Marysville opens Olympic View Park

Marysville’s new Olympic View Park gives the Sunnyside neighborhood a place to sit and enjoy the sights of the Qwuloolt Estuary and the Olympic mountains.

City officials held the grand opening for the park on May 7.

The park is located at 4202 59th Dr. NE, Marysville, and connects with the Ebey Waterfront Trail.

It features a couple of benches, picnic tables, a restroom and a couple of musical activities for children. A slide is also at the site, however it is not open quite yet.

“We identified a slight correction that needed to be fixed for the installation,” said Marysville city administrator Gloria Hirashima.

She said that is a ‘minor fix.’

City officials began working on plans for the park about 14 years ago.

“This was prior to the Qwuloolt Estuary being constructed, but we knew the plans were in place for that project,” she said.

The Tulalip Tribes purchased a large amount of property near the Ebey Slough and the Sunnyside neighborhood that was formerly used as farmland.

Beginning with the breaking of the levee the tribes have been restoring the area as a wetland over the last few years.

“We knew a park overlooking that environmental project would be a real value to the citizens,” said Hirashima.

The city worked with Sound Transit, which was required by state law to preserve some wetlands in order to offset their environmental impact from other projects.

City officials were able to assist Sound Transit with that requirement and purchase a property they could plan a park for, said Hirashima.

“Undoubtedly, if the city had not purchased that property at that time, it would just become more house lots for the area,” she said.

Construction for the park began las summer.

A mixture of city funds, state funds and county funds were used for the $847,000 park project.

The city received about $500,000 from the state to fund the majority of the construction.

“It turned out beautiful. It’s exactly what we envisioned and it will be a really nice addition to the area,” said Hirashima.

The Ebey Waterfront Trail, which was built along the Qwuloolt Trail, has become a regional destination, said Hirashima.

“It really supplements what the trail has brought, which is more recreational opportunity for that area,” she said.

A kayak launch could be added to the park sometime in the future.

“We had always envisioned we could eventually get water access there,” said Hirashima.

The Ebey Waterfront Trail is also something that could be extended into other neighborhoods as it continues to develop, she said.

With the Ebey Waterfront Trail, the Comeford Park spray park and the new Olympic View Park, most recent recreation additions have come to southern Marysville in the last few years.

“I will say we do currently have more parks in the south end than in the north,” said Hirashima.

Part of that is because the city typically acquires park property as part of agreements with developers coming into the area.

“As a result our parks are in the areas with newer development,” which tend to be south Marysville, not the more established north Marysville neighborhoods.

“So in the north, we really have to go scout properties more actively,” said Hirashima.

The major project for north Marysville continues to be the Mother Nature’s Window property at 7521 55th Dr NE, Marysville, which is currently owned by the city.

“That has the potential to be a very large park,” said Hirashima.

Although still likely years away, the Marysville City Council approved funds for this year to continue work and planning on that park.