Editing Mill Creek, Washington (section)

===Development===

The Mill Creek area was originally settled in the early 20th century by various farming families, from whom several local placenames are now derived. After the construction of the [[Washington State Route 527|Bothell–Everett Highway]] in 1913 as part of the [[Pacific Highway (United States)|Pacific Highway]], two junctions at Murphy's Corner and Wintermute's Corner gained small stores and [[filling station]]s to serve visitors.<ref name="Times-SR527">{{cite news |last=Brooks |first=Diane |date=May 25, 2006 |title=Loggers to latte stands: Route spans history |page=B4 |work=The Seattle Times |url=https://archive.seattletimes.com/archive/20060524/highway24n/loggers-to-latte-stands-route-spans-history |access-date=March 31, 2019}}</ref> In 1931, Doctor Manch N. Garhart acquired {{convert|800|acre|ha}} in the area and used it to grow [[Gravenstein|Gravenstein apples]] and [[Bartlett pears]] while also raising cattle.<ref name="PI-2003">{{cite news |last=Lyke |first=M. L. |date=September 26, 2003 |title=Mill Creek works to stay 'nice' |page=A1 |url=https://www.seattlepi.com/local/article/Mill-Creek-works-to-stay-nice-1125505.php |work=[[Seattle Post-Intelligencer]] |access-date=March 31, 2019}}</ref><ref name="ComprehensivePlan">{{cite web |date=December 18, 2015 |title=City of Mill Creek Comprehensive Plan |url=https://www.cityofmillcreek.com/UserFiles/Servers/Server_9100852/File/City%20Government/Public%20Works%20&%20Development%20Services/Planning%20and%20Development/2015%20Comprehensive%20Plan.pdf |publisher=City of Mill Creek |ref={{SfnRef|City of Mill Creek Comprehensive Plan|2015}} |access-date=March 31, 2019}}</ref> The Garhart property, named Lake Dell Farm for a small [[reservoir]] built by local families, was later sold in 1967 to [[real estate developer]]s after the market for local lumber and fruits had declined.<ref>{{cite news |last=Santana |first=John |date=February 26, 2008 |title='There used to be a farm here' |url=https://www.heraldnet.com/uncategorized/there-used-to-be-a-farm-here/ |work=Mill Creek Enterprise |access-date=March 31, 2019}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |last=Nile |first=Amy |date=April 26, 2015 |title=Buffalo Park hearkens back to Mill Creek's beginnings |url=https://www.heraldnet.com/news/buffalo-park-hearkens-back-to-mill-creeks-beginnings/ |work=The Everett Herald |access-date=March 31, 2019}}</ref>

The Garhart property, along with several neighboring farms, were optioned by various real estate developers in the 1960s and 1970s as a potential [[master planned community]] due to its proximity to the recently completed [[Interstate 5 in Washington|Interstate 5]].<ref>{{cite news |last=Lane |first=Bob |date=May 15, 1966 |title=Area Still Bucolic, But New Town Promises Hustle-Bustle |page=5 |work=The Seattle Times}}</ref> It would be the first modern planned city in Washington state, following in the footsteps of earlier planned cities like [[Longview, Washington|Longview]], built in 1918.<ref>{{cite news |last=Lane |first=Polly |date=March 19, 1968 |title=Utility District At Olympus Gets OK |page=8 |work=The Seattle Times}}</ref> The community, named "Olympus", was planned to include {{convert|3,300|acre}} in its first phase with {{convert|1,300|acre}} for homes, an industrial park, a shopping center, and a [[golf course]].<ref>{{cite news |last=Lane |first=Bob |date=June 11, 1967 |title=New Planned Town Will Have First Homes Ready in Spring |page=88 |work=The Seattle Times}}</ref> After a local recession in the early 1970s, the development project was sold in 1973 to [[Tokyu Group|Tokyu Land Development]] and designed by a subsidiary of the [[Obayashi Corporation]] named United Development.{{sfnp|City of Mill Creek Comprehensive Plan|2015|page=III-2}} The development was renamed "Mill Creek", beating out the [[Chinook Jargon]] word "[[Klahanie, Washington|Klahanie]]",<ref>{{cite book |last1=Cameron |first1=David A. |last2=Grimes |first2=Lynne |last3=Wyatt |first3=Jane |year=2005 |title=Snohomish County: An Illustrated History |page=344 |publisher=Kelcema Books |location=Index, Washington |isbn=0-9766700-0-3 |oclc=62728798}}</ref> although there had never been a mill in the vicinity<ref name="Times-Seven">{{cite news |last=Seven |first=Richard |date=January 19, 2003 |title=Call It What You Will: A place has a name for a reason |page=10 |url=http://old.seattletimes.com/pacificnw/2003/0119/cover.html |work=The Seattle Times |access-date=December 7, 2018 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190406232720/http://old.seattletimes.com/pacificnw/2003/0119/cover.html |archive-date=April 6, 2019 |url-status=dead }}</ref> and a waterway of that name was not present in the area until the 2000 renaming of Smokehouse Creek.<ref name="DJC-2002">{{cite news |last=Nabbefeld |first=Joe |date=August 8, 2002 |title=Creating a town center for Mill Creek |url=https://www.djc.com/news/re/11136112.html |work=[[Seattle Daily Journal of Commerce]] |access-date=April 1, 2019}}</ref>

