RES 2023-024 - Laserfiche WebLink

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continues to implement the vision of community stakeholders and the City's formulated actions to provide for infill opportunities and encourage commerce expansion. Streets cape Improvements Cle Elum enjoys year-round outdoor tourism. Ample amounts of snow provide wintertime outdoor activities and considerable spring and fall rain provides lush and attractive forests encouraging outdoor recreation for much of the year. Though the natural environment attracts people to Cle Elum, the built environment has not been welcoming for commerce oriented toward or promoting a walkable downtown. On unimproved intersections in the downtown area, pedestrians are required to traverse close to 80 feet of paved State Route highway to cross First Street. Oakes Avenue acts as the busy connector, south of First Street, for traffic exiting Interstate 90 and entering Cle Elum's downtown. The intersection at Oakes Avenue is also a short but important portion of SR 903, by which SR 903 transitions from west-east travel on Second Street to continue west-east travel on First Street towards the east edge of downtown. Differentiating the streetscape to the extent proposed will enhance drivers' sense of place and increase traffic calming. Both of these principles are included in Cle Elum's Downtown Revitalization economic development goals. Creating a safer and inclusive environment for both motorized and non-motorized transportation is also promoted in the City's Complete Streets Ordinance No. 1455. In such an environment, many types of businesses can be co-located and thrive amongst the diversity. Consistency in design and ensuring infrastructure was brought up to a state of good repair throughout the First Street corridor was expressed by stakeholders as important for economic development. Currently, the sidewalks along First Street are not continuous, have ADA compliance deficiencies, and are in an overall state of disrepair. Bulb-out design and size, parking orientation, and amenities in Phase 3C are designed to provide perceived comfort, shade, illumination, and safety for people whether moving by automobile or using the sidewalk system. The design of incorporating ADA opportunity at each intersection, moving poles, hydrants and other obstacles out of the travel way of the sidewalk, and widening sidewalks to allow for businesses to create entryways, increases walkability and offers downtown businesses unique opportunities to interact harmoniously with those seeking their goods and services. Walkability and unique commerce interaction in the downtown corridor are also goals of Cle Elum's Downtown Revitalization. Ro a dw ay I nfr as t r uc t ur e First Street is an unusually wide street in a small City. The width is a legacy of the street acting as the highway before Interstate 90 was constructed. The proposed road diet consisting of narrowing the roadway, increasing parking in a safer orientation, increasing sidewalk and pedestrian amenities, together should slow traffic in the downtown area and may reduce the frequency and severity of auto-related collisions. The extensiveness of economic development opportunity will not be achieved without Phase 3C construction. 3. Indicate if the project is consistent with the following applicable stateo regional and local plans and prioritization processes: Overall Economic Development Plan - Officially Adopted Yakima and Kittitas Counties Regional Comprehensive Economic Development Plan (2015) o Strategy Goals: relates to - Goal one, Goal two, Goal three, Goal four, Goal five, and Goal six. o Listed as #4 of the 17 Comprehensive Economic Development Strategy (CEDS) projects identified in Kittitas and Yakima Counties combined emphasizing its "importance for: job 6