Project Overview
In 1988, Snohomish County established a “Conservation Futures Program” to preserve open space, as well as farm land, agricultural land, and timber land. The program is funded through a levy on properties throughout the County.
In June of 2018, the Recreation and Parks Department submitted an application to the Snohomish County Conservation Futures Grant Program. On August 1, 2018, the Snohomish County Council approved a motion which included a $191,500 allocation to the City of Mountlake Terrace. The proposed acquisition is for 1.78 acres of property adjacent to Terrace Creek Park, or the Dennis S. Tasoff property. The city and county executed an interlocal agreement in November, 2018, which outlined the uses and requirements of the funding, including the placement of a conservation easement on the land once the city acquired it. The property was acquired on June 30th, 2019 by the city.
The conservation easement limits future use of the property as a park or open space and requires the city to preserve, maintain and protect the property as such. The city will partner with the Snohomish County Public Utility District to construct a trail on an easement that they possess under the transmission lines along the north edge of the target parcel. This connection will serve as a rare east-west connection point across Terrace Creek Park from the Terrace Creek Park Trail to the Recreation Pavilion/Evergreen Playfield Complex. In addition, the Recreation and Parks Open Space Master Plan targets the acquisition of an additional 2.62 acres of Natural Areas based on current population levels and 3.0 acres for the 20-year planning horizon based on population growth. This 1.78 acres brings the city closer to the target number of 66.04 total acres in the Natural Areas category of park land.
Project Timeline and Costs
Property Purchased: June 2019
Trail Planning: Fall 2019-Spring 2021
Trail Construction: Summer 2023