deliveries.
    • Possible short trail detours along the affected segment near the corner; Public Works will post signage if a closure is necessary.
    • The trail itself stays intact. The facility footprint is at the edge of the park, not inside it. Day-of-day walkers, runners, and dog-walkers should be able to maintain their routine with minor reroutes.

    Why an $8.7M Stormwater Project Outranks the Stadium for Lowell Specifically

    For most of Everett, the spring 2026 construction headlines have been about the $10.6M downtown stadium interfund loan vote and the 300 new waterfront apartments at the Millwright District. Both matter to the city as a whole. Neither is what changes the river running past your house if you live in Lowell.

    The Lenora Stormwater Treatment Facility is the project that does. Removing dissolved copper and zinc from 146 acres of runoff before it reaches the Marshland Canal is the kind of upstream water-quality work that determines whether the river running through Lowell stays a credible salmon habitat over the next decade. That is a small project doing big work.

    Frequently Asked Questions

    When does construction start?

    April 2026.

    How long will construction last?

    The city has not published a final completion date publicly. Most facilities of this scope and footprint take several months to a year to complete; Public Works will post on-site signage with the active schedule once construction is underway.

    Will I be able to use the Lowell Riverfront Trail this spring and summer?

    Yes — with minor reroutes possible. Expect periodic construction activity at the corner and possible short detours. The trail itself stays open; the facility footprint is at the edge of the park.

    Will the project raise my utility bill?

    No. The Washington State Department of Ecology grant pays for the project. The proposed Everett utility tax hike is a separate matter at City Council and is unrelated to the Lenora project.

    Will I be able to see the facility from the trail?

    Yes. The Filterra system has surface elements — bioretention cells and access path — visible at ground level, and the city’s Public Works department typically installs an interpretive sign explaining what the facility does.

    Why this corner specifically?

    The site is city-owned, sized correctly for the Filterra Bioscape system, located at the convergence of three drainage subbasins (LW-9, LW-10, LW-11) and adjacent to a publicly accessible park, which makes operations and public education easier.

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