Title
Briefing on the Downtown Strategy
Recommended Action
Committee Recommendation:
Not referred to a committee.
City Manager Recommendation:
Receive the briefing and provide staff feedback.
Report
Issue:
Whether to review and discuss the draft guiding framework for the Downtown Strategy. This framework summarizes priorities that have evolved out of the public process and technical analysis thus far.
Staff Contact:
Amy Buckler, Senior Planner, Community Planning & Development, (360) 570-5847, abuckler@ci.olympia.wa.us
Presenter(s):
Amy Buckler, Senior Planner
John Owen, MAKERS Architecture and Urban Design, consultant for the Downtown Strategy
Keith Stahley, Director, CP&D
Background and Analysis:
Last fall, the City kicked off the public process to form a Downtown Strategy, and hired MAKERS Architecture and Urban Design as consultants. The Downtown Strategy aims to forward our community's vision for downtown. It will establish priority actions for the next 5-6 years; illustrate desired design elements and future conditions; and guide City budgets, work plans and partnerships.
We have just completed step 2 of the process (attachment: Step 2 Report), and a framework to guide future steps has taken shape (attachments: Character Areas and Guiding Framework). The guiding framework reflects priorities that have evolved out of the public process and technical analysis thus far. It communicates what tasks are yet to be completed in 2016 and some potential actions for future years that have arisen from the process. The character areas have been well vetted with the community and provide a picture of the unique function and character people would like to see created or enhanced in various areas of downtown - a backdrop that will help us be more objective in our approach to implementation.
Development of the guiding framework marks a major milestone in the process, as we have begun to transition from identifying strategic priorities t...
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