05/27/1999 City CouncilEDMONDS CITY COUNCIL APPROVED MINUTES
MAY 279 1999
A joint meeting with the Edmonds City Council and the Edmonds School District Board was called to
order at 7:00 p.m. by Council President Haakenson at the Edmonds School District No. 15 Offices,
20420 68'' Avenue West, Room 101, Lynnwood, Washington.
ELECTED OFFICIALS PRESENT
Barbara Fahey, Mayor
Gary Haakenson, Council President
Dave Earling, Councilmember
John Nordquist, Councilmember
Michael Plunkett, Councilmember
Jim White, Councilmember
Dick Van Hollebeke, Councilmember
ABSENT
Thomas A. Miller, Councilmember
EDMONDS STAFF PRESENT
Paul Mar, Community Services Director
Arvilla Ohlde, Parks and Recreation Director
Jeannie Dines, Recorder
COOPERATIVE EFFORT FOR SITING OF A COMMUNITY POOL
iting of a7 Edmonds School District Boardmembers present were Judy Janes (President), Bruce Williams (Vice
ommumty President), Sally Fabro, and Mimi Terwilliger. Boardmember Larry Ehl was absent. Edmonds School
[Pool
District staff present were Susan Torrens, Superintendent; Wayne Robertson, Superintendent Elect; Mike
Warden, Assistant Superintendent; Bret Carlstad, Director of Property and Management; Marla Miller,
Business Office Executive Director; Pam Hopkins, Manager of Public Relations. Doris Walker,
Assistant Superintendent, was absent.
Councilmembers, School Boardmembers, and staff introduced themselves. Boardmember Janes advised
Dr. Wayne Robertson had been selected to succeed Dr. Torrens as Superintendent, effective July 1, 1999.
Edmonds Community Services Director Paul Mar distributed a chronology of the cooperative planning
efforts for a family/community aquatic center that included:
■ formation of a citizen committee in April 1994,
■ initiation of a feasibility study in January 1995,
■ development of the Edmonds-Woodway High School concept in April 1995,
■ public hearing by Edmonds City Council in June 1995,
■ achievement of regional governmental support in December 1995,
■ initiation of the YMCA/City partnership in February 1996,
■ YMCA/City planning session in July 1996, .
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■ development of a YMCA/City Concept in November 1996,
■ denial of CASCD bond funding in March 1997,
■ termination of the YMCA/City partnership in January 1998,
■ joint meeting between the Edmonds School Board and the Edmonds City Council in June 1998,
■ ASCENT 21 funding voted down in November 1998,
• termination of YMCA/Stevens Hospital Medical Center negotiations in January 1999, and
■ a public meeting on the project's future held in February 1999.
Edmonds School District Assistant Superintendent Mike Warden explained in 1994 the School District
and Edmonds worked collaboratively to consider the Edmonds-Woodway High School, site during the
conceptual design. Due to site challenges at that location, the School District is interested in determining
a feasible location.
Councilmember Earling described the current status of siting an aquatic facility and the community
interest. He explained a group of citizens gathered 1500 signatures of individuals in favor of an aquatic
center. Approximately 300 were from residents outside the area and the remaining 1200 were from this
area. He suggested this list of signatures be provided to the School Board. A citizens group was formed
to consider a future bond election. The Council met with several citizen groups three years ago
regarding the potential of a public vote on a public safety facility and a pool; it was agreed at that time
that the public safety facility would be addressed first. Although the current Council has not taken a
position, a majority is open to a proposal as long as it is done via a public process, is done as
economically as possible, and is beneficial to the community. He acknowledged the School District is
not interested in locating an aquatic facility at 76' and 212' (the new Edmonds-Woodway High School
site) and said there are a variety of other potential locations for an aquatic facility. The City plans to
pursue potential sites on School District property as well as other sites in the community. He observed
the importance of partnering with the School District to find a location that provides mutual benefit to
the community and students.
Mr. Warden agreed partnering is important. He pointed out their efforts to co -site a community center
with the city of Lynnwood at Scriber Lake. Several School Boardmembers agreed with the importance
of partnering.
