I think it’s a bit tacky that you neglected to mention that one of those other PNW teams
I’m all for supporting your local team
but when another team – based just a few miles away – does something incredible
not mentioning it even in passing feels like sour grapes
I am not in any way connected to that team
My son is on a different local team (Nathan Hale Roboraiders)
I can still appreciate their very impressive achievement
and just like I appreciate and support my son’s team
that didn’t make it to the championship but worked incredibly hard and did as well as they could
and website in this browser for the next time I comment
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Your express stop for the latest Sound Transit news
The 1 Line Extension to Lynnwood opened on Aug
and I was particularly excited to take the train north to Mountlake Terrace (MLT) to visit friends
Here are some things to see and to around the station
Mountlake Terrace Station is wrapped in a vibrant installation of lenticular panels designed to reveal unique forest views depending on where you are standing
Artist Kipp Kobayashi designed the aptly named “Re-Forestation” artwork adorning the station where a stand of tall trees used to hug I-5 and 236th Street SW
The many trails that lead to the station through dense suburban forest and from nearby homes remind Kobayashi of a strong root system connecting to the site of "Re-Forestation" and a new central crossing point
Kobayashi says the Puget Sound region reminds him of the holidays—”it always smells like Douglas firs
I love the feeling of being in a forest and it seems natural for the trails to connect around the trees in "Re-Forestation." It's great to hop off the train and into the woods
my mom and I met up to walk around the new 1 Line station in MLT and reflect on changes to her neighborhood.
We walked from the station to Veterans Memorial Park
to the library and the newly renovated City Hall
and then to buy coffee from my mom’s favorite coffee stand: Espresso Break on 56th Ave W
One change we talked about was that some suburban forest near Veterans Memorial Park had to be cut down to make way for the light rail station and park and ride
Mom has always lamented the loss of trees for development
“We need trees to store our carbon!”
But we both agreed that it’s a smart trade to sacrifice a small number of trees to get people out of their cars and onto the train to reduce emissions
I asked my mom how she liked the art installation at Mountlake Terrace Station
and she loved the idea of reincorporating trees into the space
but she added she’s never been a #1 fan of orange
she thought the art installation was an excellent match for the fall colors on display in the neighborhood
we walked around 236th St SW and meandered through Veterans Memorial Park before stopping at the Mountlake Terrace Library.
As we walked around Veteran’s Memorial Park
we reflected that there was still plenty of tree cover
and Oregon grape to get the breath of fresh air we needed from a short suburban forest bath
I was greeted with a rush of nostalgia when we arrived at the library because the space is virtually unchanged
and bronze sculptor Georgia Gerber’s black bear statues are still lumbering past the front entrance begging to be climbed by children of all ages
We asked the librarian if there was any information about the age of the forest in the park next door and she pointed us to a website with a few answers
but it’s a mystery we’ll lazily research for the next few years—updating each other at birthday parties and holiday gatherings
After we walked the interior of the library while my mom gave a review of the books my nieces checked out most recently
we stopped by the newly renovated City Hall.
Neither of us had been in since it opened during the pandemic
but the space is inviting and smelled like new construction in the best way
my mom wondered why the stems of the giant flower installation were white
and I wondered what colors my mom does enjoy in an art installation
She promised she’ll keep an eye out and tell me when she sees it
where they serve “the best coffee in Mountlake Terrace,” according to my mom
I wouldn’t disagree—mom gives a quality endorsement
Armed with an oat milk mocha and a “regular milk” 12 oz latte
we headed back to Mountlake Terrace Station and down Van Ry Blvd
Both mom and I enjoyed getting a closer look at the Terrace Station transit-oriented development with apartments
Mom was thrilled to see that they had daylit the creek that runs from Veterans Memorial Park down through the newly built neighborhood
Snowberry bushes were planted below the elevated train tracks
who lives nearby and helps remove invasive ivy from Veterans Memorial Park
probably enjoys walking through the new neighborhood
and the road back to 236th has “a nice hill to walk.”
I’m so looking forward to taking more short trips from Roosevelt Station to Mountlake Terrace to visit my mom
It’s a great ride for a suburban forest bath and a “Tour de Terrace.”
I often hear about how light rail will connect Snohomish County residents to their jobs in downtown Seattle or the airport
but for me Mountlake Terrace is the destination.
Back to The Platform
MYNORTHWEST NEWS
The City of Mountlake Terrace is working to connect the Veteran’s Memorial Park to the Mountlake Terrace Transit Center
(Courtesy City of Mountlake Terrace via KIRO-7)
BY KIRO 7 NEWS STAFF
— The City of Mountlake Terrace is working to connect the Veteran’s Memorial Park to the Mountlake Terrace Transit Center
The “Transit Connection Corridor Project” project will include the installation of a 4,300 square-foot Pedestrian Plaza on the southwest corner of 236th Street Southwest and Van Ry Boulevard next to the Mountlake Terrace light rail station
It will also upgrade the trails for improved mobility and install lighting and signage for additional safety at the Veterans Memorial Park
The project is expected to cost around $4.85 million and will be completed this year
CHOKEPOINTS
1:23 PM | Updated: 3:35 pm
A Sound Transit train pulls up to the Columbia City Station
BY JULIA DALLAS
Service on the 1 Line from Lynnwood City Center to Mountlake Terrace is suspended from 1 p.m
Traffic officials said “a necessary preventative maintenance inspection” is underway
The Lynnwood City Center is also closed at this time
trains from Angle Lake to Mountlake Terrace are still running
Sound Transit said Link Shuttle buses have been ordered to replace the 1 Line route
“Updates will be provided once Link Shuttle buses are available,” Sound Transit wrote in its alert
“Passengers are encouraged to seek alternative service options and plan ahead for additional travel time.”
