EVC SWOT Project: Meeting Three; March 20, 2013: DC. EVC SWOT Project Meeting # 3 Strengths and Weaknesses

Transcription

1 V SWOT Project Meeting # 3 Strengths and Weaknesses Present: Karl Leigh, hair, Matt ott, Kristi Tripple, Todd Wyatt, andy aer, lan Finkelstein, Richard Gabel, Ray White, Tim iller, Peter lark, Issaquah Press; Joe Forkner, Joan Probola, Phil Morris, Laurie Naval, onnie Marsh LL TO ORR LIGH called the meeting to order at 5:36 PM. MTING MINUTS LIGH presented the February 20 th, 2013 and the SWOT nalysis meeting minutes from March 5 th, TRIPPL MOV to approve the minutes as presented; WYTT SON. arried unanimously. Introduction: The meeting began with a review of the ity s history as developed at the last meeting. Several additions were made, the key events were identified and the four trends were named. The updated chart is enclosed. In discussing some of the apparent trends that rose from this review of the history the following were notes. The economic drivers of the have evolved and changed overtime. eginning with farming, hops and coal mining in the last half of the nineteenth century, logging became important and in more recent times in post WWII, Issaquah became a bedroom especially as the oeing 727 production in Renton got underway. The bedroom theme was gradually infiltrated with high tech companies and Issaquah became a suburban hub which, in the 1980s assumed much more control and management over its economic and social future. Issaquah is now a major retail hub for surrounding communities, the main gateway to eastern Washington and vice versa to the Pacific coastal region. It is a key part of the east side metropolis that includes ellevue and that has now surpassed Seattle in population and economic growth. JOURNMNT LIGH closed the meeting at 8:02 p.m.

2 The urrent Weaknesses in the ity of Issaquah that may impede the xpansion & Improvement of the conomic limate. Transport improvement options are limited by the geography, lack of funding and state transportation policies ependency on I-90 1 Inadequate North and South public transport links to non- Seattle neighboring cities 2 Insufficient parking for retail and for commercial needs in Front Street 3 The high cost of living & doing business in Issaquah relative to the size of its market are disincentives to locate in town The usiness advantage of locating in Issaquah is unclear The cost of doing business is high The incongruity between land use and the transportation system The dearth of sufficient high paying jobs The undiversified economic base limits employment opportunities 75% of the jobs are retail and service-based 1 Retail annibalism 2 Reliance on inbound retail 3 Not quite at critical mass of the # of major employers 4 ity s economic maturity is in the transition between youth and adulthood. Few attractions for generation Y (nightlife, restaurants, local density) 1 ommunity s limited understanding of the impacts of not changing 2 bsence of an external push (to development/action) and a weak pull (internal motivation) encourages inertia 3 Tricky public processes (permitting etc) 4 The value-proposition to locate a business in Issaquah has not been packaged and sold. Strip mall-ish image, a small commercial sector and few aesthetics There is an inconsistency in the identity of Issaquah 2 logged roads within the city reduce the quality of life The shortage of affordable housing Retail sales per capita is much greater than nearby communities 5 The flight of major employers 6 Limited entrepreneurial support structures 7 No actionable business development plan 5 disjointed and uncoordinated approach to economic development 6 We are not known for anything. (despite a rich history) 4 5 The narrow employment base of the local economy 8 Under developed public and private alignments of interests and policies 7

3 The urrent Strengths in the ity of Issaquah that can support the xpansion & Improvement of the conomic limate. Many in the care and are involved in civic affairs Salmon ays 1 Issaquah has a rich history 2 Violent crime is non-existent 3 The high concentration of talented and highly educated people The multicultural aspect of the The medical and business concentration of talent The presence of global industry leaders (e.g., OSTO, Sanmar) The presence of the seeds of innovation (talent, technology, time to create) No other has the location advantages of Issaquah Lake access and the State Park 1 The proximity to recreational opportunities 2 The proximity to the large economic engine of Seattle/ellevue 3 Unique rural/suburban proximity to Snoqualmie and North end 4 Issaquah is a nice place to live Strong school & Higher ducation system 1 Presence of urban village and new family-friendly neighborhoods 2 The middle-aged playground factor 3 The vibrant arts scene 4 Issaquah is at an inflection point with the opportunity to grow The ity Government is financially sound There is an ample supply of development opportunities 2 With the.i.p. there is a road map to the future The is growing 4 Many people volunteer to help with civic events 4 The rains Trust demographic in Issaquah (Os, other senior leaders) 5 The unspoiled ecology (water, forest, mountain) 5 I-90 a Gateway to the Mountains and Seattle 6 ttractive surroundings 7 eautiful ity environment 8 Nice housing 5 great place for families 6 The Issaquah brand is ripe for development 5

4 The Great Journey of the ity of Issaquah The Pre-Suburban ra Suburbanization 1 st ommercial evelopment The Time of Managed Growth ompact Re- evelopment Pre Wm Pickering appt d Gov of NW Territory by braham Lincoln 1861 Native mericans re-locate 1880 s Floating bridge opens 1940 Snoqualmie Falls Power Plant opens 1898 Passenger train line to Seattle closed 1922 Settlers infrastructure built 1920 s Salmon Hatchery founded 1937 oal mining ends s Sunset Hyway opens 1940 State d ct on Quality schools 1945 oeing s Renton workforce locates in Issaquah TV takes off IM silos located on ougar Mt and surrounds oehm s hocolates opens King ounty comprehensive plan promotes suburbanization I-90 built during isenhower s administration oeing, Microsoft, Tech Industries, Wireless established Transition of farms to developable properties Issaquah designated as desirable suburbia ars encouraged World s Fair in Seattle ( hour east cheap labor, open space, dev t welcomed Skip Rowley shows up 1954 Issaquah becomes a bedroom ellevue starts its comprehensive plan that has now been realized in 2013 Metro Sewer line built Piecemeal development Gilman Village designed and built va Frisinger shows up Logging banned on Tiger Mountain Nike Missile site converted to open space The ig oeing ust (1971) ellevue s time of big growth Issaquah s decisions on the comprehensive plan (early 80 s) Issaquah becomes a Retail estination 1% Tax limit for increases on property taxes Moratorium established on all building on the valley floor Moratorium lifted (1986) Realization of quifer and Surface water connections The Great Recession of 2008 uilding of Swedish Hospital Transportation oncurrency The y-pass policy initiative ellevue college buys land ostco HQ SP (ig impact on future) GM The ot om oom and ust Park Pointe Land Transfer owntown revitalization The TR legislation Mcarry Land Transfer ndangered Species ct Sammamish Growth Urban Villages policy Microsoft arrives Hatchery saved Sustainability concept takes root Lower Iss Valley quifer Trans xcise tax Issaquah Highlands nnexed Highland rive evelopment Major nnexation of land Snoqualmie and Muckleshoot Tribