Snoqualmie’s downtown riverwalk project is now in the design phase after the master plan was approved by the Snoqualmie city council on March 14.
The riverwalk master plan, presented to the council in January 2015, proposes to create connecting trails and walkways around the city of Snoqualmie to better connect recreation, tourism and aesthetics.
Snoqualmie Community Development Director Mark Hofman explained the city has found a design consultant to work on phase 1 of the riverwalk, while the city acquires four properties on S.E. Park Street that would need to be demolished before construction began.
The city has contracted Berger Partnership to design phase 1 which is centered on the area between the falls and downtown, as well as the downtown core itself, to help direct people from the Falls into the city.
“What we will get out of this … partnership is the design,” Hofman said. After that the city will clear a mile of trail, demolish the acquired properties and begin saving money to build the boardwalk.
“If you view this summer as being the meat of [the design], then sometime this fall we unveil an initial draft,” he said. “Demolition of the homes we won’t wait for, but as far as the design and what that first money will go to that will be done this summer into early fall.”
Technically, Hofman said, Berger Partnership will be designing more than just phase 1 so the city will be set for a few years ahead.
The entire riverwalk plan consists of six phases that will take decades to be fully complete. Hofman said they will be applying for grants every year to chip away at the project piece by piece.
“This could be a 20, 30-year project,” he said. “Each year we are going to be applying and reapplying for new grants and keeping building that nest egg until little bits can be built up, one element at a time.”
The awarding of design, county and economic development grants will dictate the pace of development. According to Hofman, all of the elements of this first phase alone will cost approximately $4 million.
The city has faced some opposition to this project from the Snoqualmie Tribe which sent a letter to the city detailing concerns they have regarding the riverwalk. In the letter, signed by the Snoqualmie Tribal Council, the riverwalk plan is criticized for not considering the impact development of the land could have.
“This project needs a ‘time out’ for further evaluation and analysis, public input, appropriate dialogue among all stakeholders, and consultation with the Tribe,” the letter states.
Hofman states that he understands and shares their concerns, but that the city is working within the state and federal regulations to prevent negative side effects to the river and environment.
“We share the concern, but we have a city that’s in place and new development in the floodplain is proper — but in accordance with [state and federal regulations], no new residential in the floodway, no new sediment or pollutants into the river, preservation of habitat that deals with water temperature,” he said. “It isn’t high-rises or commercial, this is trails, preservation of wetlands and bridges and gets people out into nature.”
Hofman views the tribe as a partner on the riverwalk and wants to cooperate with them going forward into the design phase.
“We would like to connect the falls, there are 2 million people visiting the falls, we would like to get some of those cars out of there,” he said. “Then the river, falls, downtown and environment is an asset to the community, tourism and everyone. Come to the casino, come to the falls, and come down to walk instead of drive, stay and have lunch, walk a mile, go out and see the river and get out of your car.”
