Ribbon Cutting
A huge thank you to all our community members who gathered to celebrate the re-opening of the newly renovated Veterans Monument this morning during our ceremonial ribbon cutting!
Mayor Stephanie Vignal spoke to the collaboration and hard work necessary to complete a project of this significance and recognized Senator John Lovick and Snohomish County Councilmember Jared Mead for their generous support and efforts in providing state and county grant funding, making this important project possible.
City Engineer Dan Carmody and Project Engineer Maryam Soltani thanked the many Veterans in attendance and showed appreciation for the community input and support, including from the City’s Arts & Beautification and Park & Recreation boards.
Veterans Monument and Library Park are now open!
The Library Park playground is still waiting on the installation of new play equipment, which is expected sometime in late 2026.
Project Elements
The following work has been completed as of October 5, 2026: installation of new basalt columns and monument plaza improvements; restoration of asphalt and concrete paths and ADA ramps; installation of site furnishings; lawn restoration; irrigation system improvements; installation of park lighting; clearing and demolition of existing park features to be replaced; tree protection measures; and associated grading, drainage, and limited excavation/earthwork necessary to complete the Work.
The remaining work includes playground, fencing, and gates installation, which is anticipated to be completed in late 2026.
Project Milestones
2025-2026
2024-2026
May 2026
2026
Project History
History
Library Park is a small neighborhood park with limited developable area, currently undergoing construction for rehabilitation. Ground conditions at the park are influenced by the on-site wetland and by damaged sub-drains beneath the lawn areas near the monument and playground, which were no longer functioning effectively. To better understand where improvements could occur, staff engaged a wetland consultant to evaluate which portions of the site could be developed or enhanced, including Veterans Monument.
The Veterans Monument, constructed in 2010 to honor all who have served our country, has become a central feature of many City events, holidays, and community gatherings. However, the monument reached capacity, with the last names added around 2019. One of the goals of this project is to accommodate requests from the public to create additional space to recognize veterans.
The project was developed to address several long-standing needs within the park, including expansion of the Veterans Monument, installation of playground safety fencing, drainage improvements to address persistent wet conditions, monument lighting, irrigation improvements, site furnishing updates, and repairs to sidewalks and circulation paths to improve ADA accessibility. Throughout the design process, careful consideration was given to the site's wetland constraints, limited available space, parking limitations, and the need to avoid significant increases in impervious surface areas.
Project Goals
The goal of this project is to enhance the Veterans Monument and refresh key amenities within Library Park to better serve the community. Improvements will honor local veterans, increase safety and accessibility, and support long‑term park sustainability.
This project will include expanding the Veterans Monument to accommodate additional names and ensure space for future recognition, extending and modernizing play equipment, installing a new safety fence around the playground, upgrading benches and site furnishings, improving drainage to mitigate wetland flooding, repairing or replacing sidewalks, updating lighting and electrical systems, and enhancing irrigation to support long term landscaping health.
Funding
- The City of Mill Creek was awarded a $250,000 Snohomish County Grant on April 1, 2024, to support renovations at Library Park.
- Additionally, the City applied for a $250,260 grant through the Department of Commerce's Local and Community Projects Program.
- On March 10, 2026, the Council awarded $360,000 in reallocated RPB funds to the Veterans Monument/Library Park Rehabilitation Project. The funds were reallocated from Park and Recreation Board RPB projects ($250,000) and Art and Beautification Board RPB projects ($110,000).