“We’ve looked at some for-sale properties near our doorstep, getting them and cleaning them up,” said Kneipp. “One case in particular, there is a pretty dilapidated house nearby… we would like to get the property cleaned up and then market it, put it back out there.”
Kneipp said the city has a very specific idea of what types of businesses it doesn’t want to see enter downtown, a list that includes adult establishments, industrial uses, outdoor storage of materials and equipment, vehicle repair, gas stations, mini storage and more.
“Zoning designations typically list all of the things that you can do, and if you’re not on the list then you can’t be there,” explained Kneipp. “Ours is – it all goes. You can do it all. We have design guidelines and we’re going to hold you to those standards because we want it to look good, but we’ve basically said everything is good except for those ten or eleven things.
“As a city, we’re trying to develop that downtown core and we’re trying to be attractive,” he added.
Washougal’s plan to get more strategic about commercial development all starts with a “if you want to bring it here, we’ll help you” attitude, according to Kneipp.
“If you want to establish a business downtown, it’s not a conditional use permit; it’s not a public hearing. It’s administrative review,” he said, adding that the city has also raised its SEPA (State Environmental Policy Act) threshold from 4,000 square feet to 12,000 square feet. “We basically wrote the code the way we want it to be and we’re trying to get out of the way.
“Things are kind of starting to break and you really want to be in a position where you’re ready to go,” Kneipp continued. “Time is money and people sitting and waiting on permits – that’s not at all helpful for them, it’s not at all helpful for us. We’ve just got to get them through.”
The Washougal City Council will have to approve any property-purchasing plans before action is taken, said Kneipp.
