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Council presses utilities, parking and branding in Downtown Kennewick strategic plan
Summary
Consultants presented an EPA‑funded area‑wide planning study and six strategies for Downtown Kennewick; councilors prioritized a utilities capacity analysis, parking solutions and coordinated branding/wayfinding as near‑term actions to spur revitalization and leverage brownfields funding.
Nicole Stickney and the consultant team updated the council on the Downtown Kennewick strategic plan, describing an EPA‑funded area‑wide planning study tied to Brownfields remediation and a menu of strategies to activate downtown. "Safety and connectivity were issues that sort of resonated," Stickney said as she recapped feedback from prior outreach.
Councilors pressed for pragmatic sequencing: multiple members urged a utilities capacity analysis first to determine whether downtown could support more housing or larger projects, arguing that water, sewer and off‑site transmission capacity determine feasibility. Parking and wayfinding were repeatedly cited as cost‑effective early moves — Councilor Trumbo urged measures to bring outside shoppers downtown and proposed repurposing lanes for parking; other members suggested gateway signage and event support in partnership with the Historic Downtown Kennewick Partnership and Visit Tri‑Cities. Staff noted an MOU with Heritage University as a potential incubator/temporary retail option and flagged that further cost estimates and prioritized recommendations will return after council direction.
