In March of 2006, Cheney’s Planning Commission released a document entitled “Cheney Vision 2025,” intended to help inform incremental updates and improvements to the City’s existing comprehensive plan.

Here’s a copy of that effort, somewhat unusual in that it’s laid out almost like a small comprehensive plan with topic-specific organization and listing of values. This, along with other earlier efforts and the existing plan itself, will help streamline and improve today’s Choices for Cheney effort. Check it out below.

Cheney Vision 20205 (164 Kb, Acrobat® file)

Here’s a list of frequently-asked questions regarding the “Choices for Cheney” process. Have more questions? E-mail consultant Bill Grimes at Studio Cascade by clicking , or Community Development Director Brian Jennings by clicking .

Q: What is “Choices for Cheney 2030?"
A: Choices for Cheney 2030 is a process updating one of the City’s most important documents: the comprehensive plan, which establishes goals and policies for nearly everything the City does. The year “2030” in the title comes from the document’s long-range (20-year) plan horizon. Cheney’s existing comprehensive plan was first developed and adopted in 1997, and even though there have been a few updates to parts of the plan - parks and recreation, for instance - there’s still a lot to update. Think of Choices for Cheney as a blueprint for your City’s future - one that will lead decisions regarding land-use patterns, civic investments concerning water, waste and storm-water, transportation, parks, housing and other community needs.

Q: Who commissioned the plan, and why?
A: Cheney’s City Council commissioned the plan update in the spring of 2009, prompted by current and projected growth, economic development needs, downtown revitalization, transportation, and other needs. In short, the City wants to take a more proactive approach to its future - establishing a strategic, sustainable set of goals and policies to improve Cheney over time.

Q: What’s the difference between a comp plan and “zoning?"
A: Comprehensive plans (sometimes referred to as “long-range” or “general” plans) are essentially policy documents – intended to guide decisions by staff and elected officials. What are commonly referred to as land development or “zoning” regulations are just that – specific, legal regulations governing building and land use. Development code is intended to implement comp plan goals, so the two are related, but kept separate - and may only be revised through public process and adoption by Council action.

Q: How long will the update take?
A: The plan update process, including resource evaluation, committee and public meetings, draft development and review is expected to be complete by June 2010. Consideration by the Planning Commission and City Council, including eventual adoption, will begin at that time.

Q: Who can take part?
A: All residents or those employed in the City of Cheney, or in the City’s urban growth area (UGA), are strongly encouraged to take part in the process.

Q: How do I get involved?
A: The City and its consultant are committed to involving the public as much as possible, and plan to host several public meetings and workshops, will issue e-mail notices, conduct informal questionnaires, maintain this project website, and more. Many residents are also expected to take part on advisory committees along the way. Take part in any or all of the events and activities, follow the work on-line, contact the City about advisory committee opportunities, sign up for e-mail notices – but be sure to share your thoughts, ideas and concerns!

Q: What will the plan include?
A: To a large degree, the plan’s scope will reflect the findings and directions established through the public process. But at a minimum, it’s expected the plan will include chapters updating the existing plan, including the community’s vision, land use, transportation, capital facilities and utilities, housing, economic development, and recreation and parks.

Q: Will any revisions to Cheney’s zoning or development code take place?
A: In order to be effective, Cheney’s new comprehensive plan will rely on the support of complimentary regulations. Due to this, one priority following the adoption of the new plan will be a process updating the City’s existing development regulations.

Who are the consultant team members?
A: The consultant team is being led by Studio Cascade, a community and regional planning firm based in Spokane. Transportation-related work will be led by Glatting-Jackson of Denver, Colorado. Assistance on utilities and public facilities portions of the plan will be provided by the Spokane office of CH2MHill, and economic and population forecasting will be provided by the Eugene, Oregon office of ECONorthwest.

(Note: a printable version of this FAQ section is linked below)

FAQ handout (108 Kb, Acrobat® file)

On April 23, the Cheney Free Press published an article entitled “Cheney Planning Commission begins hearing comments about comp plan,” covering a meeting where commissioners and members of the public presented thoughts and comments on Cheney’s existing comp plan, with an eye toward improvements needed in the new plan.

Here’s a copy of that article, authored by Staff Reporter David Teller.

Free Press article (52 Kb, Acrobat® file)