ARLINGTON Seeking input from community members on the communitys needs, priorities and preferred directions, the city of Arlington has invited members of all its boards and commissions to attend a workshop Thursday evening, Jan. 10.
The information collected will provide a starting point for planning the City Councils retreat, which is set for Jan. 26 and 27 in La Conner.
In the meantime, the Arlington Times did its own mini survey of city officials, business owners and residents of Arlington. While a resident in the area, Bruce Foster simply hopes to see his image in the mirror every morning; others are more political in nature.
Mayor Margaret Larson named the TDR program her top priority.
I want to get this going so we can guarantee our farmland will remain, Larson said. The city of Arlington set a precedent last year by launching its own Transfer of Development Rights program with the Brekhus-Beach receiving area on the northeast side of Burn Hill.
We are doing everything that we can to get the first deal struck and to see the whole concept move forward, Larson said.
Larson is assisted in her efforts by City Council members like Dick Butner who recognizes the need for the new water processing plant to be in place before more development can move forward.
My top priority for 2008 is the water reclamation plant, Butner said. I put that above the TDR program because the water system must be working in full before we can accommodate the new population.
Butner admitted that the new development is probably a moot point until the housing market revives.
By then I hope we have found a price that works for both the farmers and the developers, Butner said, adding he is also looking forward to new development at the intersection of SR 9 and 172nd as well as a certain big project on Olympic Avenue.
I cant wait to see the Wrigglesworth building in downtown, he said.
While most City Council members have moved their attention from downtown to beyond for this next year, Graham Smith, Steve Baker and Scott Solla are all focusing on economic development, springing from the new Olympic Avenue and beyond.
Downtown merchants, of course, are hoping to see the new street pay off for themselves and the city.
George Boulton of Flowers by George said his top hope for the year is to see all the empty storefronts on North Olympic Avenue filled with thriving retail shops.
I just want to see all the buildings filled with successful retail shops so they can contribute to the citys coffers, Boulton said.
Another merchant on the street, Roger Miller, of Arlington Health Foods, has already seen a lot of new customers since the new street opened and he believes that it is now up to the merchants to cater to their customers.
We have added a lot of body cleansing products and wheat- and gluten-free foods, because of increasing demands from our clientele.
I think that merchants need to look at the needs of their customers, Miller said.
Now that we have a new street, I think we should consider expanding hours of operation. He said that he personally is putting some thought into identifying why his customers leave town.
City Council woman Sally Lien has delegated her priorities to Smokey Point now that downtown is done.
My hope for 2008 is that we can make it the Year of Smokey Point, Lien said.
She hopes to solve a few infrastructure problems there and recognizes the need to expand 172nd street to five lanes, although that project is not in any budget city, county or state.
We need a sensible internal street circulation plan to provide options to SR 531 (172nd Street) and Smokey Point Blvd, Lien said.
Also for Smokey Point, Lien is anxious for the team of University of Washington urban planning students to find some good entryway concepts to help define Arlington.
With the help of Vic [Ericson], Paul [Ellis] and Terry [Marsh], we hope to devise a development plan that everyone can support. Since SR 531 has no state funding, other than a few dollars for design, we will have to be very creative as to how we go about widening to eliminate the gridlock that now occurs much of the time. Lien said. She added that City Administrator Allen Johnson has said that staff will bring forth some proposals for the upcoming retreat.
I dont think it will be anything like the states $56 million that was included in the RTID, she said.
In his desire to pursue economic development strategies, Graham Smith is looking specifically to the west side of the Arlington Airport for his biggest hopes for 2008.
Turning the first shovel of dirt on the airports westside commercial development is going to be my focus, Smith said.
He wants the city to take over control of that development and get-er-done, like we did on the Olympic Avenue project, he said.
This will bring more businesses and jobs to Arlington than just about any other project, Smith said. He is also encouraging the city to take a leadership role in establishing a panel of state, county and local business leaders to find solutions to the areas increasing traffic. Third, Smith intends to continue work on a public safety plan that was developed in 2007.
Now confirmed in his appointed position on the Council, Scott Solla is a bit concerned that 2007 will be hard to top.
With the completion of downtown, I think economic development has to be our biggest goal for the new year, Solla said.
The new street has brought a new vitality into downtown and recent developments regarding the Community Transit site and Wal-Mart certainly open the doors for other opportunities that will energize the Smokey Point area. I think we have to commit ourselves to the idea of drawing new businesses to town. Solla referred to the branding of Arlington and other projects in the hands of the citys economic development consultant, Vic Ericson.
We need to sell our community to the EDC and to perspective new businesses.
Solla sees part of the strategy for building the economy is to address streets and transportation issues as well as continuing to build strong relationships within the city, and the school district, the Stillaguamish Tribe, and the communitys service organizations and places of worship.
Steve Baker wants to continue perfecting the citys operations as well as economic development strategies.
We have sought to make this city more streamline and citizen friendly. In our effort to make this a good healthy city, I think one of the most important issues is the traffic on 172nd Street.
We are very proud of the fact that businesses as well as citizens have been very good at donating their time, labor and materials to make this a better city. You can see the pride of the citizens in how our city looks, Baker said.
A Smokey Point business owner who is active with the Arlington-Smokey Point Chamber of Commerce as well as the effort to locate a UW campus in north Snohomish County, Becky Foster plans to stay focused on the potential of a college campus in north Marysville.
I would hope that the cities of Marysville and Arlington will hold hands tighter at Smokey Point and show our legislature that we are the finest spot for a four-year university, Becky Foster said, while her husband Bruce checked the mirror again.
Up the hill from town, the president of the Arlington School District Board of Directors, Kay Duskin said that finding a replacement for Linda Byrnes is at the top of her list.
Its a hard act to follow, Duskin said, adding that any bonds for new school buildings will not be presented until a new superintendent is in place.
We will be looking for someone who is both visionary and strategic. We want to make sure not to loose the ground that we have won during Lindas tenure, Duskin said, adding that the district will continue striving to meet standards.
Because we want all of our students to succeed. Like always we are raising expectations for staff and students. The board is reviewing and revising all of our operation policies so that will be in place when we start meeting candidates.
The natural resource manager for the city, Bill Blake speaks for himself as a citizen of the community as well as from his perspective at City Hall.
I hope we get a greater number of local citizens who join in the efforts to protect our shared natural resources such as water, wildlife, forests and food production. Too many people take it for granted that it is somebody elses job, when in fact each and every one of us have a responsibility to protect the quality of life for today and future generations of all the inhabitants of the Stillaguamish Valley.
The chairperson for the Arlington Library Board, Karen Hobson, knows exactly what her hope is.
I hope for a new library.
Her dream is in the hands of the people, as the city of Arlington and the Sno-Isle Library System have both agreed and have launched the process to rerun the bond for a new library in Arlington.
For information about the citys workshop Thursday and retreat at the end of the month, call City Hall at 360-403-3441.