2009/03/25 Council Agenda Packet

communities are designed,built and operated, enabling an environmentally and socially responsible,healthy, and prosperous environment that improves the quality of life. The proposal also includes shoreline restoration and habitat enhancement actions throughout the Project area including the Simpson Category 1 Wetlands and Riparian.Corridor,the South Simpson Site and the shoreline areas. Potential restoration and enhancement actions are addressed in the Snohomish Riverfront Properties at Bigelow Creek: Conceptual Enhancement Program(August 2005, The Watershed Company)1. See Figure 3 attached. Public access improvements would include extension of the riverfront trail to the north, as well as additional trails associated with habitat enhancements/restoration. These improvements are intended to provide pedestrian and bicycle trails and access along the waterfront, and linkages to adjacent retail, commercial, wetland interpretive areas and open space. Phased Review/Previous Environmental Review. The proposal is part of a phased review under SEPA. Phased review is appropriate when going from the plan-level to the project-level, and when going from an earlier stage to a later stage of development(WAC 197-11-060(5). The City acquired the approximately 211-acres of Riverfront properties over a period of years. From 1997-2005,the City began to plan for the redevelopment of these properties. Since the late 1990s, the City undertook preliminary actions to enable the properties to be available for redevelopment,without limiting the choice of development options. The City took actions to cleanup the properties, including the Landfill Cleanup Action Plan. The City also took various other preliminary actions, including fill of the Simpson development pad and establishment of public shoreline access and trail along the Simpson property. The City undertook and completed"plan-level"environmental review and land use actions from 2000-2005. These included comprehensive updates to the City's Shoreline Master Program and Comprehensive Plan, and adoption of a city-wide Shoreline Public Access Plan. The City also processed implementing revisions to its development regulations. The resulting vision statements for the riverfront properties are in Attachment 1. In addition, as part of long-planned local and regional transportation system improvements,the City separately planned and constructed the 41St Street Bridge overcrossing and reached agreements for BNSF track removal and upgrade/relocation on the riverfront property. The City also conveyed a portion of the former Simpson site to the Washington State Department of Transportation for a stormwater facility for Interstate 5 HOV improvements integrated with the City's Snohomish River shoreline public access trail. The 40 Street Bridge project and SMP Update were the subject of settlement agreements resolving issues among the City, Tulalip Tribes, and environmental groups to plan for and promote habitat enhancement and restoration ' The Snohomish Riverfront Properties at Bigelow Creek: Conceptual Enhancement Program,The Watershed Company,(August 2005),was prepared to comply with conditions of a 2003 settlement agreement between the City of Everett and the Tulalip Tribes and a 2004 settlement agreement between the City and the Pilchuck Audubon Society and the Public Employees for Environmental Responsibility. Included are items such as establishment of vegetated buffers,protection of wetlands,and provisions for habitat enhancement. SEPA review of the program has not been completed. 3