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Pep Rally, er, Town Hall meeting tonight!!!

We're still working on the final date for our Town Hall here in LS/Sno, but it looks like it will be on Oct. 29 at 7:00 p.m.

As far as tonight's big pep rally, er, Town Hall event in Everett, I've attached some talking points. Feel free to use as you feel fit. I'd encourage you all to get to Everett by 6:00 p.m. and sign up to make a statement during the event. Keep it short and positive.

Just to recap, here's what we can expect tonight.

October 3 Town Hall Preview:

The evening is sponsored by the UW/OFM Planning Team and focused on comment from the community. The UW/OFM Planning team will provide a broad overview and update, but the purpose of the Town Hall is to hear from students, families and employers. Your remarks on university access, student life, business and community higher education needs are invited, encouraged and strongly urged.

The programs have begun on time and are efficiently conducted. The moderator of the Town Halls is Marty Brown, Legislative Director for Governor Chris Gregoire. Presenters will be Dr. Lee Huntsman, President Emeritus of the University of Washington and Martin Regge of the lead site selection consultant, NBBJ. The presentation takes about 30-45 minutes.

The balance of the evening is dedicated to citizen comment. About three minutes is allotted to each speaker. This is our turn to convince state and university planners that the Lake Stevens/Snohomish site is the optimum location to site UW-North. To recap, our site consists of about 105 contiguous acres inside the LS UGA along 20th Street SE.

Our site alone can provide the quality student life, transportation convenience and rural/urban setting that can satisfy the long-term campus environment envisioned by the state and the UW. And much of that university infrastructure is in place today. Futher, our site holds the support of a coalition of cities representing a large percentage of Snohomish County's projected population. Due to the strategic nature of our location (just over two miles outside downtown Everett), our site offers all of the regional benefits of Everett's site locations without the considerable drawbacks (traffic congestion into the City, small/polluted sites, lack of room for expansion).

A note of caution - I expect we will be a significant minority at the Everett event. The Everett Area Chamber of Commerce has (to the dismay of the State) has done a nice job of attempting to privately-brand the public meeting as 'the path to UW-North). Due to the large amounts of $$$ spent on marketing and advertising of this event, we can expect a pretty big 'rah-rah' factor. Certainly we can learn from some of this and incorporate it into our meeting later this month, but it is also important to remember that the State is not evaluating sites based on how many people show up wearing Purple and Gold. Sites are evaluated on compliance with GMA, accessibility to students, room for growth/expansion, campus setting and accordance with the University's academic vision. As Deb Merle, the Governor's representative in the campus search said in today's Herald, (when asked about the marketing/branding/pep rally efforts of Everett)

"I don't want to discourage people or dampen their excitement, but at this point in the process that's not what matters with regard to evaluating the pros and cons of the four sites."

This is just a reminder that we need to be on the ball in presenting statements of fact and analysis of the benefits our site can offer the University of Washington and our community's residents.


Also - please remember to sign (and forward to anyone else you know) the petition:

SCCHE UW site petition

Call me with any questions.

Message Points for UW East County

Key Message Points for UW North Lake Stevens/Snohomish site

Multi-modal access:
The site is accessible from US-2, SR-9, 20th Street SE and is less than two miles from I-5. I-5 is directly accessible from the site via the Hewitt Avenue trestle.

University planners need to be aware that SR-9 will be a major multi-lane transportation corridor a la 405 within this generation. Lake Stevens features a Community Transit Park and Ride lot within one mile of the campus, and further Community Transit access is possible. Both 20th Street SE and the Hewitt Avenue trestle will be widened by the time the university reaches ultimate capacity (2025).

In a nutshell, the site has excellent current access, and the access is scheduled to be improved significantly before the university reaches capacity. In comparison with the Everett site – where streets and access is currently built out, this is and advantage.

The ultimate mix of rural and urban benefits:

The LS/Snohomish sites features the best of both worlds – over 105 acres of clean, flat, developable land with stunning panoramas of the Snohomish River Valley and the City of Everett, coupled with the convenience of an Everett physical address located two miles from downtown Everett.

All of the business and educational advantages offered by the Everett sites are accessible from our site, but without the space constraints.

Our site offers the opportunity for the development of a park-like campus featuring natural vegetation, open spaces and room for the university to expand over time.

Student life/recreation:

The site offers the joint benefits of access and support from Snohomish and Lake Stevens. Historic riverfront Snohomish offers recreation/shopping and dining while Lake Stevens offers the resources of the County’s largest lake.

