HomeMy WebLinkAbout11-21-2024 Council Workshop Agenda PacketCITY OF EAST WENATCHEE
CITY COUNCIL
PLANNING COMMISSION
*JOINT WORKSHOP SESSION*
MEETING LOCATION:
EAST WENATCHEE CITY HALL
271 9th Street NE | East Wenatchee, WA
98802
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M EETING AGENDA
Thursday, November 21, 2024 5:30 PM Council Chambers
1.Call to Order Shayne Magdoff, Workshop Facilitator.
2.NCW Fire Service and RiverCom Presentation Wenatchee Valley Fire Chief Brian Brett.
3.Comprehensive Plan Visioning Curtis Lillquist, Community Development Director.
4.Review of City Campus Facilities Priorities Curtis Lillquist, Community Development Director.
5.Adjournment.Shayne Magdoff, Workshop Facilitator.
CITY OF EAST WENATCHEE
COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT DEPARTMENT
271 9th Street NE * East Wenatchee, WA 98802
Phone (509) 884-5396 * Fax (509) 884-6233
MEMORANDUM
To: Mayor, Council, and Planning Commissioners
From: Curtis Lillquist AICP, Community Development Director
Date: November 18, 2024
Subject: Comprehensive Plan Visioning
The first chapter of the comprehensive plan is the community vision. A
component of the 2026 comprehensive plan update is to review the current
vision and determine if changes need to be made. This workshop is a
beginning step to review our current city vision and decide if changes
should be made.
Included in your packet are the following documents:
- Chapter 1 of the comprehensive plan (current language)
- Our Valley Our Future Community Outreach Report
- Introduction to OVOF’s Action Plan
- Introduction and Executive Summary OVOF Housing Survey Report
Our Valley Our Future has spent significant effort over the past few years to
connect with citizens across the Wenatchee Valley to gain an
understanding of their values and desires for the future.
Reviewing the attached documents staff has two questions:
- “The Vision” (Pg 8, Chapter 1) Are there any points to the current
vision that are no longer applicable or should be changed?
- Upon review of the OVOF visioning documents are there any themes
or topics that should be brought out to be included in the City’s vision.
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Greater East Wenatchee Area Comprehensive Plan – 2019
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CHAPTER 1
INTRODUCTION
The Greater East Wenatchee Area and the City of East Wenatchee, the area’s urban
center, are linked by common interests, a spectacular setting along the Columbia River
and an interdependent economy. For these reasons, the City of East Wenatchee and
Douglas County have joined together in forming an integrated community vision for the
Greater East Wenatchee Area Volume of the Douglas County Comprehensive Plan.
This document also serves as the City of East Wenatchee Comprehensive Plan. The
planning area for this comprehensive plan is the urban growth area for the City of East
Wenatchee.
Why Plan?
Planning establishes a long-range vision that balances the competing needs and
desires of the community in a coordinated and orderly manner. Planning averts
problems by making efficient use of scarce resources. Planning improves the physical
environment of the community, making it more functional, beautiful, decent, healthful,
interesting, and efficient. Planning makes sure tax dollars invested in public roads,
water and sewer lines, fire stations, parks, and other public services are spent wisely.
Planning incorporates long-range considerations into decisions on short-range actions.
And, planning promotes the interest of the community at large, rather than the interests
of individuals or special groups within the community.
In order to preserve the quality of life that has made Washington State such a desirable
place to live, the Legislature passed the Growth Management Act (GMA) in 1990. The
basic objective of the legislation is to guide and encourage local governments in
assessing their goals, evaluating their community assets, writing comprehensive plans
and implementing those plans through regulations and innovative techniques to
encompass their future vision.
The comprehensive plan is the official statement adopted by the City and County
establishing the goals and policies to protect the health, welfare, safety, and quality of
life of the residents of the Greater East Wenatchee Area. A comprehensive plan is all
about drawing a picture of how your community should develop and appear in the
future, the vision. These ‘sketches’ consist of written and graphic displays developed
by the citizens who live in the community. Successful comprehensive plans are a
result of a vision firmly set forth in the goals and policies of the plan, and a land use
map. These components are used to guide decision makers (elected legislative
bodies) in implementing the plan. This plan is not an exception to those concepts and
has relied upon our citizens' experiences in regard to how we should allocate open
space, parks, traffic circulation, types of housing, job centers, schools and other types
of land uses. Technical information such as population growth rates, relationship to
adjoining growth centers, utilities and public facilities and services are also considered
in order to put realistic expectations into the vision.
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Greater East Wenatchee Area Comprehensive Plan – 2019
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It is sometimes difficult to form a vision that is clear, represents the views of most of the
people in the community and one that can be carried out through a comprehensive
plan. It takes an enormous amount of time and commitment on the part of volunteer
citizens and local government. Visions also change with time as the values and views
of the residents change. It is a process, like so many in planning, that must be
revisited at regular intervals to be sure you are on track. With this in mind, the
visioning process for the Greater East Wenatchee Area of Douglas County has been
extensive and ongoing.
Over the years the City and County have periodically conducted far-reaching public
outreach efforts in a quest to obtain information from residents and the business
community to better define the vision for the Greater East Wenatchee Area. It is these
public involvement process that guide the development and amendment of the
comprehensive plan.
In the fall of 1991, an intensive ‘visioning’ effort was carried out involving a tabloid and
survey, advertised meetings, and a display booth at the North Central Washington
District Fair. The goal of this effort was to educate the citizens of Douglas County as to
the requirements and benefits of the Growth Management Act, and to allow the
planning staff to see and understand the vision these people had for both their
community and the County as a whole.
Another major ‘visioning’ effort was conducted during the spring and summer of 2002.
A flyer was sent to 3,900 households announcing that listening posts would be
conducted in three rural areas of the County and at the Wenatchee Valley Mall to
provide opportunities for citizens to indicate their ideas and opinions for future growth
and development. An informal survey, ‘Picture the Future!’ was featured at the
listening posts and made available at County and City planning offices. Two vision
evaluation workshops were held in June 2002; one for Douglas County officials and
one for City of East Wenatchee officials. The purpose of the workshops was for the
officials to look at the current community vision in their respective comprehensive plans
and recommend changes, if needed. In August 2003 the Douglas County Regional
Planning Commission and the City of East Wenatchee Planning Commission met in a
joint workshop to review and further develop the language of the Draft Community
Vision. The result of that project was the following vision statement for the Greater
East Wenatchee Area.
