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Through an examination of its existing development patterns, a community can both <br />glean a sense of its past and also gain valuable insight into its potential future. The City <br />of Cle Elum has a historical development pattern based on coal minim the railroad and <br />timber harvesting. This rich history of early reliance on natural resources and freight <br />movement is another guide to defining the City's fiiture_ Incorporating Cle Elum's <br />distinct identity and rich heritage are important to its preset and future residents. <br />I. Natural Environinent <br />The natural setting of Cle Elum within the Yakima River Valley affords good <br />opportunities for residential living, supportive services and future sub -regional <br />employment centers. At the same time development constraints such as watshed, rivers, <br />streams, floodplains and floodways, wetlands and steep slopes shape development of the <br />City into key areas. The City of Cle Elum is set between the forested Cle Elum Ridge and <br />the Yakima River, approximately thirty (30) miles east of Snoqualmie Pass, and twenty- <br />five (25) miles west of Ellensburg. The vistas and scenic views of the surrounding ridges <br />and mountains provide a unique setting and identity for the community. They also <br />repra mt a natural resmirce which is now subject to intense residential development <br />pressure. <br />The location of the vest majority of Cle Elum's available industrial land places them <br />squarely in conflict with the natural environment. Cle Elum was founded as a railroad <br />and shining town, consequently all original platting and development was located in a <br />close and linear proximity to the railroad mainline. The railroad parallels the Yalama <br />River which is prone to flooding. This severely limits or even negates the use of Cle <br />Elum's current industrial land use inventory because of FEMA floodway and floodplain <br />designations. These vacant industrial lands also are key natural resouroe areas for <br />enhancing water quality, providing important fish and wildlife habitat, and serve as water <br />retention and flood storage areas. Cle Elum is actively working to re -locate industrial <br />lands to a more suitable corridor, <br />III. Built Uviron.msmt <br />The Growth Management Act requires the preparation of a Land Use Element that <br />identifies the existing general distribution and location of various land uses, and the <br />approximate acreage and range of density of existing land uses_ <br />Historically, Cle Blum developed in a very linear pattern north of the Northern Pacific <br />Railroad (now the Burlington Northern Santa Fe Railroad) and the Yakima River. Tire <br />original downtown area (now referred to as "Old Town") grew around the intersection of <br />First Street and Pennsylvania Avenue, in close proximity to the original Railroad Depot <br />and Cie Elum Hotel. Residential development was located between Old Town and the <br />base of Cie Elum Ridge and east and west of downtown, as well as in one twelve block <br />area south of the Yakima River adjacent to the Town of South Cle Elum. <br />City of Cle Elim — Land Use Plan 5 <br />