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Snoqualmie staff report tourism website launch, lighting program and push for wayfinding signs
Summary
City community liaison Nicole Weedy reported the tourism website launched in August and is building engagement, staff continue work on a Thomas Dambo art installation, and the city's holiday lighting program remains a downtown and business draw. Wayfinding signs are planned but delayed by street department capacity.
Nicole Weedy, the city's community liaison, told the commission the city launched a tourism website in late August and is continuing to expand the site's content to support local businesses and visitor information.
"We launched that website, end of August and, it's doing well," Weedy said. She said the site is being developed in partnership with the communications division and that staff are working to add more robust data and marketing content to attract day visitors and weekend stays, including coordinated outreach with Visit Bellevue.
On public art, Weedy reported she has been coordinating with the assistant to artist Thomas Dambo on a potential troll installation but has not received a final response from the artist. She described the outreach as "a last ditch effort of where I think a troll could be installed" and said she would follow up with the artist's team.
Weedy also reviewed the city's holiday lighting program and thanked staff and council for their support. She said the lights on Center Boulevard will remain up through February at the merchants' request and that the city is working to standardize its inventory to warmer-color lights.
Wayfinding signage for downtown and key intersections is planned but slowed by the street department's workload, Weedy said. She said staff provided a prioritized list of six intersections for immediate action and that the full project comprises about 20 signposts and roughly 85 signs; the street division currently has only one staff person assigned to installations, which requires phasing in work as capacity allows.
Why it matters: tourism, seasonal lighting and clear wayfinding affect local business foot traffic and merchant revenue; the commission flagged continued cross-department coordination and merchant outreach to maximize benefit to small businesses.
Next steps: staff will continue outreach with Visit Bellevue, follow up with the artist's representative, and phase wayfinding installations as street-department capacity permits.
