First Street Master Plan

The underground utilities beneath First Street are almost 100 years old and need to be replaced soon. Many of the metal pipes are far beyond their intended lifespan, with heavy mineral build-up that reduces water flow and increases the risk of leaks and breaks.
There are also large gaps under many sidewalks—left over from when the street was built over older structures. As those underground areas settle, sidewalks are cracking or buckling. In some cases, these gaps have even allowed water to seep into nearby basements or foundations without being noticed.

While these sidewalks are the responsibility of adjacent property owners to repair, the City's need to replace the utilities beneath them creates the opportunity to invent in upgrading all of the infrastructure at the same time. This means streets, sidewalks, parking, street trees, lighting, crosswalks, and more. This infrastructure project is focused on enhancing Historic Downtown Snohomish while preserving its rich character and heritage for generations to come. 

  1. Why is the Master Plan needed?
  2. What are the main objectives of the Master Plan?
  3. What areas will be addressed by the plan?
  4. How will the plan improve transportation, safety, and accessibility?
  5. Will there be changes to parking, sidewalks, or bike lanes?
  6. Has a parking study been conducted?
  7. Will parking still be free?
  8. What considerations are being made for handicap parking and accessibility?
  9. How can residents and businesses provide input on the project?
  10. Are there public meetings or workshops to discuss the plan?
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Project Purpose


First Street Master Plan is a comprehensive streetscape planning and design project focused on enhancing Historic Downtown Snohomish while preserving its rich character and heritage. The project seeks to balance historic preservation with modern infrastructure needs, ensuring that First Street remains a vibrant, accessible, and functional corridor for businesses, residents, and visitors. The master plan process will further develop and refine previous streetscape, parking and traffic efforts, facilitate engagement with Historic Downtown businesses, property owners and the community, and identify a preferred streetscape design. 

Project Area

The project encompasses First Street from Avenue J to Lincoln Avenue and will address key elements, including:

  • Enhanced sidewalk function, use and place-making
  • Pedestrian and vehicular access
  • Connections to existing and planned parks, the riverfront and trails
  • Parking Improvements
  • Utility upgrades (sewer, water, and storm systems)
  • Street lighting and public space enhancements
  • Historic resources preservation 

25_0207 Project Area Map_FINAL

Project Objectives

The master plan process will focus on the planning and design of distinct segments of First Street, considering factors such as adjacent buildings, land uses, and riverfront access. The end result will be a cohesive design that enhances walkability, accessibility, and vibrancy, strengthening downtown Snohomish as a dynamic community destination and the heart of the community. 

The master plan will be the basis for identify funding for the future First Street design engineering, construction documentation and construction. 

Area 1: Avenue D to Maple Avenue

  • Strengthen connections to Kla Ha Ya Park and Cady Landing
  • Improve pedestrian accessibility and activate the gazebo space at the south end of Avenue A,

Area 2: Avenue J to Avenue D

  • Enhance pedestrian corridors and expand/improve parking options
  • Develop connections to the future park planned at the City Operations and Maintenance site (1801 First Street)
  • Establish linkages to the Riverview Wildlife Refuge Trail

Area 3: Maple Avenue to Lincoln Avenue

  • Improve pedestrian connectivity to existing and planned non-motorized networks

Project Timeline

The master plan process will take place over approximately 12 months and will feature two major in-person community engagement events, along with several opportunities to provide feedback through surveys.

FSMP_Timeline-2025_0207

Engagement Milestone #1: First Street Visioning & Guiding Principles: A community event will be held to share information about the project and gather feedback on what the community values in the historic district and riverfront, as well as specific challenges and opportunities within the project area. The findings from this event will help shape a draft vision and guiding principles for the project before developing preliminary design options.

Engagement Milestone #2: First Street Concepts and Demonstration Project: On-site event featuring a guided tour of preliminary design options across two-block segments of First Street. The community will actively engage with the designs while providing feedback through survey questions and poling. Results will inform refinement of options into a preferred design concept

First Street Master Plan Visioning Session & Survey

On March 27, 2025, the City of Snohomish, in collaboration with our design consultant, First Forty Feet LLC, hosted a Visioning Session to discuss the future of First Street. The session provided valuable information, explored potential design considerations, and gathered input from business owners, property owners, residents, and visitors.

We invite you to share your thoughts! The survey linked below provides an overview of the topics discussed during the session and offers an opportunity to provide additional feedback. Your input will help shape the future of First Street.

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