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I.  INTRODUCTION

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This Transportation Element (TE) of the Snohomish County Growth Management Act (GMA) Comprehensive Plan is prepared in accordance with the GMA and the county’s General Policy Plan. Contained within the TE are projects and implementation measures necessary to effectively serve planned land use throughout Snohomish County. Importantly, this element provides guidance for the design, construction and operation of transportation facilities and services through the year 2035.

A.  Purpose and Background
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The purpose of the TE is to present a plan for transportation facilities and services needed to support the county’s 2015-2035 future land use map. The TE recommends specific arterial roadway projects for the unincorporated county in order to meet roadway safety and capacity needs. However, it also recommends various implementation strategies to guide the county in its participation in regional transportation planning. Implementation strategies provide guidance on such issues as:

land use-transportation concurrency;

arterial, highway, and transit level of service;

transit emphasis corridors

access management;

transportation demand management (TDM);

regional High-Capacity Transit;

nonmotorized transportation;

air quality conformance; and

freight and goods mobility.

The county’s TE provides an estimate of expenditures and revenues associated with implementing various recommended transportation improvements. It also recommends a financial strategy that would ensure needed transportation improvements are funded. It should be noted that the transportation element can be amended and supplemented by special studies that later provide more detailed policy direction and project recommendations. These special studies would maintain consistency with the countywide transportation element, while also qualifying and refining its recommendations.

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Snohomish County has experienced significant growth and suburbanization during the last 50 years. For example, the county has grown from a population level of 172,199 in 1960 to 713,335 people in the year 2010. (ref. 1) On an annualized basis, this would be equal to adding 10,000 to 11,000 people to the county per year. Nearly half of the residents of Snohomish County have resided in the unincorporated lands during this period.

The estimated 2011 total county population was 717,000 with 304,277 people residing in unincorporated Snohomish County and 412,723 in incorporated cities. The 2011 population estimates show that 58 percent of countywide population resides within incorporated cities, 25 percent within unincorporated UGAs (urban growth areas), and 17 percent on unincorporated rural lands. Of the incorporated cities, Everett has the largest population. The Southwest County UGA is the largest and most populated UGA. Of the Non-S.W. County UGAs, Marysville has the largest population followed by Lake Stevens. (ref. 2)

The Washington State Office of Financial Management (OFM) provides counties and cities in the State of Washington with county-level growth forecasts to accommodate their planning processes under GMA. OFM’s 2012 GMA population projections have a high, medium, and low growth series for each county. The projections of 2035 total population for Snohomish County under these series are:

High – 1,161,003

Medium – 955,281

Low – 802,384

OFM considers the medium series to be the most likely projection (ref. 3). The Snohomish County Council used the medium series — 2035 countywide population of 955,281 — when adopting 2035 initial population targets for Appendix B of the Countywide Planning Policies (ref. 2). The land use assumptions used to estimate future travel demand for this Transportation Element use a 2035 forecast of 955,257 for countywide population.

Employment growth in Snohomish County has traditionally been one of the drivers of population growth. The county’s predominant employment sector has been aerospace manufacturing, and it continues to be an important component of the county economy. The economy has been growing more diversified. In the year 2011, estimated employment within Snohomish County equaled about 248,990 jobs, not including resource and construction jobs. (ref. 2)

It is estimated that 82 percent of county employment is located within incorporated cities, 12 percent within unincorporated UGAs and six percent within unincorporated rural areas (ref. 2). The greatest concentration of employment is within the City of Everett and more broadly within the Southwest County UGA. Many residents of Snohomish County commute outside of the county for employment. Based on 2006-2010 data, the US Census Bureau estimated that over 116,000 workers commuted from Snohomish County to King County for employment. (ref. 4)

The Snohomish County Council adopted a 2035 initial employment target for Snohomish County of 396,273 jobs. (ref. 2) The land use assumptions used to estimate future travel demand for this Transportation Element use a 2035 forecast of 396,373 for countywide employment. Much of the employment growth is expected to occur within the incorporated cities; however, the county will plan for its share of job growth that will occur in unincorporated UGAs.

