The Kent City Council approved a downtown development plan designed to bring in more residents and businesses over the next decade.
“This is a good plan,” said Council President Dennis Higgins. “I’m really excited about the new opportunities it’s going to present to our city. It looks downtown in a more holistic way. It looks at Washington (Avenue) and the Kmart area as part of downtown. We had always thought of that as a different area in the past.
“It gives us new opportunities to seek out new development and new life downtown. I sound like Star Trek. But I’m really pleased with the work (city staff) did. I’m excited to see it implemented and excited to be around to see the fruits of it.”
The council voted 6-1 on Nov. 19 to approve the downtown plan. Les Thomas voted against it.
“I don’t think it has gone far enough with what the city will become,” Thomas said prior to the vote.
The council agreed with the city’s Land Use and Planning Board to keep a half block north of James Street between Fourth and Fifth Avenues, south of Cloudy Street, zoned for townhouses and condos rather than changing it to commercial use. North Park residents had asked the land use board to make that change after city staff recommended rezoning the half block near the ShoWare Center.
“North Park residents got really active on this and didn’t like some of the recommendations and let us know about it,” said Fred Satterstrom, city planning director. “The recommendation in front of you has been changed to fall more in line with the wishes of the North Park neighborhood.”
Satterstrom said the overall plan emphasizes downtown as a place to live.
“One of the major emphasis is looking at downtown as a neighborhood,” he said. “There is a real emphasis to make downtown an area where people want to live.”
The 164 units of The Platform apartments under construction at Fourth Avenue North and West Smith Street fit in with the plan.
“This time next year if they are all leased up, we’re looking at 200 to 300 new residents downtown,” Satterstrom said. “It’s a beginning. And this plan tries to remove the barriers that some our planning and zoning created. We’ve expanded the downtown area and removed zoning barriers for residential development.”
Satterstrom said the plan also includes more street lighting and open spaces.
“If we expect people to live downtown, they are going to want to walk around after they get home from work,” Satterstrom said. “The open space in downtown has to play a meaningful role in their outdoor experience if they are going to live here.”
With more people living downtown, more businesses are expected to be attracted to the area to provide goods and services.
“Density is good for business and that’s one of the emphasis of the plan,” Satterstrom said.
City staff also plans to bring to the council a revitalization plan to bring more businesses to Meeker Street in the downtown area.
Staff and council updated a 2005 downtown plan that already accomplished goals such as the development of the Kent Station shopping mall and Town Square Plaza park.
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