Task Force Launches Commercial Street Project

DAYTON - Work was underway this week on beginning the revitalization of Commercial Street in Dayton by coming up with a new master plan that will improve the way the area looks, flows and hopefully draws more tourists and businesses to the area .

A group of four specialists was selected to help Dayton's Development Task Force come up with a comprehensive plan for Dayton's Commercial Street corridor from the Touchet River to the Seneca plant. Dougherty Landscape Architects from Eugene, Ore., was chosen for the job and held public meetings with stakeholders Monday through Wednesday.

David Dougherty, the firm principal and lead designer, was in town for the first time and told a handful of community volunteers Monday morning that Dayton is "refreshing" and he's excited to work with the group.

"Taking a tour through the site was really enlightening," Dougherty said. "I can see why you're excited. It's rare to work with a group that's so engaged and hands on."

The task force was recently awarded a $25,000 grant from Sherwood Trust in Walla Walla to use in the planning of the historic corridor. It needs at least $35,000 to pay for all the planning elements proposed by Dougherty's firm.

The task force is hoping the plan for Commercial Street will have the same positive impact the downtown revitalization had in the 1990s.

Dougherty said his firm's time in town Monday through Wednesday was to gather information, reach out to business and property owners, talk with the city and focus on creating a vision that the city can work toward to revitalize the area.

Most importantly to those in attendance Monday morning, was that all the work pro- posed on Commercial Street also foc uses on Main Street and the city as a whole. Ginny Butler, a volunteer who owns build- ings on Main Street, said she wants this project to affect Main Street as well.

"I'm very concerned about the empty spaces on Main Street," she said.

Butler said she was having difficulty seeing why a change in the city's master plan would change those empty shops.

Jacci Wooten, owner of Jacci's Yarn Bask et and a member of the task force, s a id she wants t o see more spaces made on Commercial Street for comm unity events that will bring in tourists.

" T h e corridor is really important if we are promoting historical aspects," Wooten said. "A lot of them are on Commercial Street and it seems natural that you would want to enhance that to be an asset."

Marcene Hendrickson, a task force member and business owner, said it's important to uncover assets on Commercial Street residents don't know exist and to connect everything that is to be done to Main Street's master plan.

Local artist Anne Strode said she wants to create a special environment with good flow and places to stop and have a conversation.

Claudia Nysoe, the executive director of the Day- ton Chamber of Commerce, wants fun and color to draw families to town.

Mayor Craig George said the community demographics are changing and the plan needs to focus on retired people as those are the people moving into the city. Also, he wants to make sure whatever plan is created be a continuing effort in the community.

"We just need to keep this a viable force," George said.

Candy Jones, business owner, said she wants to emphasis providing for residents. She wants to see more places for residents to shop so they don't have to go to Walla Walla and Tri Cities.

"I want to provide retail so that they would shop locally more than they do," Jones said.

State Representative Terry Nealey, who has a law office on Main Street, said he is concerned that residents won't be invested in a project to revitalize Commercial Street because it's not Main Street.

"My concern is for the vision and economic development component," Nealey said. "This is a very expensive project and how much are we going to get out of this?"

The group also threw out some ideas of what they would like to see on Commercial Street including more parking, restrooms, riverfront development, senior housing, retail and general landscaping. A presentation and open house of the firm's work this week will be held at noon in the Delany Building, followed by a wrap-up meeting at 1:30 p.m. in the same location. For more information on the project, contact the chamber at 800-882-6299.