Oso landslide memorial approved by Snohomish County
OSO, Wash. - A memorial site for the deadly 2014 Oso mudslide has been approved by the Snohomish County Council.
The Oso mudslide stands as the nation’s largest landslide, which swept through Oso on March 22, 2014 and took the lives of 43 people, and buried a rural community in a square mile of mud. Families who survived the disaster have pushed for a permanent memorial site for the last seven years.
RELATED: Remembering the deadly Oso landslide 7 years later
On Tuesday, Snohomish County’s budget was approved, including $4.8 million for the memorial site, which is estimated to cost $5 million and be finished in 2023.
"I proposed this funding because we need to tell the story of what happened on that tragic day in 2014," said Snohomish County Executive Dave Somers. "The entire Stillaguamish Valley is still recovering from the effects of the slide and people travel from all over the world to see for themselves the magnitude of the loss. The SR 530 Slide Memorial will give families and our broader community a place to mourn, remember, and honor."
The community is still looking for donations to complete the project, which will help provide added funding so the project can be completed as envisioned. Donations will also go to a future endowment for maintenance.
"Donations are not just about giving money," said John Hadaway, who lost his brother Steven in the landslide. "It shows the support and love for your community."
Construction of the memorial will be done in phases; the first phase will begin Summer 2022 and center around grading, drainage, parking, foundations, pathways and plazas. The second phase will begin in 2023 and will see the construction of buildings, plantings and murals.
"Families across Snohomish County are still hurting from their losses on that day," said Snohomish County Councilmember Nate Nehring. "The SR 530 Slide Memorial will help people across the Stilly Valley to remember the heroes of that day and pay tribute to those we lost. It will also provide an opportunity for visitors to learn more about the resilient people of the Stilly Valley."
The memorial will be located on Whitehorse Trail, which runs along State Route 530.
PREVIOUS COVERAGE: Families of Oso landslide victims fight for permanent memorial 7 years after the tragedy
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