B.  Growth Management Act Requirements and Policy Foundation
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The GMA provides a substantial amount of legal and policy guidance to the county regarding preparation of TEs. The GMA requires a TE that implements, and is consistent with, the land use element of the comprehensive plan (RCW 36.70A.070(6)). A TE must specifically present:

land use assumptions used in estimating and forecasting travel;

estimated traffic impacts to state-owned transportation facilities

an inventory of air, water, and ground transportation facilities and services;

level of service (LOS) standards for all locally owned arterial and transit routes and actions necessary to allow transportation facilities and services to meet the standards;

LOS standards for state highways to gauge system performance;

forecasts of traffic for at least ten years based on the adopted land use plan

identification of state and local transportation system needs to meet current and future travel demand;

an analysis of funding capability to judge identified system needs against probable funding resources;

a multi-year finance strategy that balances needs against available funding;

intergovernmental coordination and impact assessment;

strategies for reducing travel demand; and

a pedestrian and bicycle component.

Consistency between the land use and transportation elements of the comprehensive plan is of particular importance. Planned land use must be reflected in the travel forecasts that are prepared to evaluate the impacts of development. The transportation improvements and implementation measures within the transportation element must adequately support planned land use at adopted level of service (LOS) standards. In addition, consistency between the county’s overall transportation element, the cities’ comprehensive plans, the state’s highway plan, and transit development programs needs to be ensured through intergovernmental coordination.

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The GMA provides for preparation and adoption of multi-county planning policies and regional transportation plans. Puget Sound Regional Council (PSRC) is the regional transportation planning organization for the Central Puget Sound Region (King, Kitsap, Pierce and Snohomish Counties) and has the responsibility to adopt multi-county planning polices (RCW 36.70A). These policies provide guidance on a variety of growth management issues to its member jurisdictions across the four counties. (ref. 5)

Vision 2040Vision 2040 is a regional land use plan and growth strategy which encourages population growth and economic development to take place within a regional hierarchy of cities, defined by their size and the roles they play in the region, and unincorporated areas, both urban and rural. The county and each city in the county will adopt policies, land use plans, and growth allocations consistent with Vision 2040. Metropolitan Cities and Core Cities are expected to take a greater amount of growth than the other types of cities, and Rural Areas would take the least growth.

In addition to providing a regional land use plan, Vision 2040 provides multicounty planning policies addressing regional growth and development including:

General Policies—The general policies address coordination of jurisdictions, monitoring of Vision 2040, and fiscal challenges and opportunities including exploring funding sources for services and infrastructure.

Environment—The region will care for the natural environment by protecting and restoring natural systems, conserving habitat, improving water quality, reducing greenhouse gases (GHG) emissions and air pollutants, and addressing potential climate change impacts.

Development Patterns—The region will focus growth within areas that are already urbanized to create walkable, compact, and transit-oriented communities that maintain unique local character.

Housing—The region will preserve, improve, and expand its housing stock to provide a range of affordable, healthy, and safe housing choices to every resident.

Economy—The region will have a prospering and sustainable regional economy by supporting businesses and job creation, sustaining environmental quality, and creating great central places, diverse communities, and high quality of life.

Transportation—The region will have a safe, clean, integrated, sustainable, and highly efficient multimodal transportation system that supports the regional growth strategy and promotes economic and environmental vitality and better public health.

Public Services—The region will support development with adequate public facilities and services in a coordinated, efficient, and cost-effective manner that supports local and regional growth planning objectives. (ref. 5)

Transportation 2040PSRC’s Transportation 2040 supports Vision 2040 planning for a transportation system supporting the growth strategy. Transportation 2040 is built around three key strategies, as stated in the plan’s executive summary:

Congestion and Mobility—The plan improves mobility through a combination of effective land use planning, demand management, efficiency enhancements, and strategic capacity investments.

Environment—A key focus of the plan is to protect and improve the region’s environmental health.

