The Chehalis Renaissance has begun. Or, at least, planning for it has.
City officials met with members of the consulting firm heading the effort last night during a workshop preceding the regular council meeting.
The Renaissance is essentially a master plan for the city to follow over the next 25 to 50 years, said Chehalis City Manager Merlin MacReynold. The Renaissance plan came in the wake of the decision to build a new library, which triggered a city-wide effort to move beyond downtown revitalization.
The project aims to bring consistency between the downtown and the fast-growing outskirts where commercial and residential growth has been evident in past years.
Its urban design, entries to the city, economic development, transportation, connectivity between parks, utilities, transportation system … the works, MacReynold said.
The city council allocated $175,000 to a consulting firm in November of last year to conduct a far-reaching, year-long study that would take into account almost every aspect of life in Chehalis. The study is expected to be complete by September, at which point consultants will offer the city a road map to the future consisting of potential projects based on their studies.
Were actually in the visioning part now, MacReynold said. And that will then drive the actual implementation planning of what we need to do.
Tom Beckwith, owner and manager of the Beckwith Consulting Group, said that his team has identified 41 key stakeholders in the community with whom they will meet to identify their focus and develop potential projects for the city. That process began this week, he said.
The list includes residents, business owners and public officials, but not all members of the council were satisfied with what names made the list.
Daryl Lund said he was disappointed the council was not provided the list in advance of the meeting, and said there were several names he felt should have made the list that didnt.
If we had been informed, then I wouldnt have been so upset, Lund said following the meeting. But youve got people who own half the buildings in this town, and they didnt even make the list.
Beckwith said that meeting with the key stakeholders was just one step in the public input process, and invited council members to submit additional names for consultants to contact. An online survey will be available on the citys Web site soon, he said, and a more encompassing phone survey will be conducted later in the study.
At the conclusion of that process we should have a clear indication of what the major issues are, and what the project opportunities are, Beckwith said.
Lund wasnt happy with Beckwiths response to his questions, saying after the meeting that he acted more like a politician than a consultant in answering council queries.
Councilman Isaac Pope said he would like for the study to seek the input of high school kids, who he said have been known to offer informative and innovative input in the past.
I think you may get some very good suggestions, he said. This will give them an opportunity to feel inclusive and involved.
The meeting, which lasted about an hour and a half, was as broad in focus as the study itself. Council members discussed issues and concerns that they would like the study to address, as members of the consulting firm compiled a list.
Among the input offered by council members was for the consultants to focus on two-way traffic through the city, streetscapes at the entrances to the city, and parking. Council member Dennis Dawes said he hopes the plan will focus on the entire city, not simply the downtown area.
One of my pet peeves is that every time something is done, were talking about the downtown, he said. We need to see beyond the two blocks of downtown and sometimes I dont think we have done that.
Economic diversity, measured residential growth and the citys identity also occupied a good deal of discussion. Councilman Terry Harris said that he would like to see the city which he noted has at different times been known as the Rose City, the Mint City and Historic Chehalis find a cohesive brand.
We are a city without an identity, he said. We need to work to build an identity.
On the issue of expanding the citys commercial interests, MacReynold said the issue of building in the floodplain or near the floodplain should also be kept in mind.
Were kind of walking a tightrope to be able to expand that market, he said. The state and Department of Ecology is beginning to ask questions almost on a daily basis.
Beckwith said that consultants would meet with the council intermittently over the remaining six months of the study to ensure the group stays focused on the needs and concerns of the entire city. Stakeholder meetings have already begun and will continue through the month, he said.
