Cashmere planning commission balances flood response with long-term growth planning

CASHMERE — With winter flooding still fresh in memory, the Cashmere Planning Commission used its latest meeting to take stock of what the city saw on the ground, then pivoted back to a longer horizon: An ongoing comprehensive plan update that will shape decisions about growth, infrastructure, and public amenities over the next two decades.

The five-member commission — Chair Zak Steigmeyer, Vice Chair Joanne Carr, Micah Haney, Laura Redden, and Erin Smart — met with City of Cashmere Director of Operations Steve Croci and contract planner Christina Wollman of Perteet, Inc., who joined by Zoom. Smart also attended via Zoom, along with her one-month-old baby.

Early in the meeting, Croci and commissioners discussed the recent flooding and wind events and how the community responded. Croci said the city works under a hazard mitigation plan coordinated with Chelan County, and that county resources were heavily stretched during the event. He said only one home was known to have been directly flooded by the river, while other impacts were more related to groundwater and temporary displacement due to power outages.

Residents were encouraged to report damage through Chelan County Emergency Management for potential FEMA-related assistance. Several commissioners noted the role of Christ Center Church in coordinating help and providing space during the event, something participants described as a familiar and reliable community response during emergencies.

Croci said city crews focused work along Riverfront Drive and monitored a wastewater pump lift station as water rose, but it did not take on floodwater. A small section of fencing downstream from the museum was damaged, but the museum itself was spared. Commissioner Haney also discussed a flooded basement near the Big Rock area, near his own home.

From there, the commission turned to its own housekeeping. Members reviewed their bylaws, as required annually, and discussed quorum rules in light of having five active members out of seven possible seats. They also agreed to pursue Open Public Meetings Act training and planning “short course” opportunities to strengthen shared understanding of legal requirements and planning fundamentals.

The group then elected officers, selecting Steigmeyer to continue as chair and Carr to take over as vice chair.

Much of the meeting focused on how the commission will coordinate with the Cashmere City Council during the comprehensive plan update. Members discussed holding the required annual joint meeting with council on Feb. 9, with a focus on outlining the overall planning strategy, the timeline, and the role council will play in the process, rather than diving into draft language line by line.

Wollman said the intent of the February meeting is to keep it high-level and process-oriented, and to set the stage for a more detailed joint workshop later in the spring or early summer, when draft elements will be closer to public hearing form.

The commission also spent significant time reviewing a draft parks element that is being updated as part of the comprehensive plan. Wollman explained that the current comprehensive plan contains relatively little parks material, and that the new draft leans heavily on the city’s PROS (Parks, Recreation and Open Spaces) plan, summarizing its findings and implementation actions so that readers can understand the parks system even without the separate document in hand.

One new state requirement addressed in the draft is tree canopy. Wollman said Cashmere performs well by that measure, with an average canopy coverage of about 20% in the city and about 15% in the urban growth area, levels she described as strong compared to many communities.

That did not end the discussion. Carr, who serves on the Cashmere Tree Committee, said “good” coverage does not mean the city should stop planting. She argued that trees are central to walkability, livability, and heat resilience, and urged continued focus on what she called “forever trees,” including careful species selection and avoiding unnecessary removals during infrastructure projects.

The commission also wrestled with how ambitious the city’s long-term parks project list should be. Wollman explained that the 20-year project list drawn from the PROS plan functions more like a wish list and a grant-readiness tool, while the six-year capital improvement program, updated annually, must show realistic funding sources.

Several commissioners noted the tension between community aspirations and budget reality, pointing out that parks maintenance and the city pool often come up in budget discussions. Others argued that removing projects from the long-range list only makes it harder to pursue grant opportunities when they arise.

Croci shared several examples of ongoing and upcoming parks-related work, including incremental improvements at Riverside Park and the pool, and progress on converting the Riverside Center building into the city’s new library space. He said interior demolition has begun and additional work is expected to start soon, with hopes the space could be in use within months.

The group also discussed the condition of the river boat launch after recent flooding. Croci said gravel deposition has made the launch difficult or potentially unusable, forcing people to traverse boulders and rubble to reach the river. He said the physical work of moving gravel is likely easier than the permitting process, given the river’s regulatory protections, but emphasized the importance of maintaining a defined access point to prevent informal paths from damaging riparian areas.

Transportation also came up as the commission reviewed draft goals and policies, including language around multimodal access and levels of service. Members noted that Cashmere’s traffic issues tend to be limited to short peak periods and that the comprehensive plan has little leverage over external constraints like the BNSF rail line. Still, they pointed to recent sidewalk projects and grant-funded improvements as examples of steady progress.

The commission’s next steps include continuing work on the transportation and capital facilities elements, preparing for the Feb. 9 joint meeting with council, and building out a public outreach schedule for the spring as more comprehensive plan elements move toward draft form.

Andrew Simpson: 509-433-7626 or andrew@ward.media