Planning to Blossom 2037: Wenatchee Urban Area Comprehensive Plan
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Wenatchee Urban Area Comprehensive Plan 2020 Planning to Blossom 2037: Wenatchee Urban Area Comprehensive Plan UPDATED DECEMBER 2020 Department of Community Development 1350 McKittrick Street, Suite 1A Wenatchee, WA 98801 Ph. (509) 888-3200, Fax (509) 888-3201 Page 1 of 212 Wenatchee Urban Area Comprehensive Plan 2020 Wenatchee Urban Area Comprehensive Plan Plan Adopted April 26, 2007 Plan Amendments: Amended September 11, 2008 - Ordinance 2008-25 Amended September 24, 2009 - Resolution 2009-56 Amended September 9, 2010 - Resolution 2010-51 Amended December 9, 2010 - Resolution 2010-72 (Capital Facilities Plan) Amended September 1, 2011 - Resolution 2011-60 Amended December 1, 2011 - Resolution 2011-72 (Capital Facilities Plan) Amended December 13, 2012 - Resolution 2012-94 Amended December 12, 2013 - Resolution 2013-68 Amended December 11, 2014 - Resolution 2014-64 Amended December 10, 2015 - Resolution 2015-76 Amended December 8, 2016 - Resolution 2016-63 (Capital Facilities Plan) Amended December 8, 2016 - Resolution 2016-64 (S. Wenatchee Action Plan) Amended June 8, 2017 - Resolution 2017-35 (Periodic Update) Amended December 6, 2018 - Resolution 2018-51 (Capital Facilities Plan) Amended December 6, 2018 - Ordinance 2018-47 Amended December 5, 2019 - Resolution 2019-58 Amended December 5, 2019 - Resolution 2019-59 (Capital Facilities Plan) Amended December 10, 2020 - Resolution 2020-41 Amended December 10, 2020 - Resolution 2020-42 (Capital Facilities Plan) Page 2 of 212 Wenatchee Urban Area Comprehensive Plan 2020 Welcome to the City of Wenatchee Comprehensive Plan... a document setting forth a vision, goals and policies for our future! The city, along with the nation and world, is going through massive demographic, social, and economic changes. The technological revolution combined with the millennial generation entering the workforce, is changing cities beyond our imaginations. Our nation’s cities are where the majority of people live, work, and play. Over 75% of our gross economic activity occurs in cities today. Furthermore, cities are innovation centers for this revolution where ideas creating value and improving lives are developed every day. The role for cities to empower and harness this activity has never been greater and as such, it is the goal of Wenatchee to provide an environment in which people can maximize their life outcomes. Sometimes, this means getting out of the way by removing barriers, and sometimes this means taking specific actions to support this objective. This Comprehensive Plan is based on this core understanding of our changing world for this period of change may have a much greater impact on people in terms of way of life than the industrial revolution. Let’s work together to leverage this opportunity of change to make the City of Wenatchee an amazing city of the future. INTRODUCTION The City of Wenatchee Urban Area the Comprehensive Plan comprises a Comprehensive Plan is a planning and number of sub-area plans and technical visioning document prepared by staff level documents adopted as referenced under the direction and guidance of plans. These additional documents local elected officials, boards and study existing and planned commissions, and citizens and business infrastructure, capacities, and levels of owners, consistent with the service to guide capital improvements Washington State Growth Management and can provide specific targeted policy Act (GMA) to ensure orderly and direction for identified study areas. efficient city growth through the next twenty years. The City of Wenatchee is required to maintain an up-to-date comprehensive The Comprehensive Plan comprises plan in accordance with the several chapters of topics, including Washington State Growth Management Land Use, Transportation, Housing, Act, updated at 8 year cycles. The last Parks and Recreation, Natural Element, major plan effort occurred in 2006. Public Facilities, Utilities, Economic Development, Cultural and Historic Wenatchee continues to grow and has Resources, and Community Design & been experiencing many changes over Healthy Communities. Each element of the last decade. Some of these the Comprehensive Plan establishes changes include demographic shifts specific goals and outlines polices that relating to race, ethnicity and age. are implemented in codes such as the Wenatchee as a community values it’s zoning code, subdivision code, cultural diversity. Significant progress Shoreline Master Program, and has been made to encourage the development standards which address establishment of neighborhood transportation systems, infrastructure, associations, to play a significant role code enforcement and housing in communicating the issues and