THE VISION
Picture the Future! In the Greater East Wenatchee Area.
You will see:
A versatile and diverse economic base, which promotes desirable
employment growth and living wage jobs.
The Greater East Wenatchee Area has developed in an orderly and
economically feasible manner that makes the best use of geographic,
demographic, and human resource, this development:
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Greater East Wenatchee Area Comprehensive Plan – 2019
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- Has created an area rich in destination tourism and recreation;
- Protects and enhances residential neighborhoods;
- Includes commercial, industrial, agricultural activities; and
- Compliments the economic and cultural opportunities in the area.
Tourist activities located in appropriate places which may include river
corridors and in agricultural areas.
A balance between preserving agricultural activities, orchards and
allowing urban growth and development.
Farmland and agricultural activities sustained by allowing agricultural
related activities on premises including, for example; fruit stands, wineries
and related support services.
Commercial and industrial investment is attracted into the area through a
cooperative alliance among County, City and special purpose districts.
The City of East Wenatchee as the urban center of the Greater East
Wenatchee Area with an attractive Central Business District that is user
friendly and meets the needs of local residents and pedestrian oriented
tourism.
Transportation systems that provide easy accessibility to the industrial,
commercial, recreational, and residential assets of the community
including; an all weather airport, bicycle and pedestrian trails and facilities,
roads and streets.
The Greater East Wenatchee Area is a safe and pleasant place to live.
Housing that is available to all income levels.
Growth that is managed to facilitate efficient provision of requested
services within identified service boundaries.
Parks, recreation areas, and open space are found along the Columbia
River while protecting and enhancing the character of the shoreline and its
wildlife.
Guidelines are created and in place which acknowledge and respect
private property rights.
NEIGHBORHOOD PLANNING
In the winter of 2004, as part of the 2006 update to the Greater East Wenatchee Urban
Area comprehensive plan, the City of East Wenatchee and Douglas County held a
series of seven neighborhood meetings with citizens in the urban area. The purpose of
those meetings was to involve the citizens, business owners, and property owners in
identifying their vision of what they wanted to see in their neighborhood in the next 20
years. The meetings were held in facilities in the neighborhoods and over 200 people
participated in the process. The project was funded with a grant from the Washington
State Department of Community, Trade and Economic Development.
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Greater East Wenatchee Area Comprehensive Plan – 2019
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The participants enjoyed the opportunity to meet their neighbors and express their
vision for the neighborhood and the community. As a result of this neighborhood
planning process, many insightful and unique comments were expressed. The
comments can be categorized into four major topics: transportation, parks and
recreation, neighborhood appearance, and utilities.
Transportation issues were a major theme throughout the process. Comments ranged
from broad statements such as “better transportation planning” to the specific “we need
a stoplight at Grant and Kentucky.” Included in the transportation category of
comments were suggestions for sidewalks, better street lighting, better street linkages,
and extension of public transportation.
Parks and recreation was the second most mentioned topic of major concern to the
participants. Suggestions were made for locations for new parks and improvements to
existing park facilities.
Neighborhood and community appearance comments included suggestions for more
landscaping around commercial and industrial activities and general neighborhood
beautification with landscaping and control of nuisance properties (junk vehicles,
accumulations of yard waste etc.).
Utility issues included extension of sanitary sewer, improved storm water systems,
provision of irrigation water, undergrounding of utilities, and extension of fiber optic
services.
Our Valley What’s Next/Nuestro Valley Que Sigue
The Our Valley What’s Next/Nuestro Valley Que Sigue visioning and planning
project was initiated in 2015 with a community survey and other public outreach
efforts serving as the foundation for the development of a long-range vision and a
strategic action plan for Our Valley.
This is the first time an initiative of this magnitude has been undertaken across multi-
jurisdictional boundaries in Chelan and Douglas counties. The name, “Our Valley”,
was chosen to reflect this regional approach. This was an effort being undertaken by
public, private, civic, community and business partners in Our Valley to develop a
shared, values-based, data-supported vision with defined strategies and actions to
help create a more vibrant and prosperous future.
Our Valley initiated a conversation with the entire community, asking thousands of
residents what they saw as the region’s core values, biggest strengths, weaknesses,
and challenges. Presentations were made at 38 meetings and volunteers attended
18 public events across the region - directly connecting with over 10,000 residents
and community leaders at government meetings, service clubs, business
organizations, ethnic groups and activities, recreation- and conservation-focused
groups, and social service agencies. Interviews were conducted with 35 community
leaders. A community summit was attended by 120 people.
A survey questionnaire was developed that was available online and in printed
format. The survey was provided at community meetings, events and organizational
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Greater East Wenatchee Area Comprehensive Plan – 2019
Page 11 of 154
presentations; in mailed newsletters; at libraries, community centers, public
gathering spots and recreation sites; and through an Our Valley open house. The
online survey link was distributed via social media, the Our Valley website, e-
newsletters, and links from various public and private organizations’ websites.
1,550 surveys were completed. The survey questions are provided below along with
5 of the most common answers. They are ranked in order of frequency:
What is one thing you value about
living in Our Valley?
1. Outdoors and recreation
2. The people
3. Natural and scenic resources
4. Climate
5. Personal safety
What is one way you see Our Valley
changing now?
1. Population growth
2. Latino community’s emergence
3. Increased traffic congestion
4. Commercial expansion
5. Better amenities
What is one idea you have for the
future of Our Valley?
1. Outdoor recreation enhancements
2. Improved schools and a four-year
college
3. Better amenities
4. More events and entertainment
5. Everyone working together
What is one action that would make
your idea happen?
1. Community support
2. Make things happen
3. Educate (improve education levels
community wide)
4. Grow business
5. Focus on recreation
What is Our Valley’s greatest
weakness as a place to live?
