Overlook and Townes 3 Acre Park Petition
Overlook and Townes 3 Acre Park Petition
The Issue
Overlook and Townes at Riverfront Neighborhoods
Everett, WA 98201
August 2, 2025
Mayor Cassie Franklin and Everett City Council
City of Everett
2930 Wetmore Avenue
Everett, WA 98201
RE: Urgent Need for Follow-Through on Riverfront Public Commitments
Dear Mayor Franklin and Members of the Everett City Council,
We, the residents of the Overlook and Townes at Riverfront neighborhoods, are writing to express our growing concern and disappointment over the City of Everett’s failure to deliver on core public commitments made as part of the Riverfront redevelopment, specifically, the long-promised 3-Acre Park, the Riverfront Trail, and other essential neighborhood amenities.
When we purchased our homes, many of us relied on the City’s approved Riverfront Master Plan and widely distributed materials that highlighted a vibrant, walkable community anchored by parks, trails, and integrated public spaces along the Snohomish River. Nearly a decade later, the 3-Acre Park remains undeveloped, and significant portions of the trail system remain incomplete. This absence is not just disappointing, it undermines the City’s credibility and the sense of trust that residents placed in Everett’s vision.
What makes this even more troubling is the recent news that the City has committed $1.3 million, and potentially up to $6 million, of Parks Department funding to a proposed Downtown Sports Stadium project. That decision sends a clear message: the needs of an existing neighborhood, which was promised parks and trails, are being deprioritized in favor of speculative downtown investments. This redirection of funding away from core infrastructure we were told would define our community is deeply frustrating and, frankly, unacceptable.
We acknowledge that the private developer continues to advance residential construction and is attempting to position the commercial phase for long-term viability. But without meaningful public investment and timely delivery of the promised parks and trails, the neighborhood’s core identity remains incomplete.
We are calling on the City of Everett to take immediate corrective action:
Halt further allocation of Parks Department funds to the Downtown Stadium project until the Riverfront’s 3-Acre Park and full trail network are funded, scheduled, and under construction.
Prioritize completion of Riverfront public amenities in your capital planning and 2025–2026 Parks budget, with public reporting on progress and timelines.
We remain committed to the future of Everett. But we ask, in return, that the City honor its commitments to the residents who already live here and who invested in good faith based on a public plan that the City approved, promoted, and has a duty to complete.
Sincerely,
Residents of Overlook and Townes at Riverfront
Everett, Washington
244
The Issue
Overlook and Townes at Riverfront Neighborhoods
Everett, WA 98201
August 2, 2025
Mayor Cassie Franklin and Everett City Council
City of Everett
2930 Wetmore Avenue
Everett, WA 98201
RE: Urgent Need for Follow-Through on Riverfront Public Commitments
Dear Mayor Franklin and Members of the Everett City Council,
We, the residents of the Overlook and Townes at Riverfront neighborhoods, are writing to express our growing concern and disappointment over the City of Everett’s failure to deliver on core public commitments made as part of the Riverfront redevelopment, specifically, the long-promised 3-Acre Park, the Riverfront Trail, and other essential neighborhood amenities.
When we purchased our homes, many of us relied on the City’s approved Riverfront Master Plan and widely distributed materials that highlighted a vibrant, walkable community anchored by parks, trails, and integrated public spaces along the Snohomish River. Nearly a decade later, the 3-Acre Park remains undeveloped, and significant portions of the trail system remain incomplete. This absence is not just disappointing, it undermines the City’s credibility and the sense of trust that residents placed in Everett’s vision.
What makes this even more troubling is the recent news that the City has committed $1.3 million, and potentially up to $6 million, of Parks Department funding to a proposed Downtown Sports Stadium project. That decision sends a clear message: the needs of an existing neighborhood, which was promised parks and trails, are being deprioritized in favor of speculative downtown investments. This redirection of funding away from core infrastructure we were told would define our community is deeply frustrating and, frankly, unacceptable.
We acknowledge that the private developer continues to advance residential construction and is attempting to position the commercial phase for long-term viability. But without meaningful public investment and timely delivery of the promised parks and trails, the neighborhood’s core identity remains incomplete.
We are calling on the City of Everett to take immediate corrective action:
Halt further allocation of Parks Department funds to the Downtown Stadium project until the Riverfront’s 3-Acre Park and full trail network are funded, scheduled, and under construction.
Prioritize completion of Riverfront public amenities in your capital planning and 2025–2026 Parks budget, with public reporting on progress and timelines.
We remain committed to the future of Everett. But we ask, in return, that the City honor its commitments to the residents who already live here and who invested in good faith based on a public plan that the City approved, promoted, and has a duty to complete.
Sincerely,
Residents of Overlook and Townes at Riverfront
Everett, Washington
244
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Petition created on August 3, 2025