10.15.19

City receives federal funding for accessible playground

The City of Mountlake Terrace will receive $260,300 in funding from the federal Land and Water Conservation Fund (LWCF) for outdoor recreation and conservation projects.

U.S. Senator Maria Cantwell recently announced that Mountlake Terrace is one of four cities in Snohomish County to receive funding from more than $1.8 million in LWCF funding to purchase and install a universally accessible playground, including surfacing material, benches and signs on the east side of Ballinger Park. This grant will be paired with a $250,000 Hazel Miller Foundation grant that was awarded in 2018.

The playground is scheduled for installation in mid-2020 after a public process to assist with the vision and design of the $510,300 project. Pathways will be constructed that will connect the playground to the north and south parking lots. This will be the first universally accessible playground in Mountlake Terrace and one of only a handful in all of Snohomish County.

Since its creation, the LWCF has supported more than 600 projects in Washington state that create access to trails and outdoor recreation opportunities as well as clean air and water preservation.

“Thanks to Sen. Cantwell and the Hazel Miller Foundation for making recreation in our city more accessible to everyone,” said Recreation and Parks Director Jeff Betz. “We have already received feedback from the community that they are anxious to begin the design process.”

The public is invited to participate in design meetings that are expected to begin in February 2020.