Goldendale future growth focus of planning meeting
Lou Marzeles
News Editor
In a day-long meeting Saturday, participants from the city of Goldendale and leaders from various state and national organizations came together to discuss desired goals and steps that will ensure the city's future prosperity. The central message from the meeting was: Goldendale's future is what the city makes of it, and the city intends to make it very good.
The goals discussed included focus on the areas of sustainability, renewable energy, economic development, historic preservation, city beautification, and getting the word out to surrounding communities about Goldendale.
The meeting was organized by the Economic Development Committee, which is a partnership among the city of Goldendale, Klickitat county, and the Goldendale Chamber of Commerce.
Goldendale Mayor Arletta Parton opened the meeting with the reminder that "this undertaking is going to require the joint effort of all of us here today. Working together, we can make our town and business community something that tourists and passersby will remember and want to come back to." As an indicator of things to come, she cited the recent first-annual home and garden show. "If that's a sign of people working together," the mayor said, "we are in for one fun time."
City Administrator Larry Bellamy reviewed the purposes of the event, stressing that it needed to address city needs, priorities, resources, and critical next steps.
The meeting then moved into a series of presentations, beginning with that of Cal Jordan, planning consultant to the city, who provided a comprehensive overview of Goldendale's current and potential area development. Jordan reminded participants that it was important to consider not only development within the city limits, but also that of adjacent county regions. "The city will want to control development outside the city," Jordan said, "since that affects what happens to the city." He then went over recent survey summaries that provided a revealing snapshot of the city's attitudes and concerns (see story below). As well, he offered several case studies of what other communities in the state and elsewhere have done to effectively boost their draw to business centers.
Sustainability expert Brice Maryman then spoke about what sustainability means, since the term has been prone to varied interpretation. He defined it as the collective impact of people, community, and the environment. For Goldendale, as in other communities, sustainability is not an empty buzzword but rather represents a significant source of revenue, Maryman stated. The city stands to gain substantial savings by undertaking high-sustainability practices, "which is free money," Maryman said. "Saving it means earning it," he added. "Simple solutions such as installing energy-saving traffic lights save a lot of money." He cited cities which received large state grants for their sustainability approaches and the cost savings they represented.
Justus Stewart from the national organization ICLEI, an association of local governments for sustainability, addressed the meeting on practical steps to implement sustainable solutions. "It's vital to have a resilient community," he told the gathering, "so that it can withstand various threats such as dramatic increases in gas prices or reduced water resources. A community that thinks actively about sustainability becomes a resilient community." Stewart shared a simple yet highly effective method used by the city of Olympia, Wash., which uses what is called a Sustainable Action Map. The map utilizes a grid with the acronym NICE, standing for Natural, Individual, Community, and Economy. Potential activities for the city are organized in the appropriate category on the grid, and each is marked with traffic-light symbols of red, yellow, or green, to designate whether or not each is likely to be prohibitive, requires caution, or is readily implemented.
Stewart shared that some cities have been able to provide substantial savings to their residents with easily available resources that promote municipal sustainability. The city of Berkeley, Calif., for example, paid for residents and business to put in solar panels, recouping the expense in property taxes. Even with the additional taxes, residents and businesses still paid far less in energy costs immediately and long-term ended up saving much more than they paid.
Deputy State Historic Preservation Officer Greg Griffith talked to the gathering about the importance of preserving Goldendale's numerous historic buildings. "Besides reflecting a community's unique heritage," he said, "preservation also conveys a community's sense of values and priorities. You save what's important to you. And that attracts visitors and their money." Griffith also discussed the need for revitalization of the downtown district, offering examples of relatively simple steps taken by other cities that dramatically changed their feel and attractiveness.
George Sharp, Education and Training Coordinator from the Washington State International Trade & Economic Development Division, told the meeting that there were fresh indications of economic turnaround in the state. "For months there was nothing in the way of inquiries from businesses wanting to come into the state," he reported. "Now we're starting to get five inquiries a week."
Sharp urged the group to reconsider the slogan, "Gateway to the Gorge." "Don't just make Goldendale a gateway to something else, Sharp said. "Make Goldendale a destination. Call it the gateway to fun, something that lets visitors know they've arrived at a fun place."
As with all communities, Sharp pointed out, Goldendale needs to be known for some kind of pleasant experience. "You need to determine the unique experience of Goldendale and market that experience. Do an asset inventory to find what Goldendale uniquely offers."
A working lunch followed these presentations. Group discussion, facilitated by Paula Reeves from the Washington Department of Transportation, covered practical implementation possibilities for economic development, downtown revitalization, and renewable energy.
For about two hours after lunch, meeting participants went on a walking tour of the downtown district, reviewing the current state of the area, traffic circulation, and potential re-development or new development sites. Emphasis was placed on establishing a strong first impression, maintaining consistency in downtown image and visual themes, and providing ample pedestrian walkways to facilitate ease of business access and put more traffic into downtown shops.