Funding—The Transportation 2040 financial strategy relies on traditional funding sources in the early years of the plan. Over time the region will transition to a new funding structure based on user fees, which could include high-occupancy toll lanes, facility and bridge tolls, highway system tolls, VMT charges, and other pricing approaches that replace the gas tax and further fund and manage the transportation system. (ref. 6)

Vision 2040 and Transportation 2040 are implemented through PSRC’s review of each county and city comprehensive plan and certification of the transportation element.

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The Snohomish County Council is responsible for adopting countywide planning policies (CWPPs) per RCW 36.70A.210. The CWPPs provide a framework for developing consistent city and county growth management plans. (ref. 7) Snohomish County Tomorrow (SCT) is a forum by which the county and the cities, in an ongoing and collaborative process, review CWPPs, discuss intergovernmental coordination, and provide for public involvement.

The council adopted the current CWPPs in June 2011. The transportation part of these planning policies are prepared to specifically address the requirements of RCW 36.70A.210(3)(d) and apply to countywide transportation facilities and services. The applicable facilities and services are those that serve travel needs and have impacts beyond the particular jurisdiction(s) within which they are located.

Most importantly, the CWPPs provide procedural guidance to the county and cities to help ensure consistent transportation planning and implementation. Guidance is provided regarding:

joint procedures for mitigating the traffic impacts of land development;

consistent design standards;

transportation service areas as the basis for coordination of transportation plans;

designation of transit emphasis corridors

cooperative project programming and prioritization;

land use supportive transportation services and facilities;

rules for compatible transportation LOS and concurrency management;

ensuring mitigation of environmental impacts of transportation;

coordination in planning and constructing nonmotorized facilities;

locating regional and essential public transportation facilities; and

management of travel demand.

This TE, like the other elements of the county’s comprehensive plan, is prepared consistent with guidance provided by the CWPPs.

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This TE is a part of the GMA Comprehensive Plan (GMACP) that provides guidance as to how the county will develop towards the year 2035. The comprehensive plan consists of the General Policy Plan (GPP) and various supplemental elements that serve as functional plans. (ref. 8) The GPP provides goals, objectives, and policies guiding implementation of the various functional plan elements that include:

a land use element that establishes UGAs, land use designations and densities, development patterns, community structure, and resource land management;

a housing element that makes provisions for identifying and meeting housing needs;

a capital facilities element that identifies capital facilities needed to adequately serve planned land use;

a utilities element that identifies the various utility service needed to adequately serve planned land use;

a park and recreation element;

a transportation element that ensures transportation services and facilities are provided to adequately serve planned land use; and

an economic development element that makes provisions for the county to encourage and stimulate economic vitality.

a natural environment element provides a framework for protecting and preserving the natural environment.

an interjurisdictional coordination element provides general direction for cooperation between the county and cities on issues of mutual concern.

Figure 1 illustrates the comprehensive planning framework within which Snohomish County pursues GMA requirements. This TE, as a supplement to the GPP, is fully consistent with the policy document’s goals, objectives, and policies, and will adequately serve planned land use towards 2035. Implementation measures, long-range projects, and financing strategies are identified that, if implemented in a timely fashion, will ensure transportation services and facilities will remain concurrent with planned land development.

C.  Inventory of Transportation Facilities and Services
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A comprehensive inventory of all transportation facilities and services provides a sound basis for effective planning. The GMA requires the county to perform an inventory of air, water, and ground transportation facilities and services, including transit alignments and general aviation airport facilities, to define existing capital facilities and travel levels as a basis for future planning. This inventory must include state-owned transportation facilities within the city or county’s jurisdiction boundaries (RCW 36.70A.070(6)(a)(iii)(A)).

This section of the TE summarizes the transportation facilities and services that exist within Snohomish County. The county, in compliance with the GMA, maintains a detailed digital set of maps and related databases using geographic information system (GIS) software that provide an Inventory of Transportation Facilities and Services. The inventory is part of the TE. Although the scope of the comprehensive plan is limited to the unincorporated portions of the county, the scope of the inventory is generally countywide. Consequently, the inventory includes descriptive information on transportation facilities and services in both incorporated and unincorporated areas.