Director of Property and Management Bret Carlstad displayed a map of the area and identified the
Edmonds School District boundaries and the boundaries of the cities of Edmonds, Lynnwood, Mill
Creek, Mountlake Terrace, unincorporated Snohomish County, Brier and Woodway.
Mr. Carlstad listed the sites owned by the Edmonds School District that are within the current City of
Edmonds boundaries - Edmonds Elementary (8.4 acres), Sherwood Elementary (13.5 acres), old
Woodway Elementary (9.8 acres) Woodway Elementary (13 acres), Madrona K-8 (27 acres), Westgate
Elementary (8.1 acres), Chase Lake Bog (7.5 acres), Esperance Elementary (3.3 acres), new Edmonds-
Woodway High School (34.5 acres including the stadium), former Edmonds-Woodway High School (39
acres), Civic Playfields (7.9 acres), and Seaview Elementary (8.3 acres). Mr. Carlstad said Chase Lake
Elementary and Maplewood Elementary were not included in the list of sites as they are in the process of
being redeveloped. He advised the Esperance Elementary site is not currently within the Edmonds
boundaries.
Mr. Carlstad distributed scale drawings of each of the School District sites within Edmonds' boundaries
and a drawing of the conceptual design of the aquatic center that could be used to visualize the space
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needed for an aquatic center. He also distributed a map of each site indicating a one -mile radius around
the site.
Mr. Carlstad described features, current uses, and constraints for each of the 14 sites. Following
discussion on each, all but the Civic Center Playfields and the former Edmonds-Woodway High School
site were eliminated from consideration.
Councilmember Earling pointed out the need for staff to identify issues to be considered at both the Civic
Playfield and former Edmonds-Woodway High School sites prior to any public process. Dr. Torrens
pointed out the need for a neighborhood feasibility study as part of any proposal presented to the School
Board. She pointed out the current feasibility studies assume the School District will invest in the
opportunity for student participation; this would require further analysis of the School District budgetary
ability to do this. Mr. Warden envisioned the School District's use of an aquatic facility for extra
curricular activities such as swim team, pointing out the issues of funding and the additional time
necessary to bus students to an aquatic facility.
Councilmember Van Hollebeke said his dream is for all students to learn to swim. Dr. Torrens agreed
this could be possible with community support but under the current local levy, they are at program
capacity. School Boardmember Janes pointed out the time that would be required away from school
activities must also be considered.
Discussion followed regarding the need to identify issues on each site such as how siting an aquatic
facility on the site would impact current programming, how the siting may impact future flexibility, the
need to identify beneficiaries, costs that could be incurred as a result of the School District's
participation, whether the potential benefits for the School District are sufficient to justify the costs,
whether those benefits could be provided in an alternate way, the School District's potential liability if
the aquatic center is not viable, and the possibility of providing lessons outside the regular school day
and regular school year.
Councilmember Earling suggested both staffs, the Council, and School Board begin to consider various
ways to partner including looking "outside the box" of traditional educational facilities and traditional
swimming pools. Although he acknowledged the importance of considering the two School District
sites, he recommended the City continue to seek other sites in the City at the same time due to the
possibility neither School District site will be feasible.
Councilmember White stressed this is a continuation of a discussion that has been occurring for a
number of years and no decision is being made regarding locating a pool on either of the School District
sites or even if a pool will be constructed.
Councilmember Nordquist recalled the City's conversion of a former School District property into .a
community center (Frances Anderson Center), as well as other facilities established for community use
such as the Senior Center, Underwater Park, Library, Civic Center, and Public Safety complex. He
recalled the concept years ago was to provide "walk to" places for the community, pointing out it would
be difficult for the community to walk to the former Edmonds-Woodway High School site.
Dr. Torrens summarized the City would continue to consider other sites as well as the two School
District sites identified via this process. She suggested the City narrow its thinking about the proposal
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and bring back the "nuts and bolts" to the School Board for discussion. She pointed out the need to
consider the financial impacts on the School District.
Councilmember Earling recommended that Mr.. Carlstad and Parks and Recreation Director Arvilla
Ohlde meet to discuss this further.
With no further business, the Council meeting was adjourned at 8:25 p.m.
BARBARA S. FAHEY, MA OR
-SANDRA S. CHASE, CITY CLERK
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