Commission to Announce Name for Milltown Courtyard; 43 Entries Submitted

This week, the Edmonds Planning Board will recommend a name for on Fifth Avenue South and will consider proposals sent in by the public.

The city is receiving an $88,000 grant award, which covers more than half the project's costs, from the Hazel Miller Foundation. The grant was contingent on the courtyard being named after the late benefactor. In fact, the foundation specified "Hazel Miller Plaza," but in accordance with the city's Park Naming Policy adopted in March 2009, the Planning Board is required to conduct a public hearing and make a formal recommendation to the City Council for adoption.

The Edmonds Parks and Recreation Department solicited proposals for a name incorporating "Hazel Miller" and received 43 entries, which had comments attached to them.

The most common name, with 11 entries, was Hazel Miller Plaza. Variations include Hazel Miller Park, Hazel Miller Town Park, Hazel Miller Humanitarian Park and Hazel Miller Park at Old Milltown.

Many of the entries are presumably not valid since they did not mention Hazel Miller. These included Edmonds Ferry Park, Sawmill Park and (The) Courtyard at Milltown.

Two of the most creative names: Rick Steves Park, in honor of Edmonds' famous travel expert, and John Byron Beck Municipal Park, in honor of the late president of the Edmonds Chamber of Commerce and co-founder of the Bank of Edmonds, which is now Bank of Washington.

One entry surely will not be chosen, but its submitter made his/her point, saying the park was fine the way it was.

The name? Another Waste of Taxpayer Dollars.

A public hearing on the Planning Board’s process and naming recommendation for the park at the Old Milltown site is Wednesday at 7 p.m. at City Council Chambers, 250 Fifth Ave. N. Following the hearing, the Planning Board will make a naming recommendation and forward it to the City Council for final approval.