SEQUIM — With big-box stores on the west side and downtown Washington Street retail core on the east side, Sequim’s commercial center has “the opportunity to have the best of both worlds,” says City Manager Steve Burkett.
What to improve in Sequim’s downtown “heart and soul” will be the topic of study that began Monday night with the City Council’s unanimous hiring of a Seattle urban design consultant, LMN Architects, a contract not to exceed $85,000.
LMN was one of 14 consultant applicants considered.
LMN’s Mark Hinshaw will lead a downtown improvement planning study that will involve commercial stakeholders and interested residents who will look at and share their thoughts on everything from parking improvements to downtown redesign to attract developers.
Hinshaw said it was “amazing” that Sequim had commercial construction projects under way at a time when most cities are stymied by gloomy economic times.
Given this, Hinshaw told the council the study is “basically building on things that you already have.”
The study will determine the boundaries of downtown to be studied, city officials said.
Unofficially, it would be Cedar Avenue and Maple Street, north and south, and Third Avenue to Sunnyside west and east.
Burkett said the study would consider how residential development can be integrated into the commercial core.
The plan also would look at public art and how it can best serve downtown.
The plan would outline “a vision for a healthy and strong downtown, identifies the actions needed to accomplish the vision, and defines the roles and responsibilities of the organizations and people who will make it happen.
The consultant listed the work to be done:
• Background research and analysis.
• Parking management best practices, which will include a parking inventory and recommendations.
• Participation through a community and stakeholder dialogue, including a citizens advisory committee and stakeholder interviews and public workshops.
• A market feasibility study.
• Design concepts.
• Zoning code amendments.
• Community meetings related to the downtown plan.
A project website will be developed to help deliver information and create a place for public comments.
The study will identify sites for redevelopment opportunities through market analysis and a community visioning process.
LMN’s proposal budgets up to three stakeholder advisory committee meetings and two meetings each with the city Planning Commission and City Council.
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Sequim-Dungeness Valley Editor Jeff Chew can be reached at 360-681-2391 or at jeff.chew@peninsuladailynews.com.
