Message From The Mayor Of Woodinville: Development Continues Downtown

Mayor Angela Birney's monthly "Let's Connect" videos are well done, with staff interviews and a brief comment from the Mayor herself. Her last video was on sustainable gardening. 

The Mayor should consider a "Let's Connect" series on growth, infrastructure and development, as well. We need her compass.

The Harvest / Courtesy of the City of Woodinville

"Development Continues In Downtown Woodinville" by Mike Millman, Mayor

Woodinville Weekly, April 14, 2022

Three large developments:  Harvest, Eastrail Flats, and Molbak's Garden + Home

Two boutique hotels, 42-mile pedestrian trail, living roof surrounding greenhouses, restored Woodin Creek, bike lanes, 206 residential units, 63 for-sale townhomes, retail, grid roads.

Mayor Mike Millman:  

"With the Washington State Growth Management Act (GMA), simply saying “no” to more development isn’t an option. Instead, we need to ensure it occurs in a way that benefits our community economically and also builds more infrastructure to support the growing population.   

Several proposed development projects are good examples. These projects will help Woodinville address critical road needs and continue to build-out the downtown road network. 

Improvements will include sidewalks and bike lanes. If properly managed, they will enhance economic vitality and maintain our unique sense of place.  

I have traveled the area with the purpose of looking at other development projects. And I can confidently say the majority of Woodinville City Council is opposed to development that is out of character with our city. I am confident we will oppose creation of the “concrete canyon,” flat-panel look that has occurred elsewhere.

The Molbak’s, Wine Village and Woodgate projects are all good examples:

The Molbak’s Garden + Home project, being developed by Green Partners, is a very exciting new project. The development includes a mixture of residential units and new retail opportunities as well as a brand-new garden store, underground parking and a boutique hotel.  

This plan also envisions a “living roof” of plant material that will surround new green houses. The public will benefit from keeping this quintessential business in Woodinville as well as the addition of new streets and spaces.

For example, the project will potentially build an extension of Garden Way from Northeast 175th Street to Northeast 171st Street. This is an important “grid road” that will provide alternative routes through the downtown area.  It will also include new publicly accessible plazas and open space as well as rehabilitation of a portion of the Woodin Creek waterway.  

The long-awaited Wine Village, now named :"Harvest," is another great development in-progress. Located in the Hollywood District, this 19.5-acre project will occupy the long-time open lot across from the Northshore Athletic Fields. 

The development will include a mix of hotel, residential, retail and commercial options. The 4-star Somm. Hotel and Spa is expected to feature a high-end restaurant and 3,000 square foot rooftop bar with views of the Sammamish River Valley and Mount Rainier. Construction of the boutique hotel is slated to begin this year.  

Harvest will offer a variety of residential opportunities, both for-sale and rentals. The project has already led to multiple much-needed improvements to the city such as public parking spaces, sidewalks and other roadway improvements. 

The Woodgate Center is being redeveloped by MainStreet Property Group, who managed the adjacent Schoolhouse District project. The company is currently planning a mixed-use project called Eastrail Flats.  

Eastrail Flats—named after the new 42-mile pedestrian trail just north of the project—will include approximately 206 residential rental units and 63 for-sale townhomes. Design plans also show a daycare with 11,800 square feet of space and an additional 12,700 square feet for commercial retail opportunities. 

The project will possibly include new public plaza space, and importantly, an extension of the 133rd Avenue Northeast “grid road” from Northeast 175th Street across the Eastrail corridor. Ideally, this change would offer an alterative route around the trestle bottleneck, which the city is also working to relieve.  

Yes, the downtown area is growing and will look different. Done thoughtfully, these developments will be beautiful and beneficial additions to our city.  

Focusing state-mandated growth in the downtown area meets our state GMA targets, while also protecting our more rural portions of town and its vital tree canopy. It also allows us to maximize the value of infrastructure investments and partner with developers of downtown projects.

In doing so, we are also creating a walkable, vibrant, safe and active downtown that our citizens can enjoy, which will continue to attract people from all over the region.

Moving forward together, Woodinville!"

Mike Millman, Mayor