1. Lack of amenities
2. Few job openings, lower wages
3. Cultural divide
4. Affordable housing
5. Traffic
What is Our Valley’s greatest
strength as a place to live?
1. Community and its people
2. Outdoors and recreation
3. Scenery
4. Natural resources
5. Location
What is the biggest challenge for
the future of Our Valley?
1. Population growth
2. Coming together as a community
3. Economic growth
4. Few job openings, lower wages
5. Affordable housing
Do you think Our Valley will be a
better or worse place to live in the
future?
Results:
Definitely better — 27 percent
Somewhat better — 31 percent
About the same — 23 percent
Somewhat worse — 16 percent
Definitely worse — 3 percent
Demographics of respondents showed that 98% were from the Wenatchee Valley. Age
groupings included 12% being less than 30 years old, 70% were 30 to 59 years of age
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Greater East Wenatchee Area Comprehensive Plan – 2019
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and 17% were 60 or older. A major effort was made to engage the local Latino
community. Versions of the survey and other relevant documents were available in
English and Spanish. According to the 2010 Census, 28.5 percent of the overall
population in Chelan and Douglas counties is Latino or Hispanic. The results of the
survey showed that those who self-identified themselves as Latino or Hispanic made
up 23% of the respondents.
The Our Valley What's Next community survey results provide a snapshot of what
resident’s value most about living here, what they see changing, and what they view as
our biggest challenges going forward, as well as their visions for the future and
possible strategies to make them a reality.
The results show residents are optimistic and hopeful, they highly value the region’s
beauty, recreational opportunities and sense of community, and prefer a proactive
collaborative approach in positioning Our Valley for the future in the face of change.
They want greater efficiencies in government and greater collaboration between
cultures, desire more bigger-city amenities and services, want better-paying jobs, more
affordable housing, and believe the region should further capitalize economically on
our natural attributes.
At the same time, residents also consider growth a threat to some aspects of their
quality of life, and recognize tough decisions await community leaders and elected
officials as they grapple with issues like traffic, poverty, affordable housing, cultural
diversity, education, infrastructure, and workforce development.
Taken together, these findings provided the basis for the creation of a long-range
vision and strategic action plan for Our Valley. The following overall vision was
developed from the survey and public outreach process:
The Vision:
Our Valley is a united, prosperous and thriving region, built on our
agricultural heritage and history of innovation. We collaborate across
geographic, political and cultural boundaries. Together with our
business community, our local governments, public agencies and
organizations coordinate their decisions and actions, spending
resources wisely and enhancing public services. Our communities
have vibrant centers with housing, amenities and public transportation,
and safe, affordable neighborhoods. Our diverse cultures embrace
their commonalities – and celebrate their distinctiveness. At all levels,
our educators, schools and colleges engage and prepare students for
our future workforce. Our economy generates new opportunities
through knowledge and innovation. We have living wage jobs that
support our families, and rewarding programs and activities that enrich
our children, young adults and seniors. We are a destination for
recreation, ecotourism and agritourism. We are stewards of our natural
environment, enhancing our livability, health and wellness. Our Valley
is where we live, grow and work for a better future.”
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Greater East Wenatchee Area Comprehensive Plan – 2019
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In addition to the Vision, this extensive outreach effort enabled Our Valley to develop
an action plan centered on six focus areas. The six focus areas are:
How We Prosper
How We Plan & Grow
How We Sustain Our Environment
How We Live & Care for One Another
How We Learn & Create
How We Participate and Decide
The overarching Vision is meant to guide and connect strategies, actions and
implementation efforts for those focus areas.
During the first nine months of 2016, Our Valley’s citizen based Action Teams, a Think
Tank of community leaders, and the Our Valley Core Team — totaling more than 150
residents and community leaders — researched, vetted and refined the actions and
major projects. They also secured commitments from the businesses, public agencies,
nonprofits and community groups that will champion the plan's actions and major
projects.
The Action Plan was unveiled at a public event attended by over 100 people. The
Action Plan includes 149 projects and programs and 7 major “game-changer”
projects spread out over the 6 focus areas.
The projects and programs are being led by 81 public agencies, businesses,
nonprofit organizations and community groups. The lead partners have committed to
championing and implementing the actions within a five-year period. By working on
these projects, the partner organizations share responsibility in bringing Our Valley's
long-term, grassroots vision to fruition.
The Our Valley Action Plan is intended to be updated periodically as projects are
completed, new initiatives come on board, and the community encounters other
challenges – and opportunities.
The table below lists the Action Items that were identified during this public outreach
program where the lead partner was identified as the City of East Wenatchee. There
are existing goals and policies in the comprehensive plan that address several of
these action items:
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Greater East Wenatchee Area Comprehensive Plan – 2019
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OUR VALLEY ACTION PLAN
City of East Wenatchee
LIST OF LEAD PARTNER ACTIONS
OUR VALLEY
‘FOCUS
AREA’
ACTION NUMBER & TITLE
ACTION TEXT
How We
Prosper
Prosper 5.6
Waterfront Destination
(NOTE: This action was ranked the 13th
highest priority in this focus area by the
community in the 2016 survey.)
Accelerate development of Our Valley’s
waterfronts into major tourist attractions and
destinations.
How We
Prosper
Prosper 5.7
Expanded Retail Sector
(NOTE: This action was ranked the 16th
highest priority in this focus area by the
community in the 2016 survey.)
Explore opportunities to expand the local retail
sector and provide feedback on next steps to
create a strategy for the achievement of
meaningful growth in this industry cluster.
How We
Prosper
Easy Win
Prosper 6.6
Restaurants & Retail Development
(NOTE: This action was ranked the 7th
highest priority in the ‘How We Plan and
Grow’ focus area by the community in the
2016 survey.)
Encourage and support a mix of restaurants
and retail shops to elevate the experience in
the area’s urban centers.
How We Plan
and Grow
Plan 2.1
Mixed-Use Planning
(NOTE: This action was ranked the 4th
highest priority in this focus area by the
community in the 2016 survey.)
Encourage mixed-use planning region wide,
emphasizing higher density, pedestrian- and
transit-friendly development in designated
urban centers that is coordinated with regional
transportation planning.
