What If? Possible Port expansion poised to magnify region’s potential.
By WENDY POISCHBEG, INTERIM CEO AND PRESIDENT, ECONOMIC ALLIANCE SNOHOMISH COUNTY & ELLEN HIATT
What if we could leverage more in federal grants to improve the roads you get to work on every day?
What if all of Paine Field, not just a portion of it, were in a designated Federal Trade Zone, giving more businesses a competitive edge and bringing more enterprise to our region?
What if all of Snohomish County’s lands could benefit from the exclusive tools available to a Port District?
Port Gardner Bay any summer day is full of families and boaters, kayaks and motorboats, walkers and sunset catchers. Everett’s marina is pulsing with energy, children’s laughter, fishermen, bird watchers and artists.
The Port of Everett is creating a vibrant waterfront with walking trails, restored estuaries and wildlife habitat, and a growing scene of hotels, restaurants and boating amenities.
Beyond the boat launch and kiteboarders off Jetty Island, catch a glimpse of the gantry cranes at the deep water seaport, or venture further south to Mukilteo where cargo from Japan is sent by railcar up Japanese Gulch to Boeing’s manufacturing facility.
From public access gems like the marina, to business development parks along the Snohomish River, the Port of Everett works within its boundaries to improve the quality of life and vitality of Snohomish County.
Unfortunately, it’s fairly limited there… within its “boundaries,” … a wonky configuration of districts encompassing most of Everett, parts of Mukilteo, and small parts of Marysville and unincorporated Snohomish County.
The Port’s district includes about 110,000 residents in a county of 830,000.
Why are those numbers important?
Port districts are uniquely positioned in Washington State as the only public agencies whose primary purpose is economic development. This means they can take measured risks, leverage federal dollars, and create opportunities that other public agencies cannot. Because only about 15% of the county’s residents are represented by the Port of Everett, this powerhouse of an agency is limited in its impact to the region.
In its 106-year history, the Port has stewarded the Everett waterfront from a sawmill and shingle manufacturing hub, to a commercial fishing center, to a modern container facility. The operation morphs over time according to public interests and, importantly, shifting economic opportunities. The most recent iteration features a modernized port capable of charging electric container ships and handling the oversized cargo vessels that navigate the Panama Canal. Add that economic power to an Everett waterfront with more public access amenities than ever before.
Under the leadership of Lisa Lefeber, a 20-year veteran of Port operations, the Port of Everett is capitalizing on the waterfront amenities for public access, a modernized marina, and cleaning up historic contamination from early industries.
Few agencies are capable of leveraging the dollars needed for multi-million dollar environmental cleanups the way the Port can and does.
What’s more, a public vote to expand the Port boundaries to the entire county, excluding the Port of Edmonds as it’s currently proposed, would open up over 100,000 miles of saltwater shoreline for potential public access projects, environmental cleanup, and more.
The Port’s decommissioning of the defunct Tank Farm in Mukilteo, which had obstructed waterfront views and access for decades, is a prime example of how reclaiming waterfront space can open new opportunities along Mukilteo’s shore. This effort has not only restored public access and habitat but also supported regional transportation, benefiting our communities.
Supported by current and former elected officials, including retired Snohomish County Executive Bob Drewel, the proposal has far reaching implications.
“This expansion transcends boundary extension; it’s about broadening our community’s opportunities to thrive—economically, environmentally, and socially. It marks our commitment to a sustainable future, where growth and environmental stewardship go hand in hand.”
– Bob Drewel, former Snohomish County Executive and Emeritus Member Puget Sound Regional Council
Despite being the state’s largest and most trade- dependent county, Snohomish County remains distinctively without comprehensive access to the resources and investment opportunities typically afforded by port infrastructure. The Port of Everett is the only seaport in the state that is not countywide.
With expanded boundary lines, our Port could extend its community investments throughout the County to support economic and community initiatives where they currently cannot. Public ports have access to infrastructure and financing tools that our cities and County do not, making it possible to better support regional priorities like faster freight movement from our manufacturing centers to the markets buying locally- made goods, reducing congestion, and creating more livable communities.
The Port also has its hand in the business community, helping multiply Economic Alliance Snohomish County’s efforts to recruit new family-wage jobs to the region.
Public ports throughout Washington are connecting their communities to their environmental resources, and the Port of Everett has demonstrated time and time again its skill and commitment to expanding public access and making recreational opportunities more widely available.
Additionally, the Port is setting new standards for sustainability through the implementation of advanced stormwater management and pollution control strategies.
Actions such as removing derelict vessels and expanding educational programs highlight a deep-seated dedication to environmental stewardship. These measures not only pave the way for a healthier future but also establish Snohomish County as a leader in sustainable port development, ensuring the long-term prosperity of its communities and natural habitats.
This expansion is more than policy; it’s about the lasting impact on human lives. The community’s connection with the water has defined Everett’s essence— its livelihood, beauty, and industrial innovation. This proposed expansion taps into that spirit, actively engaging residents to shape the shores of the whole region, and broaden impact to the manufacturing, public access, and transportation resources countywide, even in its most rural reaches far from our saltwater shores.
The proposal invites all residents and leaders to participate in shaping the future with an expanded toolbox.
Through forums and programs like “Port Stewards,” we’re fostering a unified effort to build an economy as vibrant as the sea, ensuring a balanced prosperity for all industries and residents.
As we face this crossroads, let’s seize the chance to craft a future where our Port reflects our community’s diversity and leads in fostering a more prosperous, sustainable, and equitable Snohomish County for generations to come.