Committee to weigh in on Camas-Washougal waterfront development
When all is said and done, any development on the waterfront at the Port of Camas-Washougal will belong to each person in that community for the next 100 years.
And to ensure those people get what they want and need, a diverse 12-person committee – likely with the addition of a high school student in the near future – has been appointed to guide the vision for RiverWalk, a riverfront redevelopment partnership between the port and private developers, Riverwalk on the Columbia LLC.
The committee met for the first time on Oct. 23, and includes Larry Blaufus, senior manager of energy technology and services for Clark Public Utilities, Jennie Brown, a Web designer and beauty consultant, engineer Russell Chambers, Paul Fearn, a chiropractor and owner of Fearn Natural Health Clinic and member of the Columbia River Economic Development Council business recruiting team, Charmaine Harvey, manager of the Camas-Washougal branch of First Independent Bank and Sandy Krahn, a real estate agent who is involved in the Pierce Pointe development in Washougal.
It also includes Casey O’Dell, facilities manager of Sharp Microeletronics of the Americas and member of the Camas School Board, Roberta Tidland, a Christian counselor and volunteer for the Parkers Landing Park Advisory Committee, Gary Simmons, manager of the Multnomah County Sheriff’s Office, Pat Sheaffer, CEO and chairman of Riverview Community Bank, John Svilarich, area manager of Volkswagon of America and Barbe West, executive director of Community Choices 2010.
Ashley Eckman, a senior at Washougal High School has applied to be part of the Citizens Advisory Committee, but has not yet been formally accepted.
"On paper at least, this is the most diverse mix we could come up with," said Byron Henke, consultant to the port and former executive director of the Port of Vancouver.
The advisory committee’s charge is to recommend the wisest long-term use of waterfront resources for the maximum public benefit. It is designed to be an advisory branch independent of the port and the developers, said Riverwalk principal John McKibbin. The other principals are Mark and Mary Benson, Marilee Thompson and Rick Bowler.
"That diversity is so important because we want the project to be a reflection of all of the citizens’ wants and needs," McKibbin said. "We’re really going for the wow-factor, so we want something that really represents the community and is a special place."
The aim of RiverWalk is to increase accessibility to the waterfront and create a place where Camas and Washougal residents live, work and play, Benson said.
The mixed-use property will ideally include both residential and commercial uses. Developers envisioned open spaces and parks, walkways, healthy retail, professional office space and a marina to die for.
But if it isn’t what the community wants, it’s not going to be used.
"That community input is critical," Bowler said. "The success of this project lies with the input."
Diversity is the name of the game
Chairman and CEO of Camas-based Riverview Community Bank Pat Sheaffer said he went into the first committee meeting knowing very little and having no preconceived notions about the project.
However, he knows RiverWalk will have a big impact on the community, which spurred him to take part.
"The bank started in Camas 80 years ago and I’ve been in Camas most of my working life," he said. "We still consider it our home office, and are vitally interested in what goes on in the Camas-Washougal marketplace."
Although not the only person with a business interest on the committee, Sheaffer said as such, he has the ability to look at the project from the financial angle.
"Bankers tend to look at the ‘Is this possible?’" he said. "Financially, does this make sense? What are its financial chances of succeeding? And as a taxpayer, I want to make sure this thing has a reasonable chance of succeeding."
On the other hand, Barbe West, executive director of Community Choices 2010, is familiar with the RiverWalk concept and knows what she wants to bring to the table.
Community Choices is a community-based nonprofit group committed to improving the overall health of Clark County. West sees the project as a way to do just that, and jumped at the chance to be involved.
"Think about what a normal person does every day," she said. "They get their kids to school, go to the store, go to work and play. How do you put their home so they can do all that on foot instead of relying on cars, which cause increased pollution and obesity?"
The organization’s 2003 report card on the health of Clark County indicated county residents had higher obesity rates than the rest of the state and the nation. To create long-term health change, West said the push for weight-loss has to be community-driven.
"We can’t just have more health clubs and weight-loss programs that are solely individual," she said. "We need some structural change."
West acknowledged a diverse committee could create challenges.
"But oh well, maybe that’s a good thing," she said. "I hope we can all go in and learn from each other. I think we’ll find that we have the same goals, but in finding how we get there, I bet we have a lot of disagreements."
Washougal Mayor Stacee Sellers recruited 18-year-old Eckman, who is involved with student government and a slew of school activities.
"For the project to succeed and to see different uses, we need to have different perspectives," Sellers said.
Eckman attended a summer town meeting to meet people who could help with her senior project. The meeting happened to be about RiverWalk.
She was the only teenager there.
Eckman said she would like to see a nice restaurant or cool hangout on the waterfront that caters to youth. Even something as simple as a boardwalk could bring people together, she said.
The committee is expected to take about six months to finalize its recommendations for the development, which will go to port commissioners for consideration.