Both cities are connected by the Centennial Trail.

Strategic Development of University:

The campus site is located in close proximity to future commercial development currently in the planning stage. Our proposal outlines several large chunks of developable land designated for commercial and university support services, allowing for the university to work in concert with local developers supporting our proposal to design a commercial facility out of the vein of University Village.

Such development could house the technical firms that will be encouraged to open satellite offices in proximity to what will be the State’s premier math and science institution.

Place Bound Students:

Growth in the UGA’s of Lake Stevens, Snohomish and Monroe is estimated to push the population totals of these east county cities past the current population of Everett within ten years. Currently, this market is completely neglected by higher education, offering the UW access to a virtually unlimited supply of place-bound students with limited higher education options.

Everett, in comparison, already offers university programs from Western Washington University, Central Washington University and Everett Community College, along with several smaller higher education institutions.

Unified Support of East County:

The site is supported by the Cities of Monroe, Lake Stevens and Snohomish along with the Lake Stevens Chamber of Commerce, the Snohomish Chamber of Commerce and the Monroe Chamber of Commerce.

Ideal Interim Site Ready for 2008:

With the knowledge that the university will need interim facilities to house students in 2008, the Lake Stevens School District passed a resolution of support indicating a willingness to utilize the adjacent Cavelero Mid High for the housing of evening UW classes. The $65 million campus opened last month and offers the world-class learning environment that students of the University of Washington North will expect.

Accordance with GMA:

The 105 acre primary site sits completely within an existing UGA and is serviced by the Lake Stevens Sewer District, which has issued a letter of support for the site proposal. The site can be easily zoned for university buildings and student dormitories.

Expansion opportunities:

In addition to the 105 acre primary site, the coalition contacted property owners of over 180 additional acres of property within a 3-mile radius that are interested in selling land to the university. This includes a 46 acre plot at the corner of 20th St SE and SR-9, located approximately two blocks east of the primary site.

Community Support for Education:

The Lake Stevens and Snohomish school districts support education with more dedication than any communities in the state. The Lake Stevens School District has successfully passed every levy and bond measure it has ran over the last 20 years. The $65 million Cavelero Mid High bond passed with a state-high 72.4% yes vote in 2004.

Reader: Bickering between cities could cost us the UW

By now, you all know how much I detest anonymous posts, so I hesitate to call attention to this comment - but it definitely makes for an interesting read.

Let me know what you think. I'll lead off in the comment section - KH

Mr. Hulten,

I am tired of listening to a bunch of uninformed citizens from Snohomish and Lake Stevens argue about land that should be developed. It seems like the only people who are educated spoke last Friday night and they have the means to destroy something good because nobody will talk to them or listen to them. Why were those three people who aren’t even in our city more informed than we are? But can you really blame the rest of us for our naivety? No. When are our elected officials going to realize the citizens who elected them to office are owed due diligence in keeping US informed about these sorts of issues.

The only thing that is going to happen around here is...well...did you watch the Husky game last night? We, both communities, will come ever so close to accomplishing something that only happens every 40 years or so, only to lose because of "dumb" mistakes and plays that should have been made early in the game.

Our leaders need to keep us informed, stop the bickering, and not succumb to the pressure of special interest groups. It makes me ill that the LS chamber president used a council meeting to position himself with a five g check, but I am disgusted that the city did not revoke the check. Who is running the show here? Our leaders or special interest groups? And Snoho, you are not immune to this either! Co-Applicants?

We are going to lose the UW, just like we lost to USC by a field goal because our coaching is flawed. Please Mr. Hulten, tell these two cities to stop squabbling, work issues out like adults, and keep the community informed before WE the PEOPLE, and the cities lose our shot at something of historic proportions!

Sun Sep 30, 01:00:00 PM

OtR - U-Dub Q and A, Part II

Could the UW be high stepping our way?

Note - the following column will appear in the Oct. 3 edition of the Journal.

Big news broke on the U-Dub front last week as the state announced that the Lake Stevens/Snohomish site proposal is a finalist for the new University of Washington North campus. In last week’s column, we did some Q and A regarding the site selection process. In between the time I wrote the column (Sunday) and when the Journal hit your mailbox (Wednesday), word leaked (Monday) that the state had trimmed the list of nine semi finalists to four, meaning that my column was dated and somewhat confusing by the time most readers had a chance to look it over. With that and mind, I thought we’d go back to the board and continue the discussion we started last week. Let's get rolling:

I’m thinking about getting a UW - Lake Stevens tattoo. Before I get inked, maybe you should tell me who we’re up against, and what our odds are?

