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2 visions fc,r pedestrian-friendly downtown
Shelton city will host third
forum in late February
By GORDON WEEKS
gordon@masoncounty.com
Shelton city planners offered two
paths toward a" pedestrian-friendly
Downtown Zoning District at an open
house Jan. 21.
Alternative one uses a "form-based
code" that focuses not on specific uses,
but on creating a mixed-use environ-
ment with diverse neighborhoods and
colorful streetscapes.
The second option alters the down-
town district's boundaries to incorpo-
rate the west side of First Street south
of Grove Street into the general com-
mercia] zoning district.
At the end of the two-hour forum at
the Shelton Civic Center, Steve Goins
-- the city's director of community and
economic development -- acknowl-
edged that he wasn't hearing a prefer-
ence between the two options.
"No one is pleading with us one way
or another," Goins said. He added that
he realizes the city needs to better ex-
plain the concept of form-based code.
A third forum will be scheduled for
late February. The city will then for-
mulate a proposal to present to the
Shelton City Commission.
The downtown zone is bordered by
Franklin Street to the north, Seventh
Street to the west, First Street to the
east, Cota Street to the south, and also
south of Cota Street between Third
Street and First Street to Goldsbor-
ough Creek.
The features of the downtown zone
include low traffic speed, wide side-
Journal photo by Gordon Weeks
A pedestrian takes advantage
of sunny skies Friday afternoon
to shoot some photographs on
Railroad Avenue. The area is part of
the city's Downtown Zoning District,
which is being considered for zoning
and boundary changes to create a
pedestrian-friendly district.
walks, ample vegetation, eye-catch-
ing architecture and an environment
where pedestrians feel safe.
Land uses allowed in the downtown
zone include most types of retail, fi-
nancial institutions, barber and beau-
ty shops, restaurants without drive-
throughs, churches, offices, dells, drug
stores, laundromats, florists and social
services. Not allowed in the zone are
auto repair and reconditioning business-
es, restaurants with drive-throughs,
auto sales, auto service and gasoline
stations, and retail lumberyards.
Along with presenting the two
plans, the city planners reminded open
"No one is pleading with
us one way or another."
Steve Goins, city of Shelton's director of
community and economic development
house attendees of a third alternative:
do nothing.
With the form-based code plan, the
city would not control uses, but control
the environment to meet objectives, in
this case a pedestrian-oriented area,
Goins said.
Under the form-based system, his-
toric buildings can be revised rather
than torn down, Goins said.
"I don't think it's a fix-all, but in this
case, I think it's a good idea," he said.
To better understand the form-
based code, go to YouTube and type in
"Roswell's Guide to the Future."
Option 2 is a "simple alternative"
and "an old school form of zoning,"
which allows for uses are more "condu-
cive" to the area," said Jason Dose, the
city's senior planner. The zoning would
allow an automobile business to con-
duct business in the now-unoccupied
Mell Chevrolet building, he said.
At the forum, city planners also
summarized and followed up on com-
ments from the Nov. 6 gathering. Some
attendees said downtown Shelton lacks
sufficient parking, while others say it is
not an issue, Goins said.
Dose later added, "In a successful
downtown, you might park eight blocks
away from your destination, but you
walk past 40 shops."
Attendees at the first forum made
clear they don't want the historic Tollie
train engine to be moved from Railroad
Avenue, and that the exit sign that
simply reads "City Center" on U.S.
Highway 101 doesn't direct anyone to-
ward the historic sites or businesses
downtown, Goins said.
"We think that was a valid point," he
said.
At the Jan. 21 forum, Scott Bar-
nard, whose downtown properties
include the 1912 building, said he op-
poses a suggestion that Railroad Av-
enue be rezoned to allow only retail
stores on street-level storefronts be-
tween First and Fifth streets in an ef-
fort to draw more tourists and locals
downtown.
Barnard said he would lose tenants
through such a rezoning.
"Retail is phasing out for the Inter-
net," he said. "There's big box business-
es and struggling small businesses ... I
don't want to be told what to do to pay
my bills."
Conducting business is "tough" be-
cause of the transients walking around,
Barnard said.
"It's not fun to be a business owner
downtown... I want to do what I'm able
to do," he said.
The workers in downtown office
buildings go out for lunch, and spend
money at nearby businesses, Barnard
said.
"To just limit it to retail -- I want
less government control, not more," he
said.
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Paid for by Citizens for Shelton Schools, PO Box 1577, Shelton, WA 98584
Page A-2 - Mason County Journal- Thursday, Jan. 30, 2014