Mukilteo’s Lighthouse Park parking passes have arrived

MUKILTEO — When the City Council approved a new paid parking program at Lighthouse Park, there was one caveat in the plan.

City residents would qualify for a free parking pass.

With the paid program set to start in June, questions began pouring in to city hall: When can we get our permit?

Now, the wait is over. The passes, designed to be displayed on a car’s rear view mirror, are now available, Mayor Jennifer Gregerson said.

Application forms are available online. Residents can pick up the passes at the front desk at city hall, 11930 Cyrus Way, or at the Rosehill Community Center, 304 Lincoln Ave.

Those seeking the passes must bring proof that they live in the city, such as a drivers license or a utility bill, Gregerson said.

The passes won’t be needed until the paid parking program begins at the park on June 1. Preparations are now being made for installation of the 20 parking permit-dispensing machines, she said. The city plans to post signs advising visitors of the new pay-for-parking program several weeks before it begins.

The City Council approved the new parking program in March, following years of complaints from city residents that they had to struggle to find parking at their own city park and the nearby waterfront district, which draws an estimated 750,000 visitors a year.

Problems had gotten so bad that the city sometimes paid someone to stand at the entrance to Lighthouse Park with a sign indicating that the 263-spot parking lot was full.

After the program launches, Lighthouse Park will have paid parking between 6 a.m. and 10 p.m. from Oct. 1 to April 30 and between 4 a.m. and 10 p.m. from May 1 to Sept. 30. Parking will cost $2 per hour from May 1 to Sept. 30 and $1 per hour from Oct. 1 to April 30.

The parking fees are expected to net the city a minimum of $42,099 in the first year and between $215,528 and $441,056 per year by the fifth year, according to city documents.

The money will be used for maintenance and improvements at Lighthouse Park.

Sharon Salyer: 425-339-3486; salyer@heraldnet.com.