On return from the walking tour, the meeting turned to group discussion of next steps, with frequent interjections of pressing concerns. A key one was the issue of the approach to the city from Route 97, with some participants emphasizing the need for clear and ample signage about the city along the highway, while others emphasized the need for highly attractive exit points off 97 to the city. A few people cited what they saw as a history of lack of cooperation from the state about signage, and Paula Reeves from the Department of Transportation emphasized that the state was willing to do everything possible within regulatory constraints to help. With five million people living within a five-hour drive of Goldendale, all agreed that establishing a stronger draw for the city was a pressing matter.
Among the next steps considered for the city were making the entire city a free internet access site, providing a wine-tasting room to take advantage of abundant area wineries, targeting recreation-vehicle travelers, getting the city involved in internet sites such as Facebook and Twitter, building on the developing arts community, and working renewable energy themes into the city's image. (See the accompanying sidebar for detail on next steps.) Responsibilities for tasks were assigned to interested participants.
In his closing remarks to the meeting participants, Sharp made the point that success with the planning process is vulnerable to participant erosion of interest. "If you get angry about something, don't just walk out," he stressed. "Talk about it. We're all in this together. Get engaged and stay engaged. As, how can we help each other?"
River people seek common ground
Andrew Christiansen
Reporter
A scheduled visit to the Columbia Gorge by future Chinese leaders became the catalyst for a cultural exchange program in Lyle. And like chemical catalysts, which are often not part of the final product, the Chinese part of this story is not the most important part of what is going to happen in Lyle on May 15, at The River Peoples Cultural Exchange.
A community meeting was attended by more than 50 people this past January to prioritize ideas that were developed through brainstorming sessions last year. The sessions were part of the Horizons project for Lyle. Horizons is a program facilited by Washington State University Extension and funded by the Northwest Area Foundation to develop local leadership and combat all kinds of poverty.
One of the top items was cultural exchange, specifically among the residents of the greater Lyle community and the Native Americans who also consider the area home. Coincidentally, one of the participants, Simon Sampson, had been contacted by the Columbia Gorge Commission for a cultural exchange of a different kind. Sampson was asked by the Commission's executive director, Jill Arens, if the Yakama Tribe would be involved in a Mercy Corps project, hosting future Chinese leaders during their visit in May.
Perhaps a single event could meet the community need and the Commission request. The idea came to life, enthusiastically embraced by the committee, the Tribes, and the Commission. A broader sense of cultural exchange was born. Other items on the list of priorities were also important, but the cultural exchange event became a top priority, driven by the fast approaching visit by the Chinese delegation.
A committee has been working feverishly to present a program featuring several of the tribes of Columbia River Indian People. The agenda will include Native American dancers and story-tellers. There will be traditional foods and information booths, all aimed at sharing traditions, building friendships, and promoting goodwill in the region. A published program will share the history of the area and the Twin Bridges Museum will be open with artifacts and writings that cover the 150 years of Lyle history.
The event begins Friday, May 15, at 3 p.m. and runs to 8 p.m. at Lyle Park, along Highway 14. The event is free, and the public is invited to bring chairs or blankets.
As for the Chinese... they will be welcomed and gifts will be exchanged. Time will tell if the Gorge will benefit from their visit. But the event is already paying dividends locally.
The River Peoples Cultural Exchange is one of several projects that is bringing old timers and newer residents together, says Barbara Sexton, one of the Horizons Leadership Plenty participants.
"Newcomers have come out of the woodwork to become involved in community projects," says Sexton. "There's just a better feeling in the community."
Event organizers hope the Cultural Exchange will foster a better relationship among everyone who considers the Columbia River Gorge their home, and it just might become an annual event.
What do past surveys show?
In Saturday's planning meeting (see Goldendale future story), reference was made to past surveys conducted among Goldendale residents to identify key concerns and issues to be addressed for the future. The surveys also revealed some demographic factors about the city which will have a pronounced impact on its future. Following are some of the key findings from past surveys:
Most residents greatly enjoy living in Goldendale.
About 50 percent of residents are retired.
Most want new jobs and additional shopping facilities.
Residents want to eliminate what was called the "trashy" feel of parts of the city.
Future growth is seen as likely to develop to the east and south of the city. Development outside the city limits is important to watch, since those areas can substantially impact what happens in the city.
Forty five percent of residents have lived here 16 or more years.
Seventy one percent of residents want to see more retail facilities.
The top three issues cited as needing the most attention and requiring improvement were: recreational opportunities, expanded shopping, and more jobs.
Primary challenges cited include: maintain small town character, reduce land use sprawl, increase retail job opportunities, strengthen the downtown area, and create a good first impression.
One third of the city presently is undeveloped. Community planners generally agree that undeveloped area should be about 20 percent of the total.
Quality promotes quality: what is developed needs to be as good as or better than existing projects.
Consistency is critical: for example, street fairs work to draw visitors to downtown are great, but if held, they should be on consistent days and times. Many communities hold street fairs April through September.
Main visitor traffic route to focus on: Route 97, Broadway, Columbus, Simcoe back out to 97. Main Street becomes highly noticeable as an extension of the primary route.
The primary question to consider is: what's the feel of the city?
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