Everett has two sites on the shortlist – the old Kimberly Clark log yard on the Snohomish River, and one near the train station. Marysville has a site adjacent to I-5. All along, Everett has been a front runner, pouring money and resources into the effort since last year – but the Everett sites have serious flaws. The log-yard would require a significant (read: costly) clean-up effort and the train station site is only 30 acres. The good news for us is that we can be absolutely sure that our site was chosen on its merits and not because of high-priced lobbyists or political pressure. As I’ve noted in this space all along, we have a legitimate chance to land the campus. I might hold off on the tattoo, though, just the same.

So where exactly is the Lake Stevens/Snohomish site located, and who picked it?

The site is located inside the Lake Stevens UGA along 20th Street SE near Cavelero Mid High. The site was one of three locations featured in the joint site proposal cosigned by Mayor Vern Little and Snohomish Mayor Randy Hamlin. The UW search team zeroed in on this particular site and set aside the other two locations featured in the proposal. The selected site consists of over 100 contiguous acres of clean, flat and open land.

Thanks for clearing that up. Now tell me who owns the land!

The site is a mix of public and private land. Snohomish County controls 40 acres, about 40 acres are privately held, and the Lake Stevens School District owns another 25 acres. All parties have expressed a willingness to discuss the proposal with the University of Washington and the State, but are not required to participate if they choose not to.

Why is the university proposal good for the community?

Let’s count the ways. First – education. Currently, east county students have no local higher education alternatives. Bringing one of the world’s top 25 public universities to our area will open countless doors to place-bound students. Second – the site will bring jobs. We’re all tired of having to cross the trestle to go to work and/or school. Imagine the employment opportunities presented by the planning and construction of the campus, followed by the staffing of the university and supplemented by the countless support businesses that follow a top-notch university. If you listen to the candidates running for office in Snohomish and Lake Stevens, they all talk about battling the traffic problem by eliminating the need to commute to west for work. This is a once in a lifetime chance to ensure the stability and vitality of our community for generations to come.

It seems like a no-brainer to support this effort. Is anyone against it?

Preliminary polling suggests around 95 percent approval from area residents, and at a recent debate, every candidate running for office in Lake Stevens voiced their support for the campus proposal.
However, if something is worth doing, then it’s a certainty that somebody will try to tell you why you can’t do it. Obviously groups supporting the other sites will do whatever they can to knock our community in order to promote their own cause. It wouldn’t surprise me at all if competitors leaked information to out-of-town anti-development groups in an attempt to undermine our efforts. Such a ploy won’t fly in Lake Stevens - we’d see right through it. Nobody does green, sustainable development like the University of Washington. For example, the Bothell campus is over 70 percent parkland and has won international design awards for the incorporation of wetlands and the preservation of the natural setting throughout the property, and we all know what a gem Montlake is.
This is our opportunity to control the development along 20th Street. In five years, the area will be developed one way or another. Luckily for us, we can choose a beautiful university campus instead of the cracker-box County-approved housing that would no doubt be the alternative.

What can I do to help?

Come to the town meeting tonight (Wednesday, Oct. 3) at the Everett Events Center. The meeting gets underway at 7:00 p.m., so get there early, grab a seat, and prepare to stand up and voice your support for your community. Public speaking in a setting like that can be intimidating, but I’m here to help. Log on to the Off the Record blog at lakestevensjournal.com and review my UW-Lake Stevens/Snohomish talking points for the town meeting (coming Tuesday). While you’re there, take a minute to sign the online petition. Also, check out the information I’ve posted on letters to the editor, and use one of mine as a template or write your own and send it to the Herald and the Journal.

I’d like to keep going, but there’s only so much room in the paper. We’ve come a long way in a short amount of time. Less than three months ago, the State called for site proposals, and received 83 applicants. Today, it’s down to the Final Four and we stand on the precipice of an event that will forever alter our community for the better.

Recently, I’ve heard a lot of talk about long range planning. Seven year plans, 20 year plans – heck, even 100 year plans. Bringing a world-class University of Washington campus to the greater Lake Stevens area is a forever-year plan: once it’s here, it’ll keep giving back forever.