How We Plan
and Grow
Plan 2.2
Downtown Residential
(NOTE: This action was ranked the 9th
highest priority in this focus area by the
community in the 2016 survey.)
Promote and incentivize residential development
the region’s downtown urban centers.
How We Plan
and Grow
Plan 2.3
Corridor Beautification
(NOTE: This action was ranked the 11th
highest priority in this focus area by the
community in the 2016 survey.)
Beautify urban corridors along key arterials in
the region, including city/town gateways and
entry points.
How We Plan
and Grow
Plan 3.1
Riverfront Redevelopment
(NOTE: This action was ranked the 6th
highest priority in this focus area by the
community in the 2016 survey.)
Promote riverfront development on both sides
of the Columbia River, including housing,
shops, entertainment, and a large new public
marina.
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Greater East Wenatchee Area Comprehensive Plan – 2019
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How We Plan
and Grow
Plan 5.1
Regulatory Barriers Affecting
Affordable Housing
(NOTE: This action was ranked the 10th
highest priority in this focus area by the
community in the 2016 survey.)
Review development regulations to identify
barriers to affordable housing and propose
alternatives.
How We Plan
and Grow
Plan 5.2
Incentives for Affordable Housing
(NOTE: This action was ranked the 1st
highest priority in this focus area by the
community in the 2016 survey.)
Offer tax breaks and other incentives to builders
and property owners to develop more affordable
housing for middle- and lower-income earners.
How We Plan
and Grow
Easy Win
Plan 6.1
Synchronize Traffic Signals
Synchronize major traffic signals in the region
where feasible and appropriate to promote
improved traffic flow and connectivity.
How We
Sustain Our
Environment
Sustain 2.1
Open Space Preservation
Incentivize and preserve Our Valley’s open
spaces for their scenic and recreational values,
and their diversity of native plants and wildlife.
How We Live
and Care For
One Another
Live 1.5
Bilingual Signage
Establish more bilingual signage at key public
facilities and major way-finding sites as well as
for use during natural disasters, such as
wildfires and floods.
How We Live
and Care For
One Another
Live 2.9
Sidewalks and Street Lighting
(NOTE: This action was ranked the 2nd
highest priority in this focus area by the
community in the 2016 survey.)
Identify and upgrade sidewalks and street
lighting in South Wenatchee and East
Wenatchee, promoting safe, convenient
pedestrian mobility and places for people to
congregate
How We Live
and Care For
One Another
Live 6.3
Inventory of Sidewalk- Lighting
Deficient Neighborhoods
Conduct an inventory of neighborhoods in the
two cities to determine where sidewalks and
street lights are deficient.
How We
Participate
and Decide
Decide 2.2
Regional Storm Water System
(NOTE: This action was ranked the 18th
highest priority in this focus area by the
community in the 2016 survey.)
Analyze the status of the region’s existing
stormwater systems and explore the possibility
of merging the operation of these systems.
The results of this public outreach effort further validates the Greater East
Wenatchee Area Comprehensive Plan since many of the projects listed above are
consistent with and would implement the goals and policies throughout this
comprehensive plan.
3
COMMUNITY
OUTREACH
REPORT
MARCH 2022
2 3
INTRODUCTION
In January 2021, Our Valley Our Future / Nuestro Valle
Nuestro Futuro (OVOF) launched the “Our Valley, Stronger”
community visioning and planning project, leading to a new
five-year Action Plan for the years 2022-26. Over the course
of the next 12 months, OVOF engaged with more than 2,000
community members about the region’s challenges, strengths,
and weaknesses, along with ways to improve everyone’s quali-
ty of life. The project’s name — Our Valley, Stronger — was cho-
sen to reflect OVOF’s belief that if residents work together, the
region can come out of the COVID-19 pandemic in a stronger,
more resilient position as it looks to the future.
This process was a dynamic one as OVOF moved from
public input to concrete outcomes. The pathway started with
community leader (stakeholder) interviews, was broadened
through various forms of community engagement, including
online public surveys, focus groups and panel discussions, and
augmented further by research on emerging trends beginning
to affect the community.
Answering these four thematic questions, community mem-
bers provided information that served as building blocks of
the new Action Plan:
OVOF also asked questions during its outreach work about
the COVID-19 pandemic, social inequities, and the level of
optimism residents hold about the future.
Vision ideas generated from community members were
further distilled and refined by six Action Teams and turned
into actionable projects and programs that constitute the new
five-year Action Plan for the years 2022-26.
“Where are we now?”
Core values, challenges, opportunities
“Where are we going?”
Key trends and issues
“Where do we want to be?”
Vision, directional themes
“How do we get there?”
Action planning, plan development
?
PARTICIPATION FROM
COMMUNITY
MEMBERS
All told, 2,041 community members directly participated in
OVOF’s outreach phase in 2021. They participated through:
• 49 stakeholder interviews
• 2 public surveys
• 19 focus groups
• 2 panel discussions.
Demographically, participants cut a wide swath across the
community. For example, approximately 67 percent of
participants were Chelan County residents (including 18
percent from the Upper Wenatchee Valley and 5 percent
from Chelan-Manson), 31 percent were Douglas County
residents, and 2 percent were from other locations.
26 percent self-identified as Latino.
Because the surveys, in particular, were not a scientific random
sample, they cannot claim to be statistically representative of
the region’s population. That said, the fact that survey partici-
pants of different backgrounds and locations closely reflected
actual regional demographic numbers lends significant credi-
bility to survey results.
The information collected provides us with a close look at the
current state of the region and what its residents foresee is
needed to make it a more thriving place to live, work and play
going forward.
