Beyond Wellington Hills Park: Why Preservation of the Park is Critical - Part 3

links to Part 1 ... Part 2   Part 4  Part 5

Travel-wise, as we journey to the west of Wellington Hills Park -

... the asphalt & concrete recycling business located just outside the boundary of Wellington Hills Park.

The following photos were taken before the retention wall re-building project we are currently witnessing.  

View southward from Wellington Hills Park (from that line of skinny trees).

featured:
• Roof of building no. 1, "Wellington Business Park"
• Used car lot inventory
• Glass manufacturer 

 

View southward from Wellington Hills Park (from that line of skinny trees).

featured:
• Roof of building no. 1, "Wellington Business Park"
• Route 9
• Costco

View southward from Wellington Business Park parking lot.

featured:
• Costco - store and parking lot
• Route 9
• Exit ramp from Highway 522
• Back of billboard

Photos by Bill Stankus

Beyond Wellington Hills Park: Why Preservation of the Park is Critical - Part 1

 During the past 2+ years I've blogged many photos of Wellington Hills Park

... hopefully the natural beauty of the park has been revealed.

Additionally, I've made reference that the park is a buffer zone, green space - a quiet place between residential homes on the plateau and the hustle and bustle of commerce along Route 9 and Highway 522 which are located on the valley floor.

This posting is the first in a series showing what's just beyond the park - and it ain't pretty.

The following photos are orientation for what will follow in the next few days.

Satellite view of the park and nearby area.

• The park and several types of businesses west of the park are labeled.

• Highway 522 and Route 9 are seen as diagonals in the photo.

• 240th St. is the east-west road going through the park.

• 71st. Drive is at the right edge of the photo - it is the park boundary, north of 240th.

The view westward across the park as seen from 71st Drive.
Note the grass horizon line at the center of the photo - that's the approximate location of the park's western boundary.

If you walk to that western boundary, there's a row of skinny trees ... and from this vantage point you can look down into the valley and see the highway and commerce of that area. 

In later photos the row of skinny trees and the grassy area can be used to orient where the park is located.

240th St. SE as it exits the park and goes downhill towards Route 9.



photos by Bill Stankus
2014

Rover One to Mission Control ... Signs of ancient ruins have been found ... more photos next orbit

or so it seems

photos by Bill Stankus
May 6, 2014

---------------

Oh, by now you should know ... These are the current photos of the de/re-construction of the block wall across from Costco at 240th St. SE & Route 9, in Woodinville Washington, in Snohomish County, mere yards from the King County line.

I know more than I did 2 hours ago

Good news!  

I talked with a person working on the deconstruction project currently taking place at Route 9 and 240th St. SE ... and, I can definitely say:

You can stop holding your breath - they're not building a new headquarters for SMIRSH or SPECTRE, KAOS, Snohomish County's Department of Parks or Walt Disney Studios!

They are, however, going to completely remove the rest of the concrete blocks along the railroad tracks ...

Then they will build a new concrete block wall which will be set-back from its original location along 240th ... and this time the wall won't be vertical or bulging ... Instead it will angle into the hillside and have a much better foundation and drainage system. 

That giant mountain of sand that we've been in awe of ... it will be moved back behind the new wall.

photos by Bill Stankus
may 31, 2014

Deconstruction - Primus Corner - 240th St. SE & Route 9, Snohomish County - another 24 hours

Hey now!  Another 24 hours, Big Machines, lots of workers ... Gasp, Wow! 

See the changes, See the movie - "Behind the Block Wall" *.

* A Jacques Tourneur film, starring Robert Mitchum, Jane Greer and Kirk Douglas

... a plot so twisted, so mysterious, so dirty, so ... 
... Well, you have to see it to believe it.

 

But there's MORE! 

Once you're here you can't help yourself - first you whistle the old tune, then you hum a few bars and finally you go get your guitar and break out into the full version of Bobby Dylan's "Desolation Row".

You don't think they would, would they?


Finally (and I do mean finally) ...

Our local 'landmark' probably won't be scaring us much longer. 

At the rapid rate of earth digging/moving (as seen the past week), we're witnessing the not-so-thrilling flop, "Creepy Wall's Last Stand".


photos and such by Bill Stankus
May 17, 2014

Deconstruction - Primus Corner - 240th St SE & Route 9, Snohomish County

remember, always click on a photo for the bigger version!

Across the street from Costco...

photos by Bill Stankus
May 16, 2014

8AM traffic, Hwy 9 just north of Maltby Road in Snohomish County & Questions About, "What's Going On"?

Snohomish County has plans for the southern part of the county - Big Plans.

But what are those plans?

I'm just a citizen so I'm not privy to the Big Plans.

Perhaps they want to seduce King County money into Snohomish County via shoppers, fast-food joints and as apartment renters ... maybe they're thinking really big ...and they're using duck calls to attract Apple/Microsoft kinda businesses ... all of which would become economic drivers designed to punch-up the status quo of rural and unincorporated areas .... (and ultimately give the County Council a beefy budget).

Unfortunately, the County isn't good at sharing their Real Plans and, true to form, they've done very little to gain the trust and good-faith confidence of many voters, especially in the areas affected by the Big Plans.

However, it is a fact - sewage plants - such as Brightwater - become hubs for development.

It's not a coincidence, Route 9 is being widened north of Brightwater.

Meanwhile, there's chatter about King County building a garbage train transfer station in Woodinville and those garbage-filled trains would go north towards Everett ...

And what about the stories of Maltby getting a beefed-up train station/rail system upgrade ???

And that sports complex proposed for Wellington Hills Park ... the question keeps popping up, will a fully developed sports complex force homeowners to switch from septic systems to sewer connections ... ???

After two years of attending Snohomish County council and committee meetings, I simply don't have clear answers to those questions. But I do believe widening Route 9 is about something more than simply relieving morning/evening traffic congestion.

8AM traffic, southward on Route 9, near Maltby Road

                     The irony of this photo - very few cars are heading north towards Everett.

                                                               •••••••••••••••••••••

photo & questions by Bill Stankus
April 2014