Take the time to join the effort – if we work together as a community now, the future generations will look back on 2007 as the year everything changed for the better. They’ll also remember it as the year that Grandpa got that crazy UW-Lake Stevens tattoo on his forehead. Think Purple and Gold!

Kevin Hulten maintains the Off the Record blog at www.lakestevensjournal.com. Email your comments to Kevin.hulten@gmail.com.

UW Petition! Sign it!!!

Sign the petition and show your support for the Lake Stevens/Snohomish UW site proposal.

UW North: Lake Stevens/Snohomish site petition

Email me at kevin.hulten@gmail.com if you have any questions.

Purple and Gold

Sorry about the lack of posts over the last week. Those of your who still read print journalism may have noticed that I didn't get my column in the Journal last week either. My bad.

Not to make excuses, but I was super tied up with the last stages of the Snohomish County Coalition for Higher Education's University of Washington site submittal.

The drama involved in putting this baby together included a last minute, Lake Stevens School District Board of Directors special meeting, many patient discussions with area landowners, and various frusturations that come along with producing a 1,000+ page proposal.

At the end of the day, I'm happy to report that I hand-delivered our proposal to the NBBJ offices at South Lake Union about 15 minutes before the deadline. Our proposal includes a total of nearly 300 developal acres and a complete analysis of on-the-ground conditions in the three contigous site locations. This project represents the teamwork of the Cities of Lake Stevens, Snohomish, Monroe and Granite Falls along with the LS and Snohomish Chambers of Commerce. The Lake Stevens School Board offered a key resolution of support, and County Executive Aaron Reardon came through with a letter of interest on behalf of the County.

I'm not saying we're gonna win this thing - Everett has spent nearly $100,000 on lobbyists for their two sites alone - but it feels good to take a legitimate swing. And after watching Appalachian State win at Michigan a few weeks ago, hell - anything can happen.

I'll post more detailed info on the specifications of the proposal when I am able. Until then, Go Dawgs!

Lake Stevens, Snohomish to join fight for new UW campus

from a press release issued this evening...

In an effort to promote interior Snohomish County as a location for the new University of Washington campus, the cities of Lake Stevens, Snohomish, Granite Falls and Monroe have joined forces with the Greater Lake Stevens and Snohomish Chambers of Commerce in forming the Snohomish County Coalition for Higher Education, a group dedicated to working with the state and the University of Washington during the upcoming site-determination process.

Lake Stevens Mayor Vern Little said that the coalition has focused its attention on land between 20th Street NE and Highway 2 located between the cities of Lake Stevens and Snohomish.

“We have the buildable land, we will provide a viable business plan, we have the community support, and we have the space and infrastructure to support the world-class university that our region so richly deserves,” Little said.

Little said the coalition will be comprised of regional community leaders, elected officials, business persons and alumni. The coalition board will be co-chaired by representatives from the cities of Snohomish and Lake Stevens.

Snohomish Mayor Randy Hamlin said his city is excited to begin the process.

“We’re proud to join our neighbors in officially inviting the University of Washington to the east county area. We are ready to form a partnership with the Purple and Gold, and we are confident that we have what it takes to see this process through,” Hamlin said.

Last April, the legislature allocated $4 million towards the creation of the state’s first new four-year university since 1967, directing the University of Washington and the Office of Financial Management to hire an outside consultant to examine possible sites in the greater Snohomish County area.

On Wednesday, the state announced that Seattle consultant NBBJ will serve as the impartial independent in evaluating potential university sites in the greater Snohomish County area. Last year, the same firm concluded that the Snohomish/Skagit/Island County area would be best served by an additional four year university.

The firm will narrow the search to three potential sites, evaluating potential locations based on meeting the objectives of a master business plan, meeting the unmet baccalaureate needs of the region and state, compliance with the Growth Management Act and accessibility from existing and planned transportation infrastructure. The legislature also stipulated that the University of Washington affiliated campus will have a science and technology emphasis.

Colleen Hill, President of the Snohomish Chamber of Commerce said that areas east of I-5 provided the best opportunity to fulfill the criteria.

“We’ve got uniform support from area cities, a rapidly growing population, and enough buildable land to insure that the next University of Washington campus has all the tools it needs to become a regional leader in post-secondary education and a community partner,” Hill said.

A study completed by NBBJ last November indicated that a site of 300 acres or more is necessary to handle the needs of the new four year campus.

According to the state press release, preliminary site selection will be completed by Nov, 15.