by Teresa Wippel
Posted: April 2, 2025
Link to My Edmonds News Article
An estimated crowd of 250 people packed the Edmonds City Council chambers Tuesday, spilling out into the foyer. Some were fearful that a cherished neighborhood park and community center could eventually be sold to help offset the City of Edmonds’ $20 million budget deficit. Still others mourned the removal of a historic 100-foot redwood tree. And yet another group expressed concerns about how future zoning changes could impact their neighborhood.
For two hours, nearly 70 people delivered heartfelt testimony — both in person and remotely. A contingent of residents attended to mark the loss of the redwood on 5th Avenue South known to many as “Big Red.” Gwen Baugh represented the views of several speakers when she said “there should be new codes which preserve heritage trees before we lose more of them.”
Some attending were residents living near Hummingbird Hill Park, located at 10th Place Northeast and Edmonds Street. They mobilized after discovering that the council was considering — as part of its priorities for 2025 Comprehensive Plan amendments — whether to further study the idea of “options for future land use” for the park, including sale.
That particular idea came from Councilmember Vivian Olson, and it was among 28 ideas councilmembers submitted for the city planning department to review for possible future study. Other ideas in that category of future land use included the Frances Anderson Center (which also drew a number of comments Tuesday night), the current Edmonds City Hall property, the Wade James Theater, and the Meadowdale Club House
Many of those offering testimony were parents, some with young children in tow. One father spoke about his move to Edmonds with his wife and two young daughters. Both he and his wife had been diagnosed with cancer, six months apart, when their children were ages 3 and 1, and they moved to their Edmonds home because it was next to Hummingbird Hill Park. “This is kind of a sacred place for us and we’re so grateful to be part of it,” he said.
Ten-year Edmonds resident Gordon Black called the park “a popular community asset, one that should not be put up for sale. It represents 1.2 acres of greenery, big trees and calmness.”
Some of Edmonds’ well-known residents weighed in as well. Jack Faris said his children — including daughter and movie actor Anna Faris — played at Hummingbird Hill Park while growing up. Jack Faris also delivered a message from Edmonds resident and European travel guide Rick Steves, who encouraged the city to protect its green spaces.
The idea of selling the Frances Anderson Center also drew emotional responses from those who have used the center — or taken their children there — to take classes, develop friendships and stay active. One speaker also noted that the center is cultural hub, hosting the Olympic Ballet school, the Sculptors Workshop and the annual Edmonds Arts Festival. Other speakers addressed the need to protect the Main Street Kids child care center, which serves 90 children and has a waiting list of 500.
Several residents stated that selling city assets, whether it’s a park or a community center, is a short-term solution to the city’s long-term budget deficit. Some suggested that other revenue generation — including paid parking, opening a hotel on the waterfront and an increase in property taxes — would be preferable to selling public amenities. Others volunteered to help the city find creative ways to fix its budget woes.
In remarks to the audience after public testimony was complete, Council President Neil Tibbott stressed that the purpose of Tuesday’s discussion was to “introduce possible amendments to the Comp Planning process, and this is a very important distinction. There was never a time when we said we’re going to sell Frances Anderson Center, for example, or any particular park.”
And interim Planning and Development Director Shane Hope confirmed it was likely that her department — which is currently understaffed due to budget cuts — would only be able to get to four total priority areas this year.
In the end, the council on Tuesday night approved two ideas, for starters, from a list that was compiled based on individual prioritization lists submitted by councilmembers. They are: 1) to further evaluate the proposed North Bowl Hub — which has drawn concerns from residents living their due to the impacts of increased density on their neighborhood — and 2) to establish and study a critical areas program.
Councilmember Jenna Nand voted to abstain from voting on the Comp Plan measures, reading into the record a statement that she believes that focusing on Comprehensive Plan amendments “to be a questionable use of staff time and city resources. I think that it would be a more appropriate use of our limited staff time and resources in the planning department, especially during this time of fiscal emergency and extensive layoffs, to address the long-delayed tree code updates.”
Her stance, which she had communicated publicly to constituents prior to Tuesday night’s meeting, drew some criticism from public commenters worried that her decision not to vote could hurt their efforts to protect places like Frances Anderson Center and Hummingbird Park.
Neither of those items were considered Tuesday night, but Tibbott promised to bring the remaining list back to a future meeting for consideration.
As for next steps, planning department staff will study the council’s top priorities. with study results reported by the end of June. In early July, the council will decide on which ideas to formally propose as Comprehensive Plan amendments. Those amendments will then go through a public process (including review by the Edmonds Planning Board). In early September, the council will vote on adopting any of the proposed amendments into the Edmonds Comprehensive Plan.
During their comments at the end of Tuesday’s meeting, councilmembers thanked the public for sharing their thoughts and also offering suggestions for addressing the city’s budget crisis.
“I really want to thank everyone for showing up,” Councilmember Michelle Dotsch said. “It really warms my heart.” She also encouraged people to stay engaged in discussions about the city’s budget, “because this is going to continue as the year progresses.”
Councilmember Olson, who had come under fire after suggesting that Hummingbird Hill Park wasn’t being used, offered an apology during her comments. She then added — in a nod to those who offered to help — that Edmonds “would really benefit by having a volunteer, volunteer coordinator in our city, or maybe three or four people who would job share that position.
“If we set up a spreadsheet and we really were able to tap into all the time and talents that people were willing to give our city, that might be part of the solution, in addition to the dollars,” she added.
In other business Tuesday, the council received its annual presentation from the Edmonds Center for the Arts. You can review it here.