Cashmere Planning Commission Meeting May 1

Long-term planning for growth, and the location of Cashmere’s urban growth area (UGA), was the primary focus of the May 1 meeting of the Cashmere Planning Commission. Following a lengthy discussion, the Commission decided to further investigate the option of expanding the UGA boundary to the eastside of town, into the Warner Flats area.

To begin the meeting, Director of Operations, Steve Croci, reviewed the priorities that the City Council had tasked the Commission to investigate. These included; 1) The direction that the city should extend utilities, in an effort to direct growth and development. 2) Parking requirements- especially in the downtown district where current codes may be limiting business development. 3) Neighborhood development standards.

Mayor Jim Fletcher pointed at a map of Cashmere and its urban growth area, which is currently on the west end of town. He said that location primarily consist of large lots, and to extend water and sewer lines into that area is very expensive. He pointed to the region on the east side of town, and said that the area has orchards, an industrial area and that the city already has water and some sewer lines in the area. Although the Warner Flats area is not in the UGA or the city limits. Fletcher suggested that the city may get its biggest bang for its buck by expanding into that area, where people want water and sewer connections. But this would require conversations with the county, and the public, to change the location of the UGA boundaries.

According to Fletcher, Cashmere’s typical planning process is to plan to perpetuate what it already has, but the city should plan longer term, 20 – 30 years out. He asked Commissioners to consider the question, “Do we limit ourselves to planning for what we already have or do we plan for what could be?”

Fletcher asked the Commissioners to think about the option of the redevelopment of the industrial area east of town. He added that the area only has one access point, and asked how and if the city should plan to make the area more accessible. Fletcher argued that more businesses are needed in town and that expanding east could provide opportunities into an area that already has water, sewer and power lines.

Fletcher said he had been talking with Chad Erickson, of Cashmere Investments, who manages the old Tree Top facility. Erickson was present and addressed the Commissioners and said he currently has several commercial tenets, including a data center and Beta Hatch. Those businesses are already served by city water and sewer, but access to the area is limited. According to Erickson, additional access and support roads would allow multiple small businesses to be located on the property, or for him to be able to sale small parcels to other businesses. Croci added that building infrastructure will encourage business development.

Commissioner John Torrence suggested that some of the evening’s discussions were getting into specifics but the bigger question needed to be answered, does the city want to expand the UGA and grow? He said he hears from people that they don’t want any more growth, but he said we need growth, cities either grow or they die. Fletcher, and Commissioner Kirk Esmond, responded that growth will happen anyway and the city can either react to what happens or plan for the growth.

Near the end of the meeting, Torrence asked, “So what’s next”? Fletcher responded that initially the Commission should consider the location of the UGA boundaries and the first question is “Should we be going in that direction (to the east) with the UGA, should we be talking to the county about that, should we be looking at this (the area east of town) as future residential and commercial value.”