LYNNWOOD—Chelsea Wright was unanimously appointed to the Lynnwood City Council Position 6 seat on Monday and will take the Oath of Office on February 2. The Position 6 seat was vacated in December 2025 following the election of Goerge Hurst as mayor.
“I’m excited to show the City of Lynnwood what I am about so I can get to know you,” Appointed Councilwoman Wright told the Lynnwood Times who added that her father, recovering from a recent stroke, watched the vote online. “I’m excited to get to work.”
The Council on January 15, selected from a total of 25 applicants, 11 to interview to fill the vacancy on January 20 of which Wright, Catherine Baylor, Quinn Van Order, Noel Baca, and Dorina Katro scored the highest points. During Monday’s meeting on January 26, the Council’s Top 3 finalists selected were Chelsea Wright, Richard Wright, and Han McDonald.
After a 10-minute Executive Session to deliberate on who to appoint, the council vote was tie with three votes (Councilmembers David Parshall, Robert Luetwyler, and Bryce Owings) for Chelsea Wright and three votes for Han McDonald (Council President Nick Coelho, Council Vice President Derica Escamilla, and Councilwoman Isabel Mata). After a second Executive Session, the council unanimously voted Chelsea Wright to fill the Position 6 vacancy.
Chelsea Wright, a contract specialist with the Washington State Department of Labor and Industries, applied for the Lynnwood City Council seat to represent underrepresented voices as a Black woman, mother and volunteer. As chair of the city’s DEI Commission, she aims to bring outspoken advocacy, community listening and diverse perspectives to the table.
A Lynnwood resident since 2012, Wright has served on the DEI Commission for over two years, focusing on inclusivity. In her role with LNI’s Work Equity Research Center, she co-creates projects to improve outcomes for underserved workers, previously handling procurements and supplier diversity.
She holds certifications in DEI, Lean Six Sigma and IDI administration. Personally, she advised on the American Academy of Pediatrics’ Early Hearing Detection & Intervention as a mother of a Deaf son, and leads sorority chapters promoting health, wellness and education.
Wright applied to fill the Position 5 vacancy left by the resignation of Dr. Julieta Altamirano-Crosby on January 6, 2025, following her win as District 2 Snohomish County Public Utility District Commissioner. Councilman Leutwyler was selected in a Special Meeting on Wednesday, March 19, 2025, to fill the Position 5 vacancy with a vote of 5 yeas and 1 abstention.
Councilman Leutwyler successfully won his election to Lynnwood City Council in November 2025 with 58.80% of the vote.
“Put yourself out there and get involved in your community,” council vacancy finalist Han McDonald told the Lynnwood Times who congratulated Wright on being selected.
Poplar Way Bridge Vote
The Council unanimously voted to award Max J. Kuney Company with a bid of $44,965,994.52 to be the General Contractor to construct the long-awaited Poplar Way Extension Bridge— a six-lane multimodal crossing over Interstate 5 between the intersections of 196th Street SW (State Route 524)/Poplar Way and 33rd Avenue W/Alderwood Mall Boulevard. Once completed, it is expected to handle approximately 30,000 vehicles per day, reducing congestion on the Alderwood Mall Parkway bridge by about 37%.
Groundbreaking commences in March 2026 with an estimated completion date of April 2028. The total construction budget for the project is $58.2 million—$45 million for construction, $6 million in construction management, $1.3 million in construction engineering, $1.4 million in WSDOT Oversite/Other, and a $4.5 million contingency.
The design incorporates pedestrian-friendly features, including a protected sidewalk on the west side and a protected shared-use path on the east side. Additional improvements include modifications to surrounding intersections, widening and restriping of roadways, and the construction of a new tunnel to allow the Interurban Trail to pass safely beneath the bridge.
The project scope includes clearing and grubbing the site, building the bridge and trail overcrossing structures, installing retaining walls, concrete traffic barriers, curbs, gutters, sidewalks, and traffic control and lighting systems. Utility upgrades are also part of the project, such as replacing the water system, adding catch basins, stormwater biofiltration units, and membrane flow control devices. Final touches will involve permanent signing, pavement marking, landscaping, irrigation, erosion and water pollution control, and overall traffic management.
The Poplar Way Extension Bridge, part of the broader Connecting Lynnwood Project, has roots dating back more than ten years.
In August 2022, the U.S. Department of Transportation awarded a $25 million grant through the Rebuilding American Infrastructure with Sustainability and Equity (RAISE) Discretionary Grant Program. This funding, combined with $5 million in STP grants, $15 million from the state (TIB and Transportation funding), $7.6 million in city funds (REET, TBD, and Utility), $3.6 million in Transportation Impact fees, and $1.5 million in Economic Development Investment Funds are bring used to fund the project—no General Fund dollars were allocated to the project.
U.S. Representative Rick Larsen (WA-02), who secured the federal funding (RASIE and STP) for the Poplar Way Bridge project, toured the future site on August 16, 2022 with former Mayor Christine Frizzell and her staff.
“My philosophy has been that I’m not in the business of telling cities what their priorities ought to be,” Rep Larsen told the Lynnwood Times. “We’re trying to bring tools and resources to help the cities achieve their goals for their citizens and constituents.”
Other City Business
The Council unanimously appointed the following people to Board and Commission:
- DEI Commission, Maryam Aburabie
- DEI Commission, Mara Brewster
- DEI Commission, Melody Schneider
- Human Services Commission, Cody Haight
Approval of a budget calendar
- Supporting documents
Black History Month Recognition
Author: Mario Lotmore
