Larsen Secures nearly $700K to Fix Eroding Agate Beach Lane on Lopez Island

Large rocks that bury much of the public beach at Agate County Park in 2019 were planned to be removed once the road is relocated away from the eroding bluff, restoring the site for people and nature. Friends of the San Juans, Contributed in 2019.

From Rep. Rick Larsen’s Office

July 21, Rep. Rick Larsen (WA-02) announced he has secured $10,662,665 for ten Second District projects in the Fiscal Year 2022 House appropriations bills, including nearly $700,000 to repair an eroding Lopez Island road. 

“My priority in shaping spending bills is to invest in local communities to create well-paying jobs and provide vital services in Northwest Washington,” said Larsen. “I will continue to champion these critical projects to ensure communities can build and strengthen vital infrastructure, improve residents’ health outcomes, provide basic services to the homeless and mitigate the harmful effects of climate change.”

The bills include the following appropriations to support Northwest Washington communities:

• $694,480 for the MacKaye Harbor Water District’s Agate Beach Lane infrastructure improvements on Lopez Island. The Water District will relocate water infrastructure away from a road that is currently failing due to coastal erosion.
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• $2,000,000 for Phase II construction of Compass Health’s advanced facility for Intensive Behavioral Health Services in Everett. The five-story, 82,000 square foot building will accommodate a range of integrated emergency and preventive outpatient behavioral health care services.

• $2,000,000 for the City of Mountlake Terrace’s transit connection project. The City will construct a pedestrian plaza adjacent to the new light rail station and lighted, paved pedestrian trails through Veterans Memorial Park.

• $2,000,000 for construction of Unity Care NW’s The Way Station in Bellingham. The Way Station will provide medical respite, a hygiene center, health care, long-term housing supports and case management for individuals and families experiencing homelessness.

• $1,740,000 for the Samish Indian Nation’s State Route 20 – Campbell Lake Road Roundabout project. The Samish will construct a three-legged roundabout at the intersection of State Route 20 and Campbell Lake Road.

• $1,000,000 for the City of Lynnwood’s Scriber Creek Trail redevelopment project. The City will redevelop the existing trail corridor into a 16’ wide, ADA-accessible trail with durable, slip-resistant hard surfaces. Where crossing Scriber Creek and associated wetlands, the trail will be constructed on elevated bridge/boardwalk structures.

• $500,000 for the City of Sedro-Woolley’s Olmsted Park development project. The City will develop an existing 14.81-acre city-owned property into a destination park for public use.

• $346,625 for the Goosefoot Community Fund’s community kitchen project in Langley. Goosefoot Community Fund will create a commercial kitchen to help local farmers, producers and small businesses increase food resiliency on Whidbey Island.

• $245,560 for the City of Everett’s Pallets to Housing initiative. In efforts to combat the crisis of homelessness and provide suitable shelter, the City is piloting an initiative utilizing low-barrier shelters to temporarily house hard-to-place individuals and couples. The City plans to expand this pilot project to develop a new and different location to benefit youth and families who are experiencing homelessness.

• $136,000 for the Port of Coupeville’s rehabilitation of the Historic Coupeville Wharf. The Port will replace approximately 400 feet of water and sewer piping that runs along the Historic Coupeville Wharf’s causeway.

Larsen received more than 100 project funding requests from state and local governments and eligible nonprofit entities across the Second District. Under guidelines issued by the Appropriations Committee, Larsen requested funding for the maximum of ten local projects for Fiscal Year 2022. In compliance with House Rules and Committee requirements, Larsen certified that neither he, his spouse nor anyone in his immediate family have a financial interest in any of the projects he requested.

The inclusion of this funding in the Appropriations Committee draft bills is the first step in the funding process. Larsen will continue to fight for this funding as the bills move to the full Appropriations Committee, consideration on the House Floor and negotiations with the Senate.

For more information on the reforms governing Community Project Funding for Fiscal Year 2022, click here.

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