Published October 2002

Report details rural areas’ development potential

By Bryan Corliss
Herald Business Writer

The cities in rural eastern Snohomish County could be attractive to industrial developers because they have relatively cheap land in less-congested areas, a team of consultants said in September.

However, because they are small, they might not have the skilled workers that manufacturers need.

And the Snohomish County towns also face stiff competition from small towns in Skagit, Whatcom and other counties outside the region’s urban core, which all have similar amenities, the consultants said.

Those were among the findings in a report to members of the Evergreen Crescent Initiative, a group that includes business and governmental leaders from Granite Falls, Lake Stevens, Monroe, Snohomish and Sultan, the Central Puget Sound Economic Development District and the Snohomish County Economic Development Council. The consultants went over the findings with the group Sept. 17.

There is not a tremendous demand for new industrial land in the five communities, said Gregory Easton, a consultant with Property Counselors of Seattle. He estimates that developers will be looking for only about four to six acres of land per year in each town.

There are things to attract that kind of development, he said. Land in the outlying areas is both more affordable and more available than in developed urban areas. The towns are closer to the sources of raw materials such as timber and minerals. The small-town quality of life can be a draw for potential managers and workers. And the smaller, less bureaucratic governments in the outlying towns are in a position to respond faster to land-use permit requests.

There’s also less congestion in those communities, but that’s a two-edged sword, he said.

The reason there is less congestion is that they are outside the I-5 corridor, which is a strike against them. And in the current climate, there’s not going to be much public money to do the kinds of highway improvements that will link businesses in those communities more closely to the region’s transportation network, he said.

However, the rising costs of doing business in King County and the dwindling supply of developable land there provides opportunities in the long term, he added.

The report on potential for industrial and commercial development is one of three areas the Evergreen Crescent group is studying as it looks at ways to improve the business climates in the five east-county communities. It also is looking at ways to increase tourism and bolster Main Street businesses.

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