Lynnwood City Council work session sheds light on concerns, plans for hygiene center

Key takeaways:

• About 87% of those who use the hygiene center are local

• Plans to upgrade the hygiene center are underway
• The City will work with the Jean Kim Foundation to discuss next steps

Edmonds-based European travel guide and philanthropist Rick Steves envisions turning the hygiene center in Lynnwood into a “little oasis.”

“We’re gonna have this little oasis where you’ve got an abundance of washers, dryers, showers, toilets and so on,” Steves said Wednesday during a Lynnwood City Council work session.

Steves purchased the Jean Kim Foundation’s (JKF) Hygiene Center at 19726 64th Ave. W. last winter after learning about plans to close it. The foundation has been using the building – formerly an emissions testing facility – rent-free for the past five years.

The My Neighborhood News Group (MNNG) first reported Nov. 10 that the hygiene center was closing due to circumstances beyond its control. The MNNG learned Nov. 14 that there were plans to sell the property.

At the Feb. 25 Lynnwood Council work session, several dozen people participated in a discussion about the hygiene center. The city asked attendees to form small groups and outline their concerns and possible solutions.

JKF Executive Director Sandra Mears said at the Feb. 25 work session that about 87% of those who use the hygiene center live in Lynnwood. There are also some people from Everett, Marysville and Bothell.

Last year, the hygiene center provided 10,045 showers. Volunteers also distributed more than 13,000 meals. In 2024, the center offered 9,627 showers. Mears said these numbers will continue to grow.

“There’s a constellation of factors that bring them to the hygiene center,” Mears said. “Our goal is to meet people where they’re at.”

Lynnwood Police Department Cmdr. Justin Gann showcased data at the work session, focusing on calls made about the hygiene center and surrounding areas. From January 2025 to January 2026, the Lynnwood PD tallied 37 calls for service about the hygiene center.

In total, the Lynnwood PD tallied 3,131 calls for service about the hygiene center and other areas surrounding the center, including James Village, Lynnwood Crossroads, Lynnwood Center and a portion of Highway 99.

Parks Superintendent Eric Peterson with the Lynnwood Parks and Recreation Department spoke about Gold Park, which is next to the hygiene center. He said issues started to arise at the park around 2020-21, such as drug paraphernalia, overnight camping and, at one point, a firearm.

The City decided to implement a disc golf course at Gold Park to “get rid of some of the unwanted activity,” Peterson said.

“I just think that businesses in the area expect more, homeowners in the area expect more and residents expect more,” Peterson said at the work session. “I think we have an opportunity to do more.”

Lynnwood Human Services Coordinator Kyle Ward outlined some of the work Human Services does with organizations, including Volunteers of America Western Washington and Cocoon House, to help people at risk of and experiencing homelessness.

Ward said at the work session one of the programs he is especially proud of is the City’s emergency shelter program. The city uses motel vouchers for about 16 people per year and helps them transition into stable housing.

South County Fire Capt. Joe Hughes and Community Health Worker Hannah French spoke about their community resource paramedic program, which connects people to community services rather than transporting them directly to the hospital.

“It’s a good thing because we’re not sending people to the hospital that’s already overcrowded,” Hughes said at the work session. “It’s keeping our resources available for different emergencies.”

Brandon Kimmel with Asset Guard Solutions shared at the work session some situations he has had to deal with while working with businesses near the hygiene center such as T&T Supermarket.

Kimmel said a business at Lynnwood Crossroads asked him for help not too long ago with a person who was running around the parking lot, looking into cars. He also recalls times when people threatened him with weapons.

Lynnwood resident Jacqui Adams said at the work session that she moved into her home near the hygiene center in 2017, and that her neighborhood negatively changed after the center opened.

Adams recalled a time when her daughter witnessed a nude man whose pants were down to his ankles. She also recalled seeing a syringe not too far from the playground at the Lynnwood Neighborhood Center.

Jason Cockburn said there was a time when he experienced homelessness and substance use disorder. The love and support he received is what led him to his current role as vice president and founder of the Second Chance Foundation, which serves formerly incarcerated and unhoused people.

“When you give people a purpose, when you give people kindness, when you give people direction … anything is possible,” Cockburn said at the work session.

Steves said the hygiene center provides people an opportunity to bounce back. Plans for renovations and upgrades – with a budget of about $600,000 – are under consideration.

“This is a great opportunity,” Steves said. “I’m just excited to make this dream come true for so many different stakeholders.”

Some of the possible solutions the small groups outlined during the work session include a mental health/first aid training session, a community garden, and more affordable housing and emergency shelters

Lynnwood Mayor George Hurst said at the work session that the city will meet with the Jean Kim Foundation to discuss next steps.

Angelica Relente is a Murrow News Fellow covering housing and related issues in South Snohomish County for the My Neighborhood News Network. Contact her at angelica@myedmondsnews.com.