Cheney looking ahead

CHENEY – Cheney’s Community Development Department is looking toward the future and rewriting its comprehensive plan, beginning with a vision statement.

Although in place and used for the last 12 years, Cheney’s comprehensive plan “doesn’t have a growth strategy or a vision statement,” said Elisa Rodriguez, a city planner.

City staff will present a draft of the new vision statement to the Planning Commission at a public hearing Monday at 6:30 p.m. at City Hall, 609 Second St.

The approximately 150-page comprehensive plan has been updated to comply with changes in codes over the years, but Rodriguez said that she found it hard to use and cumbersome when she started at the planning department last September.

She decided to pare it down to 30 to 50 pages, with plans to guide Cheney’s growth for the next 20 years.

The Community Development Department started the project in January, and Rodriguez hopes to have the revised comprehensive plan approved within a year.

Department staff began by inviting themselves to as many existing meetings as they could, such as PTA meetings. Then, they began distributing fliers that included a survey that asked residents: “If you met a person that was thinking about moving to Cheney, how would you describe our town, for what reasons should they move here?” and “What are the drawbacks of living in Cheney?” and “If you met a person that was thinking about opening a business in Cheney, what would you tell the person to encourage them to choose Cheney?”

The department held its first public meeting last week at the Cheney Community Library, where residents and business owners discussed their concerns about how the community is growing.

Some business owners were concerned that the business growth at the north end of town deters shoppers from making the trip down First Street and into downtown Cheney. They wanted something at the other end of town to drive business through the entire downtown core.

Some residents said they loved the idea of having a farmers market in town, but that the market’s operating hours aren’t convenient for those who work regular business hours.

Rodriguez posed the question of whether the city should have a theme, and if so, what that theme should be.

One business owner, while stressing that the city be pedestrian-friendly, suggested an electric trolley to travel up First Street and down Second Street.

Residents also expressed concerns over the city’s water supply and how the city will be able to sustain the supply if growth continues.

As a university town, Cheney faces some unique challenges when it comes to planning. Rodriguez said she has noticed that many Cheney residents appreciate having Eastern Washington University in the city because it provides many jobs and pays the city water and sewer fees. But the state-owned university doesn’t pay property taxes, and that has many residents worried.

Another open house to discuss goals and strategies will be held May 28 at the Cheney Community Library at 6 p.m., and at the Planning Commission meeting June 9 at 6:30 p.m. The draft plan will be presented Sept. 17 at an open house at the library at 6 p.m. and before the Planning Commission on Oct. 13 at 6:30 p.m.

Planners hope to have the comprehensive plan completed in a year, and after that, they will start to work on revising the city’s development code.