Snohomish County’s Inventory of Transportation Facilities and Services (ref. 9) is maintained in digital map and database form. Maps are produced using the county’s GIS software, while descriptive information is maintained with database software. Figure 2 illustrates the various data categories maintained within the county’s inventory. Nine digital inventory maps, shown in Table 1, are available on request to illustrate the geographic extent of transportation facilities and services throughout the county. The related databases contain descriptive information about the facilities and services that are shown on the maps. The public works department publishes an Inventory of Transportation Facilities and Services: Catalog of Maps and Databases, Revised June 2015, which more fully describes the inventory.

FIGURE 1 Comprehensive Planning Framework

Policy and Consistency Relationships

In addition, the public works department maintains a development review database, which provides information on each arterial under Snohomish County’s jurisdiction. County arterial units are delineated on the Snohomish County Arterial Units map. The database summarizes traffic count data, travel time study results, and roadway geometry for each arterial unit and key intersection. The information is used to monitor and assess existing traffic conditions and as an aid during the land use development review process. The public works department also maintains the Mobility Program. Mobility provides a detailed and comprehensive inventory and description of county roadway facilities, including data on roadway geometry, intersection approaches, bridges, signs, striping, traffic counts, and accidents.

Table 1 Inventory of Transportation Facilities and Services

Map Name

Inventory Description

Arterial Circulation

Arterial functional classification and recommended new arterials

Bridges and Grade-Separated Interchanges

County-maintained bridges and WSDOT grade-separated interchanges

Signals and Number of Lanes

Countywide traffic signals and number of lanes on major arterials

Bikeways, Urban Trails, Railroad Crossings

Existing bikeways and urban trails, railway lines, and railroad crossings

Countywide Bicycle Facility System

Existing and proposed bikeways/trails

Transit Facilities and High Occupancy Vehicle Lanes

Community Transit, Sound Transit, and Everett Transit fixed routes and maintenance facility, transit stations and transfer centers, major park-and-ride facilities, and high occupancy vehicle lanes

Intermodal Facilities

Airports and airfields, WSDOT ferry terminals and routes, interstate bus terminals and routes, railways, and port locations

State Highway Units and Inventory

WSDOT freeways and highways, state highway units and WSDOT ferry routes and terminals

Southwest Area Pedestrian Facility System

Existing pedestrian facilities

FIGURE 2 Snohomish County Inventory of Transportation Facilities and Services

For the inventory of state-owned transportation facilities within Snohomish County, state highways have been broken down into state highway units. These units, which are sections of highway with similar geometrics and operating characteristics, are shown on the digital inventory map: State Highway Units and Inventory. The inventory contains detailed information on each state highway unit, including length, federal functional class, number of lanes, speed limit, and estimates of Average Annual Daily Traffic and Daily Vehicle Miles of Travel.

Relevant information regarding state highways is also available in databases produced by Washington State Department of Transportation (WSDOT) and PSRC.

As noted above, the Inventory of Transportation Facilities and Services describes WSDOT grade-separated interchanges within Snohomish County. (ref. 10) In addition, 42 existing and 8 proposed/conceptual interchanges are mapped and diagrammed in the Inventory of Existing, Proposed, and Conceptual Interchanges, SCT & WSDOT.

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A variety of road facilities exist within Snohomish County. The majority of the existing facilities in the southwest part of the county are in an urban environment. The remainder of Snohomish County is more rural in nature with pockets of urban facilities located in and around cities.

The State of Washington, county, and incorporated cities within the county provide the public roadway system within Snohomish County. Major responsibilities include the planning, design, construction, and maintenance of these transportation facilities.

To gain a better understanding of the roadway system, Snohomish County has applied a functional classification system to the public highways and roads (both existing and planned) within the county. This system is shown on the County’s Arterial Circulation Map (Map 1). Arterials are classified as an interstate, freeway/expressway, principal arterial, minor arterial, major collector or minor collector. Non-arterial roads are classified as local roads. The Arterial Circulation Map is described in greater detail in Chapter IV. Recommended Transportation Improvements.

Snohomish County has a number of state owned facilities including two interstate highways (I-5 and I-405), one U.S. highway (US 2), and 17 state highways. Table 2 provides a summary description of state highways within Snohomish County.

The State of Washington has designated a number of state highways as highways of statewide significance (HSS). HSS are important to the movement of people, goods, and services on a statewide basis and have beneficial effects on the welfare and economy of the state. Table 2 shows the state highways in Snohomish County that are designated as HSS.

State highways that are not designated as HSS are regionally significant state highways (also called non-HSS). They have significant, beneficial effects, primarily for the Central Puget Sound region and Snohomish County. Table 2 shows the state highways in Snohomish County that are non-HSS. Some state highways are listed twice in Table 2 because part of the highway is an HSS, while the rest of the highway is a non-HSS.

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Integrated within the public highway, street, and road system are nonmotorized facilities, including bicycle and pedestrian facilities. The Bicycle Facility System map includes separated multi-use paths such as the Centennial, Interurban, and Whitehorse trails; designated on-street bicycle lanes on some state highways and county and city roads; designated routes on widened county road shoulders; and streets and roads with shared roadway use that do not include special markings or signs. The Southwest Urban Area Pedestrian Facility System Map includes existing sidewalks, shoulders 4 feet or greater and separated multi-use paths. The Countywide Bicycle Facility System map (Map 2) and the Southwest Urban Area Pedestrian Facility System map are described in more detail in Chapter III. Implementation Measures, E. Countywide Nonmotorized Transportation.

Table 2 State Highways within Snohomish County

Highway

Limits

Mileage

Significance

I-5

King County Line to Skagit County Line

39.89

HSS

I-405

King County Line to I-5

5.30

HSS

US-2

King County Line to I-5

40.80

HSS

SR-9

SR-522 to SR-530

29.56

HSS

SR-9

SR-530 to Skagit County Line

8.08

non-HSS

SR-92

SR-9 to Mountain Loop Highway

8.25

non-HSS

SR-96

I-5 to SR-9

6.75

non-HSS

SR-99

King County Line to SR-104

0.12

HSS

SR-99

SR-104 to SR-526/I-5

11.78

non-HSS

SR-104

Edmonds Ferry Terminal to King County Line

3.70

HSS

SR-203

King County Line to SR-2

6.19

non-HSS

SR-204

SR-2 to SR-9

2.38

non-HSS

SR-522

King County Line to SR-2

11.23

HSS

SR-524

SR-104 to SR-522

14.68

non-HSS

SR-525

I-5 to Mukilteo Ferry Terminal

8.64

HSS

SR-526

I-5 to SR-525

4.52

HSS

SR-527

I-405 to I-5

9.29

non-HSS

SR-528

I-5 to SR-9

3.46

non-HSS

SR-529

I-5 to Port of Everett/19th Street

2.20

HSS

SR-529

Port of Everett/19th Street to SR-528

5.68

non-HSS

SR-530

I-5 to SR-9

3.84

HSS

SR-530

SR-9 to Skagit County Line

31.72

non-HSS

SR-531

Wenberg State Park to SR-9

9.88

non-HSS

SR-532

Island County Line to I-5

7.18

non-HSS

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Six public transportation agencies (Community Transit, Sound Transit, Everett Transit, King County Metro, Skagit Transit, and Island Transit) and tribal Tulalip Transit provide service within Snohomish County.

Community Transit is the primary service provider for most of the County. It also provides transit service to most of the cities within the County. Everett Transit also provides service within the City of Everett. Community Transit operates both local routes (intra-county), commuter routes (inter-county). CT also operates Swift bus rapid transit (BRT), a special kind of bus service designed to provide quicker and more convenient trips for riders. Swift employs typical BRT characteristics such as high frequency service, off-board fare payment, dedicated transit lanes, and transit signal priority. Community Transit also operates park-and-ride lots and transit centers and provides paratransit service, and vanpool service.

