Existing Conditions: Land Use and Environmental Inventory

164th Urban Center Plan March 2005 III. Existing Conditions: Land Use and Environmental Inventory 1. Introduction This chapter provides an inventory of land use, public service facilities, natural environment elements, and infrastructure within the 164th Urban Center study area. The purpose of this inventory is to identify existing conditions within the study area and provide a foundation for further planning. Issues discussed include land use, parcel size, building conditions, access, parks and recreation, fire/EMS and police facilities, schools, streams, wetlands, steep slopes, water and stormwater, solid waste, and energy. Information was generated through field reconnaissance and research; use of published documents (from Snohomish County, the Alderwood and Silver Lake Water Districts, Snohomish County PUD, and other sources); and verbal interviews with local government and agency staff. This information will also be used to provide documentation for SEPA compliance. Location The 164th Urban Center study area is located south of Everett in the general vicinity of the Interstate 5 (I-5) intersection with 164th Street SW in unincorporated Snohomish County (see Figure 1 – Vicinity Map). The study area is bounded on the north by 156th Street SW (extending over I-5), the northeast by Larch Way and 164th Street SW, the east by North Road, the south by 172nd Street SW to 13th Ave W and 169th Place extending to I-5. Alder Way and Ash Way denote the southern boundary on the west side of I-5. The western boundary is defined by 35th Ave. W north of 164th and by SR 525 south of 164th. 2. Land Use Existing Land Use Pattern Overview The 164th Urban Center study area is approximately 1,024 acres in area. The I-5/164th Street intersection bisects the study area from southwest to northeast. The study area is also associated with the Swamp Creek natural corridor that traverses the area north to south, paralleling Ash Way to the west (see Figure 2 – Aerial Photo of 164th Urban Center). The study area east of I-5 is characterized by a suburban-density strip retail/service pattern of development along 164th Street. A large Wal-Mart retail store is located on the southwest corner of the I-5/164th Street interchange. Martha Lake, located immediately beyond the northeast study area boundary, is surrounded by single family residences. Existing Conditions: Land Use & Environmental Inventory 12 164h Urban Center Plan 164th Urban Center Plan March 2005 Figure 1 – Vicinity Map (Source: Snohomish County PDS) Existing Conditions: Land Use & Environmental Inventory 13 164h Urban Center Plan 164th Urban Center Plan March 2005 Figure 2 – Aerial Photo of 164th Street Urban Center Study Area Existing Conditions: Land Use & Environmental Inventory 14 164h Urban Center Plan 164th Urban Center Plan March 2005 The 164th Urban Center study area west of I-5 has a somewhat different development pattern. Development is dispersed and disconnected along 164th Street SW, and currently consists of many undeveloped sites. However, new office and residential projects have emerged in the past several years. Opus Northwest, LLC is beginning to develop a 720,000-square foot business park. The first phase of development, which consists of two office buildings, recently began and could significantly change the character of the study area. New townhomes and an apartment complex have also been constructed over the past two years at the SR-525 and 164th Street juncture. Sound Transit recently completed preliminary planning studies for possible transit- oriented development on its Ash Way Park & Ride site, adjacent to I-5. Most of the land south of 164th is either residential or undeveloped. The commercial and institutional properties including businesses on the corner of Ash Way and 164th, two public storage buildings on Alderwood Mall Parkway and two churches are exceptions. An approximately one and a half-mile long segment of Swamp Creek flows through the center of the study area. The creek lies in the midst of a wetland complex consisting of a 38-acre wetland located north of 164th Street in a swath between Manor and Ash Way, an 18-acre wetland located south of 164th and north of Ash Way, and a 12-acre wetland located between Ash Way and Alderwood Mall Parkway. Two smaller creeks enter Swamp Creek south of 164th. Box Springs Creek enters from the west and Ash Way Creek enters from the east. An artesian well, which is a source of water for some residents, is also present in the riparian area N of 164th. This corridor serves an important drainage function. Table 1 summarizes existing land uses in the 164th Urban Center study area (see Figures 2 and 3 – Existing Land Use). The most common land use in the 1,024-acre study area is single