Supported by the Grays Harbor Marine Resources Committee and Surfrider Foundation, the workshop was sponsored and facilitated by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Association’s Coastal Services Center as a result of an initiative set forth by the West Coast Governors Agreement on Ocean Health.
Grays Harbor County Commissioner Al Carter opened the first session with a presentation on local development trends and future planning measures. “Can we have it all? Economic vitality, healthy natural resources, and communities that emphasize preservation of historical uses such as fishing and tourism?” he asked.
“This is just one of many questions we should be asking ourselves as we plan for future growth and development in Grays Harbor. I encourage everyone to be proactive as we try to balance the social,
economic, and environmental health of our region,” he said.
He touched on the importance of tourism and fishing industries, among others, and how we need to pay more attention to things such water quality, erosion impacts, and anticipated climate change and how each could detrimentally affect the vitality of coastal Grays Harbor communities.
At the start of day one, attendees were organized into geographic community groups. Groups represented included Westport/Grayland, Ocean Shores, Pacific Beach/Seabrook/Moclips, the Quinault Indian Nation, and Aberdeen/Hoquiam. Participants we
re asked to comment on what they like about their coastal community. Responses included things such as affordable cost of living, friendly people, great & healthy beaches, beautiful natural resources and scenic areas, abundant wildlife, small fishing village-type towns, working harbors and waterways, recreational activities, clean air, lack of traffic, sense of place, surfing, beachcombing, conservation areas, estuary, proximity to a city, and climate.
Individuals then completed Community Image Survey by recording their likes and dislikes in several photographs depicting images of rural, urban, and residential developments. This served as a jumping off point to share thoughts about what participant want their own communities to look like in the future.
Groups were next asked to identify existing conditions in their communities, and the characteristics and impacts of conventional development such as existing land use, main roads, natural areas, potential developments, and areas impacted by or prone to natural hazards such as flooding and erosion.
Facilitators described characteristics that commonly go hand and hand with conventional development like reliance on a personal vehicle for transportation with shopping centers too far from residential areas, being limited on housing types and prices, lack of green or open spaces, narrow sidewalks and wider streets, and poor emphasis on community character and preservation of historic uses.
Facilitators then described benefits of alternative development patterns including but not limited to: revitalizing existing neighborhoods, protectingfarmland and open space, keeping housing affordable, and providing more transportation choices that lend themselves to a healthy economy and community.
Most communities locally and beyond have made use of conventional development methods. One notable Grays Harbor community that displays many characteristics of alternative development is the planned community of Seabrook just north of Pacific Beach. It employs a compact, walkable, mixed-use town plan design with attention to open spaces and community gathering areas.
Day two of the workshop emphasized identifying existing features and conditions in each community and then illustrating on aerial maps potential development projects that could improve each community’s environment.
To pinpoint current development trends, participant groups used a Community Goals Scorecard. Each team ranked specific conditions in their community, such as offering a range of housing options, providing multiple transportation choices, fostering distinctive, attractive communities, and protecting open spaces or farmland. The scorecard system allows determination if a town is looking good, in transition, or needs attention. After completing the process, each community differed in strengths and weaknesses with most found to be between needing attention and in transition.
The final workshop assignment was a visioning activity where each group labeled aerial maps of their region with the planning and design strategies they had been learning about. Each group then shared their completed planning and design strategies ‘map’ with the other attendees to demonstrate how they could balance social, economic, and environmental health in future development.
Next Steps
At the conclusion of the two-day process, attendees were asked to keep in mind the following objectives as they forge ahead with envisioning the success of Grays Harbor coastal communities dev
elopment:
•Support our local character and quality of life while attracting new businesses, residents, and visitors.
•Work with state, regional and federal initiatives to support healthy coastal communities, including the West Coast Governor’s Agreement on Ocean Health and the State Ocean Caucus.
•Begin to implement planning and development strategies that foster new growth while conserving our area’s unique and valuable natural resources.
•Prepare for continued development and population growth with a proactive approach to help maintain community character and ways of life.
•Discover ways to make communities more resilient to natural hazards, protecting existing and future growth.
The Grays Harbor Marine Resources Committee has helped bring projects like this workshop to our local communities as part of their work to conserve and restore the health of our estuary and coast. Some of the other projects the committee will take on for 2010 include assisting with the state’s Mussel Watch program, assisting with water monitoring and testing in Ocean Shores and Westport, coordinating an ocean literacy program for local K-12 teachers, and leading two separate coastal clean ups.
If you are interested in learning more about this planning process or supporting documents or would like to get involved with your local Marine Resources Committee, email kgreer@surfrider.org or visit http://www.co.grays-harbor.wa.us/info/pub_svcs/MRC/index.html. A post workshop report will also be available on the Grays Harbor Marine Resources Committee website in March.
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