Choices for Cheney - 2030

Plan Preview Meeting

2010-08-12T20:23:00Z

Nearly a year in the making, the Choices for Cheney process will begin the draft review phase with a community presentation before City Council and Planning Commission members on Monday, August 23 at the Cheney High School, 460 N 6th Street, from 6:00 pm to 8:00 pm.

The presentation will recap the process to date, introduce a completed goal/policy/program framework for the plan, and present a draft future land-use map. Written feedback will be sought from all attendees, and a question and answer session is also expected.

Check back for a copy of the meeting agenda.

In addition to Council and commissioners, members of the plan’s various topic and advisory groups will be present. Save the date and see how the plan is shaping up - all Cheney residents are strongly encouraged to attend.

Correspondence: Steve Emtman

2010-07-13T17:33:01Z

On June 14, 2010, local landowner Steve Emtman signed and submitted a letter to the City of Cheney regarding his proposed "Terra Vista" development on lands within the City’s current Urban Growth Area (UGA).

Here’s a copy of that correspondence, including a map filed by Mr. Emtman with Spokane County in 2006.

Questions regarding the letter and its relation to the Choices for Cheney process may be directed to Community Development Director at the City.

Participant correspondence

2010-03-26T22:51:00Z

Between March 17 and March 19, the City of Cheney received five letters regarding growth patterns proposed in the draft land use concept presented at the last workshop, at various locations in the City, and linked below. All reference concerns about growth patterns to the southeast, potentially abutting the Turnbull Refuge.

Thanks to these and any additional written replies about the plan - they’re important and helpful to ensuring the plan achieves community needs. Check out each letter by following the links below, and be sure to get us your thoughts!

Plan Display Schedule

2010-03-04T16:49:00Z

The Choices for Cheney process continues to move forward, and for the next two weeks, a copy of the current land use ‘concept’ will be on display for review and comment.

See the schedule and location chart below for specifics, drop by the exhibit when it’s most convenient, and jot down your thoughts on any or all of the ideas presented. In many cases, City staff will be on-hand to answer questions and offer information about the concept map or the Choices for Cheney process.

A small-size version is already posted on-line if you’d like to review it beforehand, too. Check it out here or see it in-person, but be sure to give us your thoughts!

Workshop exercise: Land Use Concept

2010-02-23T17:45:01Z

Couldn’t make the February 18th Land Use & Policy Workshop? Attended but want more time to consider and comment on some of the exercises?

Here’s a downloadable, handout-sized copy of the land use concept map and worksheet provided to attendees. Print it out at home, fill it in and mail or FAX it back to the addresses indicated. Pre-printed copies are also available at the City Community Development Department. Full instructions are included in the document.

We’ll also have the full-size poster version of the map on display at various locations through the month of March. Check back for a listing of times and places, and tell us what you think!

Workshop exercise: Goals & Policies

2010-02-22T23:38:00Z

Couldn’t make the February 18th Land Use & Policy Workshop? Attended but want more time to consider and comment on some of the exercises?

Here’s a downloadable, handout-sized copy of the goal and policy worksheet provided to attendees. Print it out at home, fill it in and mail or FAX it back to the addresses indicated. Pre-printed copies are also available at the City Community Development Department. Full instructions are included on each form set.

EIS "Scoping" Document

2010-02-04T17:18:00Z

In Washington State, many private and public agency actions require completion of a SEPA (State Environmental Policy Act) checklist, helping cities determine whether a more exhaustive EIS (Environmental Impact Statement) will be necessary or not.

With Choices for Cheney, the City has elected to automatically include an EIS in the process - but in addition to its own list of issues to evaluate, needs public input on what’s termed “scoping,” i.e., ideas on what types of environmental considerations the plan may affect.

The link below provides a copy of the City’s EIS scoping questionnaire, which explains the process, offers lists of environmental elements and issues already identified, and asks the basic question: What should the comprehensive plan’s environmental impact statement cover?

Click to download and view, then print and return it, or add your comments using the “comments” link near the listing footer. We’ll also have copies of the document at the February 18 workshop. Thanks!

Land Use & Policy Workshop

2010-01-26T18:30:00Z

The third public workshop for the Choices for Cheney process will take place on Thursday, February 18 at the Cheney High School, 460 N 6th Street, from 6:00 pm to 8:00 pm.

The workshop will offer updates on input and progress thus far, present a set of draft policies to guide the updated plan, and present one or more land use strategies for participants to help refine. As the City has determined to develop an EIS (Environmental Impact Statement) to accompany the plan, the meeting will also seek input on the scope of the EIS. This will be the last workshop in the series before the roll-out event expected mid-spring - so input at this event is especially crucial.

Members of the City’s various topic and advisory groups will be present, and all Cheney residents are strongly encouraged to attend.

A copy of the meeting agenda has been posted below, as well as a copy of the meeting flyer being distributed by the City. Mark your calendars for this important opportunity to shape Cheney’s future!

Plan Display Schedule

2010-01-19T18:21:00Z

Hard to believe, but the Choices for Cheney process has been underway since September of last year - and a lot has been accomplished.

Interested in seeing some of the results in-person, and perhaps weighing in on some of the plan concepts? The City’s hoping that many folks are, and has prepared displays and a quick questionnaire to be stationed at several community gathering spots between now and the end of this month. In many cases, City staff will be on-hand to answer questions and offer information about the Choices for Cheney process.

Check out the concept illustrations in advance if you’d like beforehand, but see the schedule chart below for a listing of the various display places and times, and be sure to stop by!

Results: Jobs & Housing Exercise

2009-12-11T00:20:00Z

One of the key exercises participants took part in during the November Community Character Workshop gave groups of four or more large maps of Cheney, and asked them to place colored dots where they thought jobs and residential growth ought to occur over the next 20 years.

Here are the results from that exercise, scanned, reduced and transcribed so everyone can check out what each group was thinking. Each file typically contains two pages - the map, showing the colored dot placement and keyed numbers next to all of the written comments, and a second page containing typewritten transcriptions of the comments next to the numbers associated with each.

Be sure to check out the planner’s summaries and comments listed at the top of the transcription pages. Most refer to the various plan concept illustrations shown to the groups that day, and how each of the participant group schemes relates to them.

Interesting stuff - several of the groups worked hard to provide ideas on the type of residential mix and economic initiatives the City ought to encourage over time. These maps, plus community feedback between now and mid-January will help shape the next draft plan strategy, to be presented during the February community workshop!

Workshop Presentations

2009-12-10T21:30:00Z

For the record and for community review, the following links provide Acrobat® copies of the various slideshows presented during the November 20-21 Community Character Workshop.

The five files below are those presented by Bill Grimes of lead consulting firm Studio Cascade, and Troy Russ of transportation consultant Glatting-Jackson. The link titles indicate the presenter and day of presentation.

Many of the slides contained in the Grimes files are Cheney and plan-process specific, introducing local issues and the workshop exercises intended to explore them. The Troy Russ presentations cover traffic and transportation topics in a more generalized fashion, and are valuable in showing how quality transportation decisions lead to quality land use and community design.

Plan Concept Illustrations

2009-12-02T19:12:00Z

At the recent Community Character Workshop, one of the activities asked residents to compare four hypothetical approaches to Cheney’s future with overall community objectives.

These approaches - illustrated and characterized as "Suburban Cheney," "Collegiate Cheney," "Hometown Cheney," and "Economic Cheney," were presented on color posters featuring maps, text descriptions, charts and photographs.

Linked below are reduced-size versions of each of the concept scenarios. Click to view each one, and give thought to which of the four - or more likely, which combination of them - suits Cheney best. Note that the pages include our estimation of how each scenario serves the draft vision for the plan. How would you rate each? If the future plan needs to incorporate a combination of these concepts, what’s the proper balance?

Look for a summary of feedback received at the workshop to be posted here, but in the meantime, offer your own ideas and thoughts to City project lead , or post your comments using the comment links below.

Most importantly, be sure to attend the next community workshop, scheduled for the second week of February 2010!

Meeting Worksheet: Final Results

2009-11-11T18:16:00Z

At the September 30 ‘Plan Priorities’ workshop, participants visited nine tables - each posing two questions on key plan topics - and jotted down their thoughts and ideas.

What did folks say? Here are the results from the evening’s work, transcribed word-for-word including each of the 17 questions, file linked below.

Several participants downloaded copies of the worksheet and filled them out at home, which have since been returned and included in this final results listing. We’ve also added a quick summary and a "planner’s notes" section following each question to help illustrate some of the plan policy implications for what comments indicate.

Open the document linked below and see what folks are saying about Cheney today, what it needs for the future, and what balance the comprehensive plan might need to strike to serve the community best.

Community Profile - Draft

2009-10-29T18:05:01Z

An important part of the future Cheney Comprehensive Plan involves background data about the City - existing conditions and issues that the plan may need to address.

Since much of this information is already available from US Census, GIS mapping and other sources, the City and its consultant have begun assembling it into a draft "community profile" document.

The link below downloads a copy of the draft as of late October. At around 60 pages long, there’s a lot there, but there’s also more to add, and if you’ve got thoughts or comments on existing or new material, be sure to with the Community Development Department.

Meet & Greet: Worksheet Results

2009-10-29T17:25:00Z

At the August 27 Choices for Cheney “Meet & Greet” event, attendees were provided worksheets to help begin community discussion on a range of plan-related topics derived from the City’s draft vision statement. Some determined to take their worksheets home, or complete them as a group at subsequent topic group meetings, but all have finally been returned - and we’ve tabulated results and transcribed everyone’s notes.

The link below downloads a copy of the document, laid out using the original worksheet format.