Community chimes in at city’s Comprehensive Plan workshops

By Matthew Nash • June 26, 2024 1:30 am
Sequim Gazette photo by Matthew Nash Erika Lindholm, left, and Raquel Lohrmann work together in a small group on June 13 in the Guy Cole Event Center discussing residents’ priorities for Sequim and how those affect other topics such as transportation and water preservation. The event was the first series of a handful of workshops planned for the City of Sequim’s updated Comprehensive Plan process.
Sequim Gazette photo by Matthew Nash Erika Lindholm, left, and Raquel Lohrmann work together in a small group on June 13 in the Guy Cole Event Center discussing residents’ priorities for Sequim and how those affect other topics such as transportation and water preservation. The event was the first series of a handful of workshops planned for the City of Sequim’s updated Comprehensive Plan process.

Dozens of community members shared their two cents for their vision of Sequim’s future at Comprehensive Plan workshops June 11-13 in the Guy Cole Event Center.

The meetings were the first of a handful of public meetings intended for consultants to gather information and help shape a required 10-year update to the city’s Comprehensive Plan due to state officials by June 30, 2025.

Residents’ input touched on everything from housing to transportation to jobs to the environment.

Consultants with SCJ Alliance said that residents at the first workshop were mostly aligned on topics such as wanting to preserve open space and water, and to add more economic opportunity while being both a good place to retire and have a family.

Two days later, small groups analyzed how a focus on how environmental stewardship, economic development and raising families impact different priorities.

SCJ Alliance, hired in 2023 to help the city develop the document, led two days and nights of workshops while Transpo Group led a workshop about transportation.

William Grimes, principal with SCJ Alliance, told attendees on June 13 that community members can check sequimagine.org throughout the next year for event updates and take a poll to provide input.

He said they plan to appear at local events, stores and locations in the coming months to seek out more information from residents.

In March, SCJ staff spoke to 25 various local stakeholders at length about priorities for improvement, and ideas for future development related to the Comprehensive Plan.

Sequim city council last approved an updated plan in 2015, which added a high tech light industrial zone off East Washington Street, created a senior lifestyle district by North Fifth Avenue and an economic opportunity area on the north side of U.S. Highway 101.

This update will include updates to the city’s Transportation Master Plan, an economic development strategy, a Housing Action Plan, a Climate Action Plan and a Unified Development Code, seeking clarify and streamline city planning projects and processes.

Per SCJ staff, some of the new state requirements for the Comprehensive Plan include rules for more affordable housing, allowing accessory dwelling units in all residential zones, and evaluations of land capacity/scarcity before expanding into the Urban Growth Area.

Timelines

SCJ staff estimate they’ll be meeting with the Sequim Planning Commission almost monthly on various elements of the plan leading up to a final plan presentation to the city council in April 2025.

Along with those meetings, residents have ample opportunity to engage in the process.

A housing workshop is tentatively slated for August to discuss increasing housing availability and affordability within Sequim.

A climate workshop is tentatively set around October to focus on climate issues and proposed actions in Sequim. In addition, an implementation workshop is set for around October to show how the Comprehensive Plan will be adopted with a prioritized and detailed list of proposed implementation measures.

By the end of this year, or early 2025, SCJ will host an in-person, virtual or hybrid roll-out open house for input on the draft plan and recommendations.

For updates on meetings, surveys and documents, visit sequimagine.org.

Christine Paulsen, center, talks with her small group about their opinions on how residents’ priorities for Sequim affect transportation, water preservation, and more. Paulsen was one of dozens of people to participate over three days/nights for a City of Sequim Comprehensive Plan workshop. “There are so many things we can do to make this a wonderful place to live,” she said.

Christine Paulsen, center, talks with her small group about their opinions on how residents’ priorities for Sequim affect transportation, water preservation, and more. Paulsen was one of dozens of people to participate over three days/nights for a City of Sequim Comprehensive Plan workshop. “There are so many things we can do to make this a wonderful place to live,” she said.

Sequim Gazette photo by Matthew Nash/ William Grimes, principal with SCJ Alliance, talks to residents on June 13 about a mini-poll that offers residents a chance to share their input on growth policy priorities. It’s available online, along with upcoming events and documents at sequimagine.org.

Sequim Gazette photo by Matthew Nash/ William Grimes, principal with SCJ Alliance, talks to residents on June 13 about a mini-poll that offers residents a chance to share their input on growth policy priorities. It’s available online, along with upcoming events and documents at sequimagine.org.