City scraps contested segment of Silver Lake trail in Everett

Everett

A person fishes on March 10 from a dock in Thornton A. Sullivan Park, which borders a private beach along Silver Lake and borders West Ibberson Drive in Everett. (Olivia Vanni / The Herald)

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EVERETT – After months of criticism and questioning of the proposed Silver Lake Trail by residents of Ibberson Drive, city officials changed the route on March 19, and confirmed the decision during an online meeting on Tuesday evening.

“This property goes back a long way. … I think it’s a complicated business and I think it stalled the whole project, “said Bob Leonard, director of Everett Parks.

For this reason the city has removed the part of Ibberson Drive from the project.

The Ibberson Drive neighbors consider themselves a close community on the north shore of Silver Lake.

About 30 houses line East Ibberson Drive and West Ibberson Drive, which are connected in a U-shaped loop by Silver Lake Road. Gary Fontes, Debbie Gomes, and Chris and Melissa Woytko said they wave as many of their roommates pass by Silver Lake. They hold neighborhood meetings and clean up the small private beachfront property that is shared by residents of Ibberson Drive who do not have any waterfront property.

The road is also narrow. When a car is parked on the side, it is almost impossible for two vehicles to pass each other. This is a problem that Fontes, Gomes and the Woytkos, among others, had with city maps for the Silver Lake Trail through the shared beachfront property and onto the narrow road. Everett Parks employees announced on March 19 that they had removed this segment from the project.

In interviews and public gatherings, several neighbors said they were worried about crime, more cars are parked illegally, and challenged the city’s private waterfront easement claim for the Silver Lake Trail project.

“We want a trail, we just don’t want it to ruin our way of life,” said Melissa Woytko.

The Silver Lake Trail Project would complete a two mile loop around the South Everett body of water. City officials removed a section of Ibberson Drive after residents questioned him. (City of Everett)

Completion of the Silver Lake Trail has been included in the city’s long-term plans for years.

The project was one of Mayor Cassie Franklin’s stated goals for 2020, but the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on city revenues and downsizing delayed those plans. During her address in Everett state in January, she reiterated her commitment to the trail, which was withdrawn and phased in with some elements. Franklin commonly calls Silver Lake one of the city’s best kept secrets and a hidden gem. If you finish a path around it, it will be more accessible.

The Silver Lake Trail Project would complete a two mile loop around the water. Some segments, such as the sidewalks along 19th Avenue SE and unpaved sections through Thornton A. Sullivan Park, already exist. Other parts, including the southern end of the lake and the pavement through the park, need to be built.

On the south side of the lake, the trail would formalize a pedestrian route through Silver Lake Drive. In some places the pedestrian walkway will be five feet wide, alongside 18 feet or 22 feet of vehicle lanes.

“We can allow vehicles and pedestrians to share the road somewhat,” said Everett chief engineer Tom Hood.

From Silver Lake Drive, the new paved path leads into Thornton A. Sullivan Park, past the disc golf course and north towards 112th Street SW and Silver Lake Road.

In the March 19 update, Everett Parks and facility manager Cory Rettenmeier wrote that the city could follow a path through Ibberson Drive in the future. This was repeated on Tuesday by other city officials.

A blind and narrow curve along West Ibberson Road doubles as a fire service road on the north shore of Silver Lake in Everett. (Olivia Vanni / The Herald)

“At least at this point, the city feels that we have right of way,” said Everett real estate manager Paul McKee on Tuesday.

Pedestrian space on Silver Lake Road has been a problem for residents of Ibberson Drive for years. The way to get there is only marked by a white line and has no sidewalk or curb.

“We love it here so much that we want to stay,” said Gomes. “We don’t want our neighborhood to be sacrificed for what the city thinks is the best trail option, which it isn’t.”

The State House and Senate budgets are considering funding the trail. The version of the house shows the grant application at $ 500,000. The city has $ 459,000 in funding. Work could begin later this year and is expected to cost over $ 900,000.

Items to be funded include a boardwalk from Silver Lake Drive to an overwater peninsula commonly referred to as Silver Lake Lake. This work is expected to begin next year or 2023, depending on when the money is secured, Everett project manager Dean Shaughnessy said Tuesday.

Further and with more money, a promenade across the lake that connects the northern part of the trail to Green Lantern Park might be possible.

Ben Watanabe: [email protected]; 425-339-3037; Twitter @benwatanabe.

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A person fishes on March 10 from a dock in Thornton A. Sullivan Park, which borders a private beach along Silver Lake and borders West Ibberson Drive in Everett. (Olivia Vanni / The Herald)

Two cars drive down the narrow West Ibberson Drive in Everett on March 10th. The city had proposed relocating a pedestrian walkway along the street, but removed the segment after neighbors criticized the route. (Olivia Vanni / The Herald)

A blind and narrow curve along West Ibberson Road doubles as a fire service road on the north shore of Silver Lake in Everett. (Olivia Vanni / The Herald)

Chris Woytko shows documents detailing ownership of properties along East Ibberson Drive and West Ibberson Drive, a narrow loop along Silver Lake in Everett, on March 10th. (Olivia Vanni / The Herald)

A neighbor speaks on March 10 about the need to rigorously rebuild a rock wall because vehicles are unable to turn on West Ibberson Drive in Everett. Everett City scrapped designs to put a pedestrian walkway on the street after neighbors objected. (Olivia Vanni / The Herald)

Beach access signs are posted in Everett on West Ibberson Drive on March 10th. The property belongs to neighbors on Ibberson Drive who do not have a waterfront property. (Olivia Vanni / The Herald)