Traffic officials noted passengers can also use routes 112 or 130 for transportation between Lynnwood City Center and Mountlake Terrace
For a map of alternative routes, visit Sound Transit’s website
Follow Julia Dallas on X. Submit news tips here.
When Sound Transit begins service on the Lynnwood Link extension on August 30
the stations will directly serve three more cities in the Puget Sound
Two of those stations will make Sound Transit’s light rail system a multi-county system
marking Snohomish County’s first direct connection to the regional light rail system
As the county’s southernmost city on the line
Mountlake Terrace will be the gateway to Snohomish County for light rail riders from King County
in anticipation for its first light rail station
prepared land use reforms needed to transform its station area into a dense urban neighborhood
This growth has been planned for the aptly named Town Center and Gateway neighborhoods to the northeast and southeast of the light rail station
No housing growth is planned on western walkshed of the station across I-5 due to the presence of the Nile Shrine Golf Course and Lake Ballinger — plus a decision to keep the single family zoning to the north
A city of just four square miles mostly dominated by single family zoning, Mountlake Terrace had seen flat population levels since 1990, hovering around 20,000 residents. However, in the last few years, housing growth has picked up and the population has jumped, reaching 24,260 in the state’s last count in April
Planners expect Mountlake Terrace’s population to double
Like the two new Shoreline light rail stations
the surrounding areas have historically been and mostly remain as suburban neighborhoods that are now seeing multifamily and mixed-use developments retrofit them for light rail oriented land uses
Perhaps the most noticeable evidence of Mountlake Terrace’s suburban retrofit is the Terrace Station development
Terrace Station is a three-phased mixed-use development adjacent to I-5
commuters will have seen construction cranes come up and down on the old Evergreen Elementary School site
with the final phase wrapping up this year
636 residential units and nearly 90,000 square feet of commercial space have been added to the city in this one hotspot
Terrace Station sits in the Gateway neighborhood
and expands the commercial stretch that spans across the old strip mall environment on Shoreline’s Ballinger Way and into Mountlake Terrace
The project also extended Van Ry Boulevard to 236th Street SW
connecting the Gateway neighborhood to the light rail station and Town Center neighborhood
That connection gives Terrace Station residents a five-minute walk to the light rail station
Light rail riders will have access to Terrace Station’s retail amenities
Outside of Terrace Station, the bulk of the future station area’s development sits within Mountlake Terrace’s Town Center Subarea Plan area. In 2019
The Urbanist reported on the plan’s approval
creating the capacity for 12-story high-rises and approximately 6,600 more residents to the northeast of the station
Implementation of this plan has been slow going
with the most recent completions in the neighborhood predating the application of the new zoning
No builders have jumped at building 12-story towers given the unproven market and added costs those heights bring
especially with upper-level setback requirements in the city’s code
All but one of the recent completions in Town Center have been low double-digit unit townhouse projects
86 townhomes have been completed in Town Center and Gateway since 2019
The only major mid-rise development in this time frame is the 151-unit Atlas 236 Apartments
which also has around 10,000 square feet of retail space
The next completion to join these projects will likely be the Candela Apartments at 5901 236th St SW
The complex is a pair of eight-story buildings that will together have 425 residential units and 5,126 square feet of commercial space
This is the only major project under construction
leaving much of Mountlake Terrace’s near future to the imagination
Builders have officially proposed only two more projects in the Town Center
One is a 323-unit project at Mountlake Village (23120 56th Ave W) with 5,800 square feet of retail space
The other is a six-story apartment building with 91 units at 23713 56th Ave W
It will join the small urban cluster at the intersection of 236th Street SW and 56th Avenue
One last transit-oriented addition is linked to a potential street vacation. Street vacations are actions that “vacate” publicly own right-of-way and returns it to private property. One such action is being considered across from the Candela development at 5906 236th St SW
The neighboring parcels are held by developers that intend to merge their properties with the street vacation for a large mixed-use development
Mountlake Terrace has seen 873 units completed since 2019
and planning and permitting for another 506 units around its light rail station
That’s more than 1,800 units completed or in the pipeline
What makes the station area stand out from its peer stations on the Lynnwood Link Extension is the mix of uses that this development is introducing to the city
Nearly 100,000 square feet of commercial space
has been added to the station area and around 11,000 more are under construction or in planning
Now that we’ve tallied up development in Mountlake Terrace, let’s add it to our Lynnwood Link TOD map. We’ve now recorded more than 6,600 units built or in the pipeline around the Shoreline and Mountlake Terrace light rail stations
around 120,000 square feet of new commercial spaces has been built or are in the pipeline around the stations
Check out our station area development roundups for Shoreline South and Shoreline North
The Urbanist staff occasionally teams up to cover breaking news or tackle large projects. See more about our team on the staff page
The Urbanist hosts social hour meetups every month. In April, we’re hosting four social events and kicking off our urbanism-themed walking tours starting in Kirkland on April 26
we’ll be hosting a booth at the opening celebration at Downtown Redmond Station
Check our urbanist events calendar to see everything happening this month, including events hosted by partner organizations. You can submit your event for inclusion