The Mountlake Terrace City Council is set to approve as part of its Monday, May 7 consent agenda an agreement with Sound Transit to create a pedestrian plaza on the south side of 236th Street Southwest and a new paved pedestrian path through Veteran’s Park.

The projects will be funded as part of Sound Transit’s link light rail extension from Northgate to Lynnwood, and are meant to help local jurisdictions with access enhancement projects surrounding the future light rail stations.

Sound Transit has set aside $2 million for access enhancements in Mountlake Terrace. The city is required to make a 50/50 match, but it has already identified non-motorized improvements associated with the Main Street Revitalization project that will serve as the match, City Manager Scott Hugill said.

“In doing the sidewalks and bike lanes of the Main Street project, we’ve met our $2 million obligation, so no more out-of-pocket expense,” Hugill said. The current trail that runs through the park “is not ADA (Americans with Disabilities Act) accessible, it’s dark and doesn’t get used that much,” he added. The city has applied for a grant to design a new ADA-accessible trail, and will use part of the Sound Transit funds to build it, he said.

According to project documents, the trail will connect the Mountlake Terrace Light Rail Station to the City’s Civic Plaza via 58th Avenue West. The trail system will include approximately 3,000 feet of an 8-foot-wide asphalt paved path through Veteran’s park

It’s likely that all of the $2 million in Sound Transit funds will be used for the plaza and trail, but if there is any money left over, the city would also make sidewalk improvements along the west side of 64th Avenue, Hugill said. That section of 64th Avenue West from 236th to 232nd Streets Southwest is currently being used by transit center commuters for spillover parking.

Sound Transit is requiring that all of the projects be completed before the start of light rail service in 2024, “and we believe we have plenty of time to get that finished,” Hugill said.

Councilmember Seaun Richards asked if the improved Veteran’s Park trail will include lights, and Sound Transit staff present at Thursday night’s meeting said that lighting would be part of the project.

Also on the council agenda for May 7 is approval of a $63,091 amendment to the professional services agreement between the city and ARC Architects that will cover master planning of the existing police station building. Assistant City Manager Stephen Clifton told the council that developing a master plan for the existing station is a necessary first step before ARC can design the 3,100-square foot police station addition that was approved by voters — along with a new city hall — last November.

Monday’s meeting will begin at 7 p.m. at interim Mountlake Terrace City Hall, 6100 219th St. S.W., 2nd Floor. You can see the complete agenda here.

— By Teresa Wippel