Martha Lake Airfield Park
200 146th St W
Lynnwood, WA 98037
Maps: Map of Park
Park Features
- Two Soccer Fields
- Baseball Diamond
- Skate Park (first skate park in county parks system)
- Playground
- 2 Shelters ($75 large/$40 small) Call 425-388-6600 to reserve
- Public Art
- Possible future dog park
- Glacial Erratic Boulder
Description
A 28.76-acre property just north of Martha Lake and east of I-5. Access is from either Meadow Road and 146th St. SW or Eastshore Drive and 2nd Ave W.
The Big Rock
The big rock in the park is one of the largest glacial erratic boulders in urban King, Snohomish, and Pierce counties. The retreating ice sheet dropped this massive rock at its current location about 12 thousand years ago. It is a magnificent reminder of our region's recent glacial past.
An erratic is a piece of rock that has been eroded and transported by a glacier to a different area, then left behind when the ice melts. Glacial erratics give us information about the direction of ice movement and distances of transport. Glacial erratics can be any size from small pebbles to large boulders the size of a house.
The big rock needs your help. A thorough cleaning to remove graffiti that detracts from the beauty of this ancient giant is needed. We are looking for a volunteer or volunteer group that is interested in adopting the big rock and helping us restore its natural beauty. If you have ideas on how to preserve the rock or if you are interested in volunteering, please contact Russ Bosanko at russ.bosanko@snoco.org.
Read an Everett Herald article about the large glacial erratic in Edmonds. The Martha Lake Erratic is several times larger.
- Oct. 9, 2010. County Executive Aaron Reardon joins Mitchell Givens, Arthur Tagle, Shane Davis, Hai Bun, Colton Heaverly, Ed Hauter and family, Councilman Dave Gossett, Rebecca Chawgo, former Councilwoman Barbara Cothern, Park Board members Bill Mallowney, Melissa Marzolf and Tom King as they celebrate the official opening of Martha Lake Airport Park.
YouTube photos of Northend BBQ at the Skatepark opening on Oct. 16
Photos of the Grand Opening Event on Oct. 9.
Herald Article "County's newest park once family-run Martha Lake airport", Sept. 18, 2010
Park History
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 1990's 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.
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 Ms. Cothern's constant efforts the county was able to purchase both parks.
The Skate Park
The skate park at Martha Lake Airport Park is the first in the county parks system. Much thanks goes to young Colton Heaverly who pleaded with the design team to include a skate park for neighborhood youth. Only 12-years old at the time Colton started his quest, he gave many impassioned speeches to the county planning team and community organizations and gathered large lists of signatures to support his requests. Now 19 years old, Colton is very pleased with the results.