67%
31%
2%
County Resident
Demographic
Chelan County
including 18% from
Upper Wenatchee
Valley & 5% from
Chelan-Manson
Douglas
County
Other
18%
5%
Where the 2,041 participants in
Our Valley Our Future’s outreach work
lived in 2021
Wenatchee . . . . . . . . . . . . . .41.5%
East Wenatchee ........22.8%
Leavenworth ............11.5%
Cashmere ................4.4%
Chelan . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .3.7%
Rock Island . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2.8%
Waterville . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2.0%
Orondo ...................1.9%
Entiat . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .1.5%
Malaga . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .1.5%
Manson ...................1.2%
Peshastin .................1.2%
Plain . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .0.7%
Bridgeport ...............0.6%
Mansfield ................0.6%
Monitor ..................0.3%
Other .....................1.8%
■ 60 years and older: 33.5%
■ 45 to 59 years of age: 29.1%
■ 30 to 44 years of age: 27.7%
■ 19 to 29 years of age: 8.7%
■ 18 years and younger: 1.0%
White65.2%
Latino, Hispanic or Spanish Origin25.8%
0.9% Black or African American
0.7% American Indian or Alaska Native
0.5% Asian or Asian American
0.0% Native Hawaiian or Pacific Isander
1.4% Other
5.5% Prefer not to say
ETHNICITY BREAKDOWNETHNICITY BREAKDOWN
of participants in Our Valley Our Future’s
outreach work in 2021
AGE BREAKDOWNAGE BREAKDOWN
of participants in Our Valley Our Future’s
outreach work in 2021
54
MAIN FINDINGS FROM
OUTREACH WORK
The following summary of findings from OVOF’s outreach
work in 2021 provides a glimpse into the community’s atti-
tudes about the future:
Values Remain Constant
Community members continue to value the region’s natural
environment (open spaces, scenic beauty, clean air and wa-
ter), outdoor recreation opportunities, sense of community
and small-town feel, services and amenities in the Greater
Wenatchee Area, low crime rates, cultural diversity, and the ag-
riculture industry. Such endearing values not only speak to what
residents don’t want to see go away, but also provides a kind of
yardstick against which to measure proposed future plans.
A Changing Region
Community members perceive the region is changing quickly
and in vastly more ways than they did when queried by OVOF
in 2015-16.
Growth: Community members have witnessed an influx
of new residents, visitors and money over the past five years,
most of it spurred or influenced by the pandemic. The new ar-
rivals include remote workers, second-home owners, retirees,
young adults, and others. Large numbers of people have vis-
ited the Leavenworth and Lake Chelan areas and the region’s
trail systems and outdoor attractions during the pandemic.
COVID-19: The pandemic has had a negative impact on
many aspects of community life and magnified inequities,
leading to a marked increase in social services to assist those
in need. Asked by OVOF what areas have been most neg-
atively impacted by the pandemic, residents cited people’s
physical, mental and spiritual health, the health care system
itself, the education system, arts and culture, housing, and
community connectiveness.
Housing: In 2015-16, when OVOF last sought input from
community members about regional challenges, people
cited the general lack of available and affordable housing as
a growing issue in Chelan and Douglas counties. In 2021, the
consensus among community members is that many essen-
tial workers, first-time home buyers and young people and
families have been completely priced out of the local housing
market. Said one resident, “Often times when I look at the
housing market and see the skyrocketing prices and compare
that with the economy here, I think, ‘How sustainable are the
two?’ My biggest concern is that the people who work here
won’t be able to live here.”
Agriculture: Community members have taken note
of orchards being converted into home sites and are keenly
aware some small farmers find making a living on farming
alone difficult. Another change cited by community members:
Fruit companies are increasingly turning to automation to
handle work previously done by people.
Divisiveness: Community members also have taken
note of community divisiveness over COVID vaccinations
and masking, national politics, new residents, urban vs. rural
lifestyles, culture, and tourism.
Cultural integration: Community members say
a silver lining of the pandemic has been seeing Latinos and
Anglos work together to provide information and resources to
the overall community, including those most vulnerable.
What is the biggest
challenge for the future
of our valley?
Below are the top responses, categorized and ranked
based on the number of times mentioned.
?
OVERALL RESPONDENTS
1. Adapting to growth
2. Housing
3. Building resiliency
4. Bridging the cultural divide
5. Better jobs, economy
6. Providing social services
7. Community divisiveness
8. Improving education
8. Sustainable tourism
10. Adapting to change
LATINO RESPONDENTS
1. Bridging the cultural divide
2. Housing
3. Adapting to growth
4. Improving education
5. Better jobs, economy
6. Providing social services
7. Cost of living
8. Assisting youth
9. Building resiliency
10. Public safety
In what areas do you think
racial and social equity
barriers exist in our valley?
?
OVERALL RESPONDENTS
• Language: 64.1%
• Housing: 58.0%
• Culture: 50.2%
• Education: 45.5%
• Workplace: 37.1%
• Criminal justice: 34.7%
• Access to technology: 34.2%
• Health care: 33.9%
• Business opportunities: 31.7%
• Child care: 30.1%
• Job training: 25.4%
• Access to loans: 24.3%
• Transportation: 21.1%
• There are no barriers: 8.6%
LATINO RESPONDENTS
• Language: 73.2%
• Culture: 63.0%
• Housing: 50.4%
• Education: 50.4%
• Workplace: 50.4%
• Health care: 43.3%
• Criminal justice: 37.8%
• Business opportunities: 33.9%
• Job training: 33.9%
• Access to loans: 29.9%
• Access to technology: 29.1%
• Child care: 27.6%
• Transportation: 24.4%
• There are no barriers: 5.5%
6 7
Big Challenges
Adapting to growth: Community members believe
the region’s biggest challenge is adapting to growth so the
region doesn’t lose what community members value most:
the natural environment, sense of community, a more rural
lifestyle, agriculture, and the ability to own a home and live
and work in the same community. In particular, residents are
calling for more attainable and affordable housing, infrastruc-
ture improvements to get ahead of the growth, better plan-
ning and coordination among jurisdictions, and a sustainable
tourism industry. Overuse of public lands for outdoor recre-
ation is a big concern.
Many foresee the growth continuing for quite some time. Said
Optimism Declines
In 2021, in the midst of the pandemic, community members
expressed less optimism about the future than they did when
the same question was asked of them in 2015. Asked whether
they think the region will be a better or worse place to live
in the future, 51 percent of the OVOF survey respondents
in 2021 answered either “definitely better” or “somewhat
better,” compared to 58 percent of survey respondents who
answered that way in 2015. Conversely, 30 percent of survey
respondents in 2021 answered either “somewhat worse” or
“definitely worse” to the same question, compared with 19
percent who answered that way in 2015.
