Snoqualmie EDC reviews roundtable findings, advances signage, retail rules and business outreach

The Snoqualmie Economic Development Commission on an annual work-plan update reviewed findings from three roundtables and directed staff to continue moving multiple business-support initiatives, including wayfinding sign replacement, a downtown business-directory kiosk, a historic downtown color palette and proposed retail-use development standards.

The roundtable recap combined input from three meetings with downtown merchants, businesses in the Snoqualmie Ridge business park and larger employers on Center Boulevard. Staff said common themes were location-specific infrastructure needs, vacancies and recruitment, lighting and safety, parking and public bathrooms, and workforce and housing shortages that complicate hiring and retention. "Whatever you work on can make a big difference. It may take 10 years, it may take 20 years, but continue to push," said a staff member reporting the recap.

Commissioners heard staff updates and set near-term steps. Staff said replacement and refurbishment of green-post/turquoise wayfinding signs (about 82–85 signs citywide) is underway and should be completed by Memorial Day. A two-sided kiosk map for downtown (one illustrated citywide map and one downtown business map) is at the printer and will be installed on the boardwalk mid-block; staff said the kiosk will be updated periodically (approximately quarterly) to reflect business changes. Staff also said they are pursuing two WSDOT changes to Exit 27 signage: adding "Snoqualmie Historic District" to an existing sign and adding "Snoqualmie Falls" to another existing sign. Staff said they have opened direct contact with WSDOT and an individual there is assisting; funding or donor support was mentioned as a way to accelerate replacement timing.

On downtown design rules, staff reported the historic downtown color palette has gone to the Planning Commission for feedback and will return to the commission next month; staff said they expect finalization by June. The planning staff also reported a proposed change to business-retail development standards that would increase the required retail component in downtown (and on the Ridge) from 75% to 90%; Planning Commission has recommended approval and staff expects the measure to go to City Council in May.

Commissioners discussed visitor and lodging strategies tied to recurring regional events (for example, mountain-biking events that draw thousands). Staff said the city maintains a small tourism-marketing budget and routinely partners with the Chamber to leverage additional regional promotion. Commissioners suggested exploring coordinated booth space at events and greater outreach to tournament organizers to encourage attendees to stay and visit downtown.

On business outreach, the commission agreed to revive targeted business visitations. Commissioners will each identify a small set of businesses to visit before the next meeting; staff will provide a shortened question set (4–6 core questions) and create a simple online form to capture responses for easier compilation. Staff said anecdotal visitation notes from earlier efforts were useful but difficult to summarize and recommended a shorter standardized form to produce timely, comparable data.

Other items reported by staff: a $25,000 grant to support automation and maintenance of snowvalleyjobs.com (a jobs board that grew from earlier EDC efforts); the Mustard Seed senior housing example in Key Peninsula built with USDA Rural Development funds (noting parts of King County are USDA-eligible); and an inventory of city wayfinding and WSDOT signage to improve visitor flows. Commissioners also discussed potential monument/gateway signage (estimated by staff at about $200,000-plus and complicated by right-of-way ownership where state highways are involved).

Action items and next steps the commission set: staff will bring a shortened business-visit questionnaire in the next packet; commissioners will compile candidate businesses to visit and report results via the online form; staff will continue work with WSDOT on Exit 27 sign language and finish wayfinding installation by Memorial Day; staff will return updates on the color palette and the retail-standard ordinance as those items advance to Planning Commission and Council.

Votes at this meeting were procedural housekeeping: the commission approved the meeting agenda (motion and second recorded; mover/second not specified in the transcript) and approved combined January and February meeting minutes (motion and second recorded; mover identified in the transcript only as a participant). At the meeting’s end a motion to adjourn was made and seconded. No substantive policy votes were taken by the commission during this discussion.