2019–2021 Projects – City of Sultan
The following projects are part of the ongoing Livable City Year partnership between UW and the City of Sultan, starting in 2019. The projects are provided below under the following headings:
Parks, Recreation, and Open Space Plan Update
Sultan Land Use Code Analysis and Revisions
Plan Quality and Consistency Analysis: City of Sultan Comprehensive Plan
Parks, Recreation, and Open Space Plan Update
The four projects in this section are four phases of a single project: to update the City of Sultan’s 2010 Parks, Recreation, and Open Space Plan. The plan update will be incorporated into the City’s 2023 Comprehensive Plan update. The project will be done in phases over approximately eleven months, ending August 2020 with approval by City Council.
PROS-1: Sultan Parks and Trails Initial Inventory and Assessment
Department: Planning
City Project Lead: Andy Galuska
Faculty: Rachel Berney and Jess Zimbabwe
UW Department: Community, Environment and Planning
Course: CEP 460
Quarter: Autumn 2019
This portion of the project focuses on creating an inventory of all current park and trail locations and associated resources, including equipment. Students will map the city’s trails and create a series of maps and/or infographics to depict trail locations and assessments of trail conditions. Students will work with available GIS data and set up the data for use by future classes.
Students will also begin a broad-based effort to find out what the community feels is missing from the current park and trail systems, and what they would like to see added to those systems in the future. Students will conduct initial outreach efforts to City-selected stakeholder groups to gather input. Incorporating this initial feedback, they will make recommendations on needed enhancements to specific parks and trails, and shape future outreach for this project.
Finally, students will create a demographic profile of the city over time, including a current snapshot.
The students will report their findings in a white paper which will inform subsequent classes and the final draft plan.
PROS-2: Development of Alternatives
Department: Planning
City Project Lead: Andy Galuska
Faculty: Branden Born
UW Department: Urban Design and Planning
Course: URBDP 506
Quarter: Winter 2020
In Winter quarter, students will build upon the work from Autumn quarter in inventory and assessment as well as community engagement and public participation. Associated with the engagement process, we will begin working on alternative development, and starting early exploration of draft plan development.
Graduate students will create an initial conditions report for the City of Sultan. They will contact key informants and community groups to develop an understanding of city conditions, opportunities, constraints, and needs. Students will hold one public meeting at the end of the quarter. The initial conditions report and additional gathered data from community engagement will inform the following classes and the final draft plan.
PROS-3: Draft Plan Development
Department: Planning
City Project Lead: Andy Galuska
Faculty: Katie F. Cote
UW Department: Urban Design and Planning
Course: URBDP 507
Quarter: Spring 2020
In Spring quarter, students will focus on moving from development of alternatives to draft plan development. They will continue community engagement and public participation to inform this process.
PROS-4: Draft Plan Completion and Approval
Department: Planning
City Project Lead: Andy Galuska
Faculty: Katie F. Cote
UW Department: Urban Design and Planning
Course: URBDP 600, Independent Study
Quarter: Summer 2020
Read Final PROS Plan
In the summer, students will focus on the draft plan. The draft plan will be finalized and worked through the Planning Board and City Council process for approval. This phase will also include the SEPA checklist, the 60-day Commerce review, staff and Council review, public hearing, and final revisions.
Sultan Land Use Code Analysis and Revisions
Department: Planning
City Project Lead: Andy Galuska
Faculty: Himanshu Grover
UW Department: Urban Design and Planning
Course: URBDP 600, Independent Study
Quarter: Winter 2020
The City of Sultan is experiencing rapid development and would like to update its land use code to meet the changing needs in the community. In addition, the City has identified several sections within the land use code that need updating due to inconsistencies and/or ambiguity. Students will assist a consultant working for the City to research and develop changes to the land use code. The project will also involve analyzing the land use codes of four to five other cities within the region. A summary document will recommend updates to the code to meet the growing needs of the City, and to clarify existing code.
Plan Quality and Consistency Analysis: City of Sultan Comprehensive Plan
Department: Planning
City Project Lead: Andy Galuska
Faculty: Himanshu Grover
UW Department: Urban Design and Planning
Course: URBDP 501, Comprehensive Planning and Implementation
Quarter: Winter 2021
The project will consist of a thorough analysis of the City of Sultan Comprehensive Plan as currently adopted. The goal of the analysis is to determine what updates will be necessary or beneficial as part of the 2024 comprehensive update.
Objectives include:
1) Review the existing Comprehensive Plan and determine how successful it has been at achieving the City’s policy goals since its adoption.
2) Review changes in state GMA and Countywide Planning Policies since the last major revision in 2011 and identify where those changes conflict with the current comprehensive plan.
3) Consider the recent development boom in Sultan and how the needs and challenges the city faces have changed since the last major update. Identify areas of the Comprehensive Plan that require additional analysis due to changes in the City.
4) Review preliminary buildable lands data and likely growth targets and determine if there are changes needed to meet future growth requirements.
