After Dec. 15, Tuesdays just won’t be the same for Redmond City Council President Nancy McCormick. That night marks the last council meeting for 2009 and McCormick’s retirement after six terms on the council.
“I will wander around Tuesday evenings, like a lost puppy dog,” McCormick joked, although “I’m trading Mondays for Tuesdays,” she noted, referring to her next role on the city’s Code Rewrite Commission.
An Eastside resident for 42 years, including 31 years in Redmond, McCormick first became interested in city politics when Redmond “was classified as semi-rural” in 1979-80.
She applied for the Planning Commission, was approved by former mayor Christine Himes and then ran for City Council, where she’s been seated since 1986.
Lots of people have strong opinions about city government, but not all are willing to take the time — or the heat — to be active in the decision-making process.
So what kept McCormick coming back, term after term?
“My college degree was in social science — I’ve always been interested in all things political,” said McCormick, who formerly taught junior high and high school and retired from an insurance agency in 2005.
As a member of the council, “I was not always popular,” she admitted, “but have thoroughly enjoyed my experience.”
For example, “the fight over Redmond Town Center was ugly, angry” when the land for the shopping center was still home to a golf course, she explained.
“And in the early ’90s, dealing with the Growth Management Act, things were not fun … (and) it’s taken a long time get some things done,” she continued, citing her participation with the Finish 520 Task Force.
But satisfying moments have been plentiful, said McCormick.
Among her proudest accomplishments, she said, “is that Redmond Watershed is a preserve to remain untouched. I worked hard with (former councilmember) Richard Grubb to ensure that.”
Other important tasks have been “getting 520 completed, getting light rail to Redmond, the BNSF purchase — the Redmond spur — and getting Rose Hill annexed,” said McCormick.
Redmond Arts Commissioner John Stilin will occupy Position 6 on the council when McCormick retires. She endorsed him during his recent campaign and we asked what her successor will bring to the council.
“By his nature, who he is, his intellect is very good, he has analytical ability, good communication skills, is a creative person and has shown leadership through (co-) chairing the Viewpoint (Neighborhood Citizens Advisory) Committee,” said McCormick.
“I encouraged him to run for council two years ago but he postponed it because of the ages of his kids,” she added.
As she passes the torch to Stilin, she’d like him and other councilmembers to contemplate that “most people like the downtown growth,” or so she has gleaned from experiences such as chatting with neighbors at National Night Out.
“As long as we keep up with infrastructure, we’ll be fine,” she commented.
Acknowledging that some seniors in Redmond are not happy about the downtown redevelopment, she said, “it’s harder for some people to see change. It’s par for the course. But the downtown park will help to balance things.”
Next steps she’d like to see in Redmond include implementation of light rail, relief from traffic congestion, especially coming down from Novelty Hill and Union Hill, the fruition of the downtown park vision and Overlake redevelopment, “to make it a lot more pedestrian-friendly, with more parks,” said McCormick.
As an Overlake resident, she said the area has “tremendous potential to be a vibrant, exciting neighborhood.”
She further remarked, “And I want all future council to remember it’s the major tax base for Redmond — not a stepchild. People don’t always think of Overlake as a true part of Redmond.”
In some ways, McCormick concluded, her position on the commission to rewrite Redmond’s Community Development Guide, may entail “a lot harder homework” than she’s ever done before, but she looks forward to the challenge. She will also “take some time to volunteer somewhere, maybe with Hopelink — and travel and read more books.”