Sound Transit, the regional transit authority, provides inter-county bus service between Snohomish, Pierce and King Counties, with regional express buses that connect Everett and Lynnwood with Seattle and Bellevue. Sound Transit also operates commuter rail connecting Seattle, Edmonds, Mukilteo and Everett. Community Transit operates the Sound Transit express routes that serve origins and destinations within the County.

Everett Transit, which is part of the City of Everett government, operates local bus routes and provides paratransit service within Everett, transit service to some unincorporated areas adjacent to the city, and a connection to the ferry terminal in the City of Mukilteo. Everett Transit also operates Everett Station, a multimodal transit station and community center located near downtown Everett.

King County Metro, which is part of King County government, operates primarily in King County. However, it also provides custom/express routes to Boeing’s Everett facility, local routes that run into southern Snohomish County, and vanpool service.

Island Transit currently provides fixed route bus service between Stanwood and Camano Island, Stanwood and Mount Vernon, paratransit service for Stanwood, and vanpool service. Skagit Transit provides express bus service from Skagit County to Everett Station during the peak commute times and also provides vanpool service between Skagit and Snohomish Counties.

Tulalip Transit, which is part of the Tulalip Tribes, provides rural public transportation within the unserved transit areas of the Tulalip Tribes Reservation. The service consists of a Tulalip Bay route and a John Sam Lake route designed to provide connections with the main transit line provided by Community Transit.

A more comprehensive description of public transit agencies operating in Snohomish County and the services they provide are found in the Inventory of Transportation Facilities and Services.

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a.  Intercity Bus

Greyhound bus lines provide interstate bus transportation connecting Snohomish County with Bellingham and Vancouver, British Columbia, Spokane and eastward, and Portland and southward. Northwestern Trailways bus lines provide intrastate bus transportation connecting Snohomish County (Everett and Monroe) with Spokane, Wenatchee, Seattle, Tacoma, and cities in between. The Greyhound and Northwest Trailways bus terminal is located at the Everett Station.

b.  Passenger Rail

Amtrak currently provides passenger rail service from Seattle through Snohomish County with stops in Edmonds, Everett, and Stanwood. The service provides connections north to Vancouver, British Columbia and Portland, Oregon southward. Service also runs easterly to Wenatchee and beyond. The Sounder is a commuter rail service owned and operated by Sound Transit that serves residents of Snohomish, King, and Pierce Counties. The current route through Snohomish County consists of stops in Everett (Everett Station), Edmonds (Edmonds Station), Mukilteo, and Seattle (King Street Station).

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The Burlington Northern Santa Fe (BNSF) Railroad provides rail freight service. Its major terminal facility within Snohomish County is located near downtown Everett on the waterfront. Snohomish County’s eastside rail corridor currently provides freight service with additional potential future uses such as a regional nonmotorized multi-use trail, excursion train, and commuter rail line.

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Two Washington State Ferries (WSF) routes serve Snohomish County, providing cross-sound travel. The Edmonds-Kingston ferry operates between Edmonds and Kingston, which is in Kitsap County. The Mukilteo-Clinton ferry operates between Mukilteo and Clinton, which is on Whidbey Island in Island County. State-owned ferry terminals are located in both Edmonds and Mukilteo.

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Several public and private airports are located in Snohomish County. The Snohomish County Airport at Paine Field, southwest of Everett, is owned and operated by the County. Paine Field has three runways used for general aviation and aircraft-related manufacturing. The City of Arlington owns and operates an airport that has two runways and an adjoining industrial park. A municipal airport in Darrington provides one runway for general aviation use. Privately owned airports are located in Granite Falls, Marysville, Monroe, Snohomish, and Sultan. Each of them has one runway.

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The Port of Everett operates eight berths on 100 acres on Everett’s waterfront, handling over 359,000 tons of cargo annually. Burlington Northern-Santa Fe Railroad serves this port facility. In addition, the Port of Everett owns and operates a 2,300-slip marina on Everett’s waterfront. The Port of Edmonds owns and operates a 940-slip marina on Edmonds’ waterfront.