family residential or duplex (approximately 29 percent or 300 acres). The second largest land use is right-of-way (approximately 18 percent, or 186 acres.) Office Commercial (95 acres), multifamily (65 acres), manufacturing (36 acres), retail commercial (24 acres) and institutional (25 acres) are other significant land uses in the study area. A large portion of the study area is also undeveloped, with approximately 22% percent (or 223 acres) of the study area. Approximately 47 acres of the Opus property in the central study area is constrained by the Swamp Creek corridor. In addition, some areas to the west of I-5 and south of 164th Street SW are also constrained to some degree by natural features, such as soft soils, streams, and wetlands. Existing Conditions: Land Use & Environmental Inventory 15 164h Urban Center Plan 164th Urban Center Plan March 2005 Figure 3 – Existing Land Use Source: LMN Architects 2002. Existing Conditions: Land Use & Environmental Inventory 16 164h Urban Center Plan 164th Urban Center Plan March 2005 Table 1 164th Urban Center - Existing Land Use LAND USE No. of Parcels Acreage Percent of Total Retail Commercial 34 24 2% Office Commercial 8 951 9% Recreation 1 4 >0% Surface Water Area 1 3 >0% Single Family/Duplex 580 300 29% Multifamily (3+du) 36 65 6% Utilities/Transportation/Communication 92 22 2% Manufacturing 4 36 4% Warehouse 4 8 1% Government/Education 3 4 >0% Resource/Production 1 1 >0% Institutional 11 24 2% Mobile Home Park 1 4 >0% Undeveloped 172 223 22% Unknown Uses 22 27 3% Right-of-Way -- 186 18% Total 970 1,026 100% Note: *Undeveloped portion of Opus property. Source: Snohomish County PDS 2002. The Swamp Creek and Ash Way Park & Ride lots (23 acres total) are public Utilities/ Transportation/Communication (UTC) land uses located on the west side of I-5. The topography of the study area steps down significantly from 35th Avenue W and from I-5 toward the Swamp Creek corridor. The west side of I-5/164th Street is in a topographic v-shaped depression. The slopes in the study area are buildable, but not easy to walk. Views Properties at higher elevations within the study area have territorial views of the Swamp Creek natural corridor and 164th Street. West-facing views consist of some development, but are primarily of the 164th Street arterial and the wooded, natural areas located along Swamp Creek. East-facing views from 35th Avenue W also include I-5 and the interchange at 164th Street. Territorial views exist from the 164th Street I-5 overpass to Martha Lake beyond the eastern study area and the Swamp Creek natural corridor to the west. Eastern territorial views also exist from th 36 Avenue W and SR-525 of the Swamp Creek corridor. 1 47 acres of the Opus property north of 164th is constrained by the Swamp Creek Corridor. Although classified as Office Commercial no development is permitted on that land. Existing Conditions: Land Use & Environmental Inventory 17 164h Urban Center Plan 164th Urban Center Plan March 2005 Parcel Size, Building Conditions, and Street Network There are several large undeveloped or vacant parcels within the 164th Urban Center study area (see Figure 4 – Parcel Size). These areas occur in the southwest corner, in areas along the I-5 corridor, and in the eastern portion of the study area south of 164th Street. The largest vacant space within the study area is the Swamp Creek natural area (47 acres), which consists of the creek and wetlands located on the 90-acre Opus property. This area is constrained and undevelopable. The age of the existing development within the eastern study area varies (see Figure 5 – Existing Building Conditions). The commercial buildings east of I-5 on 164th Street are occupied and in good condition. The residential areas south and north of 164th Street contain a mix of older single family homes that vary in condition. The multi-family residential complexes generally appear to be in good condition, but are not all new. Several newer single family subdivisions have also been constructed recently south of 164th Street SE. On the west side of I-5, the Ash Way Park and Ride is a new and highly utilized facility. The single family homes north of the park and ride are old and mixed in with wooded vacant lots. The homes along 20th Place W are bigger and range in condition from poor to good. The older single family residences along 22nd Avenue W have been infilled with newer well-kept single family homes. Similar to areas north of the Ash Way Park & Ride, Manor Way contains dispersed older homes with wooded vacant lots that are zoned for large lot single family. An older tree nursery is operating on the corner of Manor Way and 164th Street. South of 164th Street, lots vary in size and most are undeveloped.

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