Martha Lake Airport Park

A 28.76-acre property just north of Martha Lake and east of I-5. Park amenities include picnic shelter, youth softball field, soccer field, skate park, off-leash dog area (OLDA), outdoor art exhibits and restrooms. The restroom is winterized and closed November-March.

The Ed Hauter family ran a small airport on the land from the late 1950s to the late 1990s. At one point the facility hosted about 80 aircraft at its hangars and tie-down spots. The Hauter family sold most of its property to Snohomish County in 2000 passing up higher offers from developers who could have built more than 100 homes. Park construction began in early 2009.

Councilman Dave Gossett remembers that he was a legislative analyst in the late 1990s when Councilmember Barbara Cothern asked him to work with the executive branch to find a way to purchase the Martha Lake Airport property. The Executive was also interested in purchasing the property for Willis Tucker Park but the county did not have the cash to purchase either at the time.

Working with parks staff, the County Council came up with the idea of borrowing the money and using a combination of future park mitigation fees and real estate excise tax (paid upon the sale of a home) to pay the debt service. It was a way of having growth pay for the parks needed by growth. Thanks to Councilmember Cothern's constant efforts, the county was able to purchase both parks.