| City of Ellensburg Update Process Leads Community Decisions |
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Ellensburg, Washington is a mid-sized community long blessed with a charming, historic downtown, ample open spaces, a quality college campus - and the virtue of being largely "undiscovered." Recently, it seems, Ellensburg has lost its unknown status. Today, the growth boom has Ellensburg considering something many consider at-odds with small-town life: big box/regional retail development. In 2005, the community hired Studio Cascade to lead its Comprehensive Plan update, including exploring retail options. Informed by an innovative, intensive public process, SCI produced "cafeteria-style" draft chapters featuring strategies following four basic land use options. The final draft was then developed around City Council selection of its preferred strategy. Studio Cascade also tackled the City's Shoreline Master Program, its Critical Areas Ordinance, and review of development regulations impacting downtown redevelopment. A final version for Council adoption is expected early this year. |
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Ellensburg has an exceptionally close relationship with its downtown; the town's quality architecture and streetscapes help foster numerous civic events, including the weekly farmer's market. (Donna Nylander) |
Like many communities, Ellensburg is struggling to maintain its small-town, compact form in the face of growth spurred, in part, by those very things. Can growth income offset the costs of maintaining service levels?
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