Title
Scope and Public Participation Recommendation for the Downtown Strategy
Recommendation
City Manager Recommendation:
Provide guidance on the proposed public participation and communication plan, and the overall scope of the Downtown Strategy. Forward a recommended scope to the City Council.
Report
Issue:
Scoping discussion about the Downtown Strategy. Staff will provide an overview of the proposed public participation and communication plan, and review the previously discussed framework, including specific work items proposed to be completed during strategy development.
Staff Contact:
Amy Buckler, Senior Planner, Community Planning and Development (CP&D), 360.570.5847
Presenter(s):
Amy Buckler, Senior Planner, CP&D
Leonard Bauer, Deputy Director, CP&D
Keith Stahley, Director, CP&D
Background and Analysis:
The Comprehensive Plan directs the City to have a 'plan for downtown.' Now referred to as the 'Downtown Strategy,' this effort is of considerable interest to the community. Scoping for the downtown strategy is set to occur through May of 2015 (attachment 8).
At its December 11, 2014, meeting, the Land Use & Environment Committee (LUEC) received a staff briefing about downtown planning history and some associated myths, listened to the public and provided feedback on principles to shape the scoping process (attachment 8). The committee also recommended that excerpts from the old Comprehensive Plan known as the "Downtown Plan" be referred to as necessary during development of the Downtown Strategy, but not re-adopted at this time.
At its retreat on January 8, 2015, the City Council discussed what the downtown strategy is (attachment 6), reviewed examples of the types of illustrations typically found in a downtown strategy (attachment 9) and expressed a preference for the following purpose and fundamental concept for the 2015-2020 Downtown Strategy:
* The purpose: A Downtown Strategy will help foster a rich diversity of dow...
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