programs among others. Additionally, preferences within Wenatchee’s neighborhoods. Page 3 of 212 Wenatchee Urban Area Comprehensive Plan 2020 As Wenatchee grows and experiences COMPREHENSIVE PLAN VISION change the communities in the Valley are choosing to look at opportunities to In the 2006 comprehensive plan work together on services and goals update process, the City worked with realizing the benefits of a combined citizens to create a “vision” for life in approach to valley wide issues. Shifts Wenatchee 20 years into the future. toward sustainability and efficient The vision is the guide for development service provisions have occurred of the Comprehensive Plan and helps including the annexation of commercial shape the Goals and Policies therein. and industrial lands in Olds Station, as Based upon the views expressed by well as multiple islands of local residents during the visioning unincorporated land surrounded by city process, Wenatchee’s vision focuses on limits. Chelan County Fire District 1 three interconnected subjects now includes the City of Wenatchee considered to be the most important and the Museum is currently receiving determinants in Wenatchee’s future: funding from multiple jurisdictions in Economic Development, Quality of Life, the Valley. and Learning and Human Services. Updated infrastructure plans such as a Economic Development new sewer plan, participation in the Community Planning Assistance for Residents envision Wenatchee to have Wildfire Program, the City of a robust, diverse, and sustainable Wenatchee Shoreline Master Program, economy. By improving transportation a study focusing on the North and the physical infrastructure of the Wenatchee Avenue transportation City, Wenatchee’s retail districts, such corridor, a new downtown parking as Downtown, will have grown in study, and new sub area plans for quality and range of services. South Wenatchee and a North Master Increased riverfront development and Plan among others, are significant recreation, combined with regional recent studies, plans or programs that partnerships, inspire a unique identity will play a significant role in the next 20 for the City. years of growth and development in Quality of Life Wenatchee. Throughout the next 20 years, Existing plans such as the Wenatchee Wenatchee’s neighborhoods will Waterfront Sub-Area Plan are being become increasingly attractive and implemented with successful affordable for everyone. By creating a development of infrastructure and a comprehensive system of pedestrian mix of intended residential and and bicycle trails, residents enjoy commercial growth and services. convenient access to services, open Similar to the nation and Washington spaces, playfields, and parks. This State, Wenatchee faced significant vision is based on a direct correlation economic challenges in the last decade between the surrounding natural and other hardships such as wildfire beauty and environmental quality and events. Through these events the community’s quality of life. Wenatchee as a community has adapted to change and made Learning and Human Services significant progress at implementing In twenty years, residents see the policy direction in the Comprehensive Plan. Wenatchee as the home to an array of high quality educational institutions Page 4 of 212 Wenatchee Urban Area Comprehensive Plan 2020 that meet the community’s and the region’s needs. In addition to educational facilities, maintaining high- caliber medical facilities and crime prevention services are also seen as essential to supporting economic vitality and a high quality of life. The Future City In twenty years, residents see Wenatchee as a city employing sustainable technologies to improve quality of life, enhance environmental quality, and improve economic activity. The illustration below outlines a vision for future cities as provided in Mobility 2050, A Vision for Transportation Infrastructure, produced by Northwestern University, May 2016. Page 5 of 212 Wenatchee Urban Area Comprehensive Plan 2020 PLANNING PROCESS process. The 2017 plan amendments were adopted on June 8, 2017. The Washington State Growth Management Act requires periodic PLAN PROCEDURES – Develop, review and, if necessary, revision of the implement, and maintain a Wenatchee Urban Area Comprehensive Comprehensive Plan for the City of Plan. The City of Wenatchee Wenatchee consistent with the completed a comprehensive update of community’s vision. the plan in 2006. The intent of the 2017 update process was to consider Policy 1: Once adopted, the City strategic amendments as necessary to Planning Commission should monitor build upon the process from 2006 and compliance of the Plan, sub-area plans, meet state update requirements. The and development regulations. City established a process and schedule Policy 2: The City Planning for public