Mill Creek's master plan was submitted to the county council in January 1974.{{sfnp|City of Mill Creek Comprehensive Plan|2015|page=III-2}} A [[homeowners association]] was established in December 1974 with funding from United Development to manage the area's security patrol, street maintenance, and other tasks.<ref name="Times-Gift2003">{{cite news |last=Moriarty |first=Leslie |date=September 3, 2003 |title=Mill Creek's 20th-birthday gift to itself: a sports park |page=I16 |work=The Seattle Times}}</ref><ref name="Times-Growing83">{{cite news |last=Bergsman |first=Jerry |date=May 18, 1983 |title=Mill Creek, growing in population, proposed as new city |page=H1 |work=The Seattle Times}}</ref> The initial plan included consist of 4,600 homes, with eventual plans to house 12,000 people, a {{convert|260|acre|ha|adj=mid}} park, and an 18-hole golf course.<ref>{{cite news |last=Lane |first=Polly |date=January 20, 1974 |title=Residential project of 1,000 acres planned |page=H2 |work=The Seattle Times}}</ref> Construction began in early 1975 on the golf course and adjoining [[country club]], while the first homes were under construction by the following year.<ref>{{cite news |last=Lane |first=Polly |date=April 6, 1975 |title=Builders invited to Mill Creek |page=C10 |work=The Seattle Times}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |date=February 29, 1976 |title=First 17 homes being built |page=D2 |work=The Seattle Times}}</ref> The first set of homes were designed to resemble country residences, with large floorplans and prominent use of wood furnishings, and sold for an average of $65,000 (equivalent to ${{Inflation|US|65000|1976|r=-3|fmt=c}} in {{Inflation-year|US}} dollars).{{inflation-fn|US}}<ref>{{cite news |last=Heilman |first=Robert |date=September 12, 1976 |title=Entry, windows, set off 'country' home |page=G16 |work=The Seattle Times}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |date=July 11, 1976 |title=Mill Creek going like hot cakes |page=D1 |work=The Seattle Times}}</ref> Tokyu Land Development later re-used these home designs for the domestic market in Japan, where they were sold under the "Mill Creek" brand in the 1990s.<ref>{{cite web |title=ミルクリークのあゆみ |language=ja |trans-title=History of Mill Creek |url=http://www.millcreek.jp/about/history.html |publisher=[[Tokyu Group|Tokyu Homes]] |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20091017083124/http://www.millcreek.jp/about/history.html |archive-date=October 17, 2009 |access-date=April 8, 2019}}</ref> The final phase of the original Mill Creek development, consisting of 33 condominiums, was completed in late 2003.<ref name="Times-Gift2003"/>