Riverfront Master Plan

Purpose: Why is the City Doing a Riverfront Master Plan?

The City Council recognizes how very special it is to have the Stillaguamish River bordering the north edge of Arlington. There are multiple benefits that should be considered to maintain and improve the quality of life for the citizens of Arlington, as well as provide an enjoyable experience for visitors to the City. There is also great potential to support the local efforts to improve the local economic development activity. Like many of the communities around the United States it has been realized that managing the waterfront areas properly provides great opportunities for recreation, jobs, tourism income, and healthy enjoyment through living compatibly with the wildlife and seasonal excitement the river brings. It is always better to have a plan of what the community would like to see, rather than responding to a request for development that may not fit in to the community’s vision.

Background

The subject of Riverfront Master Planning was discussed at a City Council retreat. Staff began to work on an outline for the effort shortly after to begin the process. While investigating how other cities around the Country went about riverfront planning, we found the normal practices is hiring a consultant to perform the public participation element and construction of the plan. Due to the economic times the City has chosen to have staff put together a plan to address the basic necessities of planning for future activity along the riverfront.