PORT ANGELES — Two members of the American Institute of Architects Sustainable Development Assessment Team that inspired the downtown spruce-up project last summer are back this week to see how their 2009 recommendations on improving the city’s design and planning have been carried out.
Follow-up visits are conducted when a community has demonstrated noticeable progress.
“You hit the ground running the day after we left Port Angeles, and we have been extremely impressed by your progress” said Erin Simmons, AIA national staff member.
Simmons and the team leader of last year’s six-member team, Northampton, Mass., Planning Director Wayne Feiden, are expected to attend:
Port Angeles Planning Commission meeting in the City Council chambers at City Hall, 321 E. Fifth St., at 6 p.m. Wednesday.
Port Angeles Forward Committee meeting in the meeting room at the Vern Burton Community Center, 308 E. Fourth St., at 7:30 a.m. Thursday.
Both meetings are open to the public.
The City Council is also holding two special meetings to coincide with Wednesday’s Planning Commission session and Thursday’s PA Forward meeing (see agendas, below).
The two architects will also meet with city staff and civic leaders and tour the city to view the projects that were instituted as a result of their assessment.
From their visit in March, the team members developed an 87-page report, released in August, that provided recommendations on how Port Angeles’ main commercial areas — downtown and the U.S. Highway 101 entrance to the downtown, dubbed the Gateway Corridor — can be improved.
Following the visit, local citizens started the “Our Community at Work — Painting Downtown” that was focused on repainting downtown buildings that had seen better days.
Improving building facades was one of the team’s recommendations.
Agenda of Wednesday’s special City Council meeting with the Planning Commission:
1. APPROVAL OF MINUTES: Regular meeting of Dec. 9.
2. OTHER MATTERS: Follow up discussion with American Institute of Architects (AIA) Representatives regarding the Sustainable Development Assessment Team (SDAT) 2009 visit to Port Angeles
3. PUBLIC HEARING: STREET VACATION PETITION-STV 09-05 – LIPMAN/STONE: Vacation of a portion of Vine Street between the Whidby/Lopez and Lopez/Orcas Avenue Alleys
4. COMMUNICATIONS FROM THE PUBLIC
5. STAFF REPORTS
6. REPORTS OF COMMISSION MEMBERS
Agenda of Thursday’s special City Council meeting with PA Forward:
1. Approval of Dec. 10 meeting minutes.
2. AIA SDA Team Visit to Port Angeles – City Community Development Director Nathan West and members of the AIA SDA Team
3. 2010 Census Opportunities for Involvement – Shannon Shaw of US Census
4. Juan de Fuca Statue Project – Tabled to February 2010 Meeting – Nathan West
5. Economic Development / Downtown Port Angeles / Update on Preparation of Business Resources Survey – City Manager Kent Myers
6. Continuation – Discussion of 2010 future topics per City Council recommendation:
Examples: Beautification; community design and signage; ways to keep Hurricane Ridge open during the winter; shuttle to Hurricane Ridge and Port Angeles Farmer’s Market; Lincoln Park trees and the airport; cross-town route.
7. Member Reports
8. New Business