The region’s Latino community expressed far more optimism
about the region’s future in 2021, with 76 percent of Latino
survey respondents answering either “definitely better” or
“somewhat better” to that same question.
AN ANALYSIS OF GLOBAL AND U.S. TRENDS
OVOF hired Steven Ames of NXT Consulting Group in 2021
to conduct an analysis of global and U.S. trends as such trends
ultimately affect people and organizations on a local level, and
local communities are often times on the front line of change.
Understanding trends ahead of time can make communities
more proactive and assist in community visioning and planning
work. OVOF utilized this information in crafting game chang-
er initiatives and action items. As part of this analysis, Ames
reviewed nearly 100 articles, papers and reports from main-
stream media, policy journals, nongovernmental organizations,
and scholarly institutions. Here is what he found:
Major Trends
Population Growth and Change: Worldwide,
there will be continued growth, the “aging” and diversifying of
populations, and major population migrations. U.S. popula-
tion growth in stagnating, aging, and diversifying. America is
becoming more ethnically, racially and culturally diverse. His-
panic, Asian and multi-racial people have driven U.S. growth
since 2010. People who identify as multi-racial grew by 276
percent to 33.8 million in 2020. The white (non-Hispanic)
population accounted for 58 percent of the population in
2020, its lowest share on record. Closer to home, a “Califor-
nia Exodus” — driven by taxes, housing, cost of living, climate
change, and wildfires— is increasing migration to the North-
west and other parts of the country. Wealthy Americans, high-
tech workers, and Millennials are moving. Destinations include
remote ‘lifestyle’ locations, smaller towns and more affordable
suburbs. Washington state was in the top five states for nu-
meric population increase between 2010 and 2020.
Our Valley Our Future interviewed 49 community
stakeholders between February and April 2021.
One of the questions asked of the stakeholders.
Based on what you know or have
learned, what are the one or two
most important things your
organization could focus on
to foster our valley’s long-term
rebuilding from the impacts
of the COVID-19 pandemic?
Below are the top responses, categorized
and ranked based on the number of times mentioned.
?
1. Community building
2. Business assistance
3. Community resiliency
4. More housing
5. Economic development
6. Maintaining core industries
7. Adapting to change
8. Social services
8. Public health measures
10. Funding for nonprofits
What is the most
important thing our community
can do to address issues of
racial and social equity?
Below are the top responses, categorized
and ranked based on the number of times mentioned.
?
1. Develop a better understanding of
cultures and issues
2. Provide affordable housing and
social services
3. Engage, communicate and listen
4. Increase representation of minorities in
leadership roles
5. Improve language fluency
6. Build and nurture relationships
7. Celebrate cultures, people and successes
8. Acknowledge there is an issue
9. Call out racism
10. Train and educate the overall community
one community leader interviewed, “The key is finding a way
to preserve our beautiful way of life and also grow.”
Greater resiliency: Community members see build-
ing greater resiliency — commonly defined as the ability to
prepare for, respond to, and recover from adverse situations,
both natural and man-made — as key to the future viability
of the place. Climate change is a factor but not the only one.
Community members want to see greater resiliency applied
to natural resources (water and land), natural disasters (wild-
fires), health and wellness of individuals, the economy, inter-
net connectivity, education (from early learning through adult
learning), and agriculture. Said a community leader, “What is
going to happen next? How will it affect us? How do we build
systems that can respond appropriately? How do communi-
ties come together?”
Basic needs: The needs of many residents have
increased exponentially during the pandemic. To recover,
community members favor economic measures first and
foremost, followed by a focus on education, housing, public
health, behavioral health, food assistance, and other social
services.
We need to find common
ground on things. There needs
to be an understanding of the
otherness.
“
Climate Change and Environment: Extreme
weather, resource depletion, declining biodiversity, and water/
food insecurity are occurring globally and will remain a major
challenge for years. Partially in response, the world is turning
to renewable, low-carbon energy sources. About 60 percent
of the Western U.S. is in “exceptional” or “extreme” drought;
less than 1 percent of the West is unaffected by drought. Re-
ductions in snowpack means lowered flows in tributaries and
rivers. Soil moisture levels in the Northwest are drier than in 99
percent of previous years. Man-made lakes supplying much of
the West now exceed historic lows. The first-ever water short-
age declaration affecting seven states has been declared. From
2011 to 2020, an average of 7.5 million acres burned every
year, more than double the average from 1991-2000.
Social divisions: Many community members are con-
cerned about divisiveness among people and the fear it will
continue to fester into the foreseeable future and get in the
way of problem solving and actionable steps. Such disagree-
ments have driven a wedge between people, including friends
and neighbors, even members of the same family. Said one
community leader, “It is similar to what you are seeing in the
rest of the country. How we can achieve something together
when we sometimes have opposite points of view about the
same problem? We need to find common ground in things.”
Said a resident, “There needs to be an understanding of the
otherness.”
Inclusion: Community members say fully bridging the
Anglo-Latino cultural divide will take the overall community’s
involvement and commitment, and that relationship building
is a vital first step. While they believe diversity is increasing
in many sectors, they also say the region needs more peo-
ple from underrepresented groups in leadership positions in
order to create a more authentic, productive and harmonious
community.
Urbanization: The growth in urbanization will continue
around the world and have a significant impact on land use,
housing, transportation, and infrastructure. U.S. metropolitan
areas — which includes the Greater Wenatchee Area — grew
by 9 percent between 2010 and 2020, accounting for 86
percent of the country’s population in 2020. The “built
landscape” in the U.S. grew by 14,000 square miles between
2001-2019 – or 5 times the size of Delaware. Much of the
new development is in the West and Sun Belt states. U.S.
housing units grew by 6.7 percent between 2010 and 2020,
but at half the growth rate of the previous decade.
Economic Restructuring: Globalization, auto-
mation and remote work, and changing workplaces and jobs
are all increasing. The pandemic, along with automation, has
created a “double-disruption” scenario. Post-pandemic, many
U.S. employees are saying they want to work partially from
home. The pandemic’s impact on women in the workforce
has been severe due in part to lack of childcare. Recouping
the female labor force participation may take a decade or
more. Global outsourcing, artificial intelligence and Big Tech
have deconstructed traditional American jobs and the dream
of unlimited opportunity. The Gig Economy and remote work
have exploded, fueled by technology, digital platforms and
the pandemic. Artificial intelligence, robotics and automation
will replace entire categories of work – between 30 to 40
percent of all jobs. Middle-skilled, middle-income jobs are the
most threatened.
Science, Technology and
Telecommunication: Technology and communica-
tions experts describe the new normal as a time of massive
disruption and unprecedented challenges. Humans’ relation-
ship with technology will deepen post-pandemic, relying even
more on digital connections for work, education, health care,
daily commerce, and essential social interactions. Challeng-
es of deeper tech-dependence include greater economic
inequality, more powerful Big Tech, and the spread of mis-
information. Opportunities include social equity reforms,
more flexible workplaces, and “smart systems” in health care,
education, and community living.
Public Health: Pandemics, unequal access to health
care, medical advances, and new health care models are at
the forefront. The cost of healthcare is becoming unsustain-
able in advanced economies. Health inequity and disparities
in health care opportunities remain pervasive, especially
among low-income groups and people of color. The health
care industry alone can’t deliver health care, particularly
when it comes to population-based prevention and “preci-
sion medicine.” The smartphone is becoming a powerful tool
for access to health, linking cloud-based medical records,
diagnostics and treatment information. Health care domi-
nates top emerging technologies, including robotics, genetic
engineering, AI, digital genomics, RNA-based therapeutics,
and more.
info@OurValleyOurFuture.org OurValleyOurFuture.org Facebook.com/OurValleyOurFuture
Social Equity: Awareness of wealth gaps, income
inequalities, systemic racism, and xenophobia have become a
major cultural force, prompting public, private and communi-
ty sector responses. The post-pandemic economic recovery
threatens to leave marginalized and lower income groups
behind economically for longer periods of time. Hate crimes
are at their highest levels. Immigration on the U.S.’s southern
border continues to polarize public opinion.
Values and Norms: Changing lifestyles, changing
civic norms, and democracies under duress are major trends
today. Millennials and Gen Z are driving an American values
shift: patriotism, religion, having children all rate lower in
importance than 20 years ago. The U.S. is becoming more
secular. Less than 50 percent of Americans belong to a
religious group. A large majority of Americans believe in “hard
work,” other top-rated values include tolerance for others,
financial security, and self-fulfillment. About 40 percent think
increasing diversity and tolerance for different cultures and
races is a “step forward” for society, while 14 percent say it is a
”step back.” U.S. is now rated as a ‘flawed democracy,’ due to
increased polarization, declining social cohesion, and disrup-
tions in the democratic process.
INTRODUCTION
Our Valley — the Wenatchee Valley and
surrounding communities in Chelan and
Douglas counties — stands at a pivotal
moment in its history. The 21st century
has brought a host of issues that chal-
lenge our traditions, core values, quality
of life, and communities. These include
the impacts of increasing population
growth, declining affordability, rising
social divisions, and a rapidly changing
climate. These next several years are
a critical time to ensure this place
is a resilient, inclusive, healthy and
innovative community for people to
live, work, study and play.
In January 2021, Our Valley Our Future /
Nuestro Valle Nuestro Futuro launched
its “Our Valley, Stronger” community
visioning and planning project, leading
to this new five-year Action Plan for the
years 2022-26. This “whole-of-com-
munity” plan was developed by the
residents of this region and backed by
community partners from the private
sector, government institutions, public
agencies, nonprofit organizations, and
community groups. The project’s name
was chosen to reflect the belief that if
residents work together, the region can
come out of the COVID-19 pandemic in
a stronger, more resilient position as it
looks to the future.
During the outreach work in 2021,
Our Valley Our Future (OVOF) sought
answers to these thematic questions:
• Where are we now?
• Where are we going?
• Where do we want to be?
• How do we get there?
To engage with people and to collect
input, OVOF interviewed a diverse
group of community leaders and
influencers, conducted a public survey,
held focus groups and panel discus-
sions, and then conducted a follow-up
public validation survey.
All told, about 2,000 community
members answered questions and
provided feedback. Participation cut a
wide swath across the community: 67
percent of participants live in Chelan
County, and 31 percent live in Douglas
County. About 26 percent self-identi-
fied as Latino.
What OVOF clearly heard is that
community members continue to place
a high value on the region’s natural
environment (open spaces, scenic
beauty, wildlife), outdoor recreation
opportunities, sense of community and
collaboration, cultural diversity, public
power assets, farms, medical services,
amenities, and low crime rates. Such
values not only speak to what residents
do not want to see go away in the fu-
ture, but also provide a kind of yardstick
against which to measure proposed
future plans.
At the same time, community members
perceive the region is changing quickly,
leading to new challenges that include
the need to smartly adapt to growth;
add housing for essential workers and
young families; build resiliency in the
face of climate change, wildfires and
disease; counter inequities magnified
by the COVID pandemic; bridge cultural
divides; improve educational opportu-
nities; improve community wellness;
and prosper in the midst of evolving
economic sectors, technologies and
systems. If these challenges are not
OUR VALLEY... STRONGER
3Action Plan
(Continued on next page)
Jason Wiegand photo
INTRODUCTION Cont’d from previous page
GLOSSARY OF TERMS
dealt with, community members fear
many of the region’s long-treasured,
quality-of-life attributes will be lost
forever. Said one community leader,
“The key is finding a way to preserve
our beautiful way of life and also grow.”
All of this information, along with hun-
dreds of vision ideas from community
members, was then handed off to six cit-
izen committees (“Action Teams”), which
researched, vetted and recommended a
series of new action items to the OVOF
Board of Directors. Those action items
are what make up the bulk of this new
five-year Action Plan.
It is clear that there are enormous
opportunities in front of us, not only to
meet the challenges of today but also to
“futureproof” our community for other
challenges coming down the pike — as
they inevitably will. As you will read in
this Action Plan, the opportunities to
create a more prosperous, well planned,
inclusive, resilient and sustainable region
are almost endless.
This Action Plan is organized into six
focus areas — broad subject areas that in-
clude both new and ongoing action items
to help achieve the region’s overall vision.
Listed with the action items are lead
partner organizations who have signed
on to help implement them. Each focus
area also includes at least one “Game
Changer” project, a major initiative that
promises to advance our communities in
profound and fundamental ways.
Here are the key terms in understanding
the plan’s contents:
VISION
A statement of what our residents would
like the region to be long-term for a par-
ticular focus area. This overarching future
direction is meant to articulate a shared
community goal and guide actions and
implementation efforts for those focus
areas.
ACTION ITEMS
Projects, programs, or activities that
support implementation of a focus area’s
overall vision. The text that follows each
action item describes its intent. Note:
some action items represent brand new
activities, while others have been carried
over from the first Action Plan (2017-21)
and are still ongoing.
GAME CHANGERS
Major initiatives that are complex, involve
multiple sectors and partners, may take
a long time to complete, but ultimately
will “move the needle,” significantly in
advancing our communities.
LEAD PARTNER
A nonprofit organization, community
group, business or government agen-
cy that has accepted responsibility for
facilitating and seeing to fruition the
implementation of an action item or
game changer.
OPPORTUNITY
AVAILABLE
This means the action item is available
to a nonprofit organization, community
group, business, or government agency
interested in taking on the project and
seeing it to fruition.
4 Action Plan
Steve Maher photo
3 OVOF Regional Housing Survey Findings
Introduction
n May 2022, a total of 1,519 residents of Chelan and Douglas counties completed an online
regional housing survey conducted by Our Valley Our Future (OVOF). The survey is one of the
first steps in OVOF’s Regional Housing Approach initiative, one of nine game-changers in the
OVOF 2022-26 Action Plan. The housing initiative is designed to build on growing regional
collaboration to generate ideas and solutions to fix a regional housing crisis. The 29-question
survey was crafted to gain greater insight into residents’ perceptions of housing market issues
and their comfort level with potential solutions. The
information derived from this survey will provide decision-
makers, community leaders and the overall community
with another lens through which to view the issue, to
collaborate, and to find solutions.
The OVOF Regional Housing Survey was made available
from May 13 through May 31. The demographics of survey
respondents generally reflects the overall community’s
demographics. Of the people who completed the survey,
67 percent are from Chelan County, 32 percent from
Douglas County, and 17 percent from the Upper
Wenatchee Valley. About 24 percent of overall
respondents self-identified as Latino. Household income
levels of survey respondents generally matched the region’s income levels. One exception was
found in the number of people aged 25 to 44. That age group had a much larger participation in
the survey compared with their actual share in the region. That anomaly is perhaps due to the
fact that many first-time homebuyers — a group that has been adversely impacted by the lack
of affordable housing — fall into that age range.
Because the survey was not a scientific random sample, it cannot claim to be statistically
representative of the region’s population. That said, the fact that survey participants of different
backgrounds and locations closely reflect actual regional demographics lends significant credi-
bility to survey results.
Beginning on Page 5 are the results of the survey, including a set of cross-tabulated results. The
cross-tabulated results draw out connections between subgroups within the community and
their housing choices, comparisons of how Chelan County and Douglas County respondents
answered questions, and comparisons of how 2017 survey respondents and 2022 survey
respondents answered similar questions.
In one of the questions — Question No. 23 — survey participants were able to write their own
personal housing story. More than 350 survey respondents did so, and those stories, which put
a human face to the survey statistics, can be found on Pages 15 and 23.
I
4 OVOF Regional Housing Survey Findings
Executive Summary
helan and Douglas counties have changed tremendously over the past several decades.
Economically, the two-county area has become a true regional hub, with growing retail,
health care, tourism, and technology sectors, and with mainstay industries such as
agriculture and public power humming along. The region’s natural environment and outdoor
assets, family-friendly towns, and abundant services have attracted new residents, including
remote workers who arrived during the COVID-19 pandemic. Yet the economic growth and in-
migration — along with wages not keeping pace with costs, lack of developable land in Chelan
County, rising cost of construction materials, land-use regulations, advent of short-term rentals,
and other factors — have led to a persistent shortage of affordable housing in the region. This
has been particularly true for many middle- and low-income people, including those who fill
essential jobs. The lack of affordable housing has hurt employers attempting to fill jobs and left
those who are cost-burdened with little or no disposable income. In some cases, people have
become unhoused.
Indeed, it’s unlikely there is a bigger issue in the minds of residents than housing today. About
90 percent of the more than 1,500 residents who completed the 2022 Our Valley Our Future
(OVOF) Regional Housing Survey cited housing availability and affordability as either an
“extremely important” or an “important” issue for the community today. This response falls
closely in line with what OVOF found in 2021 when it received input from more than 2,000
residents in the development of the new OVOF Action Plan. The two biggest issues — as
identified by residents in that research — were housing and adapting to growth.
This year’s OVOF housing survey provided residents with an opportunity to tell their own
personal housing stories. More than 350 residents did so, describing the challenges they and
their family members have been facing. To read these stories, see Pages 15 and 23.
To get a sense of how deeply the housing crisis is impacting people, the survey asked residents if
they have considered relocating to another city or area over the past two years due to housing
issues. A significant majority (62 percent) say they have considered relocating. An even bigger
share — 73 percent — of people aged 18 to 34 say they have considered relocating.
About one-third of the OVOF survey respondents indicate their households are currently
spending more than 30 percent on housing. (A housing unit is considered unaffordable if a
household has to spend more than 30 percent of its income on it.) Of note, since 2017, the
median home sales price in Chelan and Douglas counties has risen by 66 percent, according to
Pacific Appraisal’s monthly real estate reports. At the same time span, the median household
income has risen by about 17 percent in the region, according to the U.S. Census Bureau.
About 88 percent of survey respondents believe there is a need for more diverse housing types
in the region. This is particularly an issue for those with low- and middle-incomes and those who
don’t desire a lot of living space, such as millennials and seniors. In the personal stories they
wrote, some survey respondents pointed out the current construction mix of mostly larger
single-family homes and apartment buildings doesn’t match their needs.
C