Cashmere Planning Commission approves RV park code changes, discusses climate planning and downtown revitalization

CASHMERE - Following the April 1 public hearing regarding changes to the city’s RV Parks and Campground code, the Cashmere Planning Commission voted unanimously to send the recommended changes to the City Council for their consideration.

Cashmere’s Director of Operations, Steve Croci, explained to Commission members that Cashmere will receive $100,000 from the state to complete a required Climate Planning element to the city’s Land Use Comprehensive Plan. The city has received $35,000 and expects to receive the remainder of the funds in the middle of 2025. Beginning in October 2024, the city will begin working with the county and other local entities to plan how to mitigate the impacts of climate change and become more resilient in the face of natural hazards. Wildfires, smoke, floods, and landslides are the hazards that Cashmere is most likely to face, according to Croci. He clarified that the funds are for developing a plan, not for implementation.

In a follow-up from the Commission’s March meeting, Croci told the Commissioners that he had been talking with Wenatchee city planners about how they make a difference in their city. The planners told him that Wenatchee selected specific study areas 20 years ago, focused on the waterfront, and then developed goals for what they wanted to accomplish. They made necessary code changes and hired staff to collaborate with community stakeholders and implement the project. Following that model of city planning, Mayor Fletcher introduced the idea of revitalizing the downtown corridor and partnering with the Chamber of Commerce to bring together multiple community partners.

Mayor Jim Fletcher relayed local economic trend data from a recent Port District-sponsored economic summit. According to his report, the median household income in Chelan/Douglas Counties has had a slow, steady increase over the years, but in the past five years, there was a substantial increase in the trend and an even steeper jump in the past year. However, the labor market has slightly decreased. Agriculture, government, and health care are the top three employers in the area. There has been a large increase in home prices in the past ten years. Even though median income has increased, the affordability of homes has decreased. Fletcher said that the population growth results from people moving to the Valley and that King County is the largest supplier of new residents.

The Commissioners recommended topics for the next meeting: city pathways, the downtown corridor, and looking at how Chelan has done to revitalize its downtown.