The applause said it all.
Everett’s downtown plan, approved Wednesday by the City Council, is a hit. But the applause of citizens at the end of last week’s public hearing on the plan was about more than that – it was a loud endorsement of the very open, very transparent and very public process that created it.
The city’s planning department, mayor’s office and volunteer Planning Commission are to be congratulated for coming up with a blueprint for a viable and vibrant downtown, as well as a blueprint for gathering and incorporating citizen input. The City Council showed its approval for the process by unanimously endorsing its product.
That product lays the foundation for a downtown that’s a tourist destination, a welcoming workplace and a comfortable home. It will make growth a positive force by encouraging attractive design, creating more transportation choices and channeling public investments into streetscape and other upgrades that make it all work.
Public input is reflected throughout the plan, which is no surprise. There was plenty of it. According to Planning Director Allan Giffen, the Planning Commission hosted eight public workshops and a public hearing; the City Council had two briefings, a public workshop and a public hearing, and three briefings were held for the Council of Neighborhoods. All that after an online questionnaire generated more than 400 responses.
That openness allowed questions and concerns to be aired and addressed. It allowed the thinking behind new ideas – like banning uses such as tattoo parlors and video arcades from the ground floors of certain retail areas – to be fully explained. It also gave planners valuable feedback, and they responded by making appropriate adjustments along the way.
While the council approved the plan’s zoning and code changes Wednesday, many steps remain. Parking management, for example, could become an emotional issue as the costs and benefits of paid street parking are debated. Consensus on this and other questions will only come from a process that’s as open and transparent as the one that concluded Wednesday.
It’s a process we suspect citizens will continue to applaud.
Talk to us
> Give us your news tips.
> Send us a letter to the editor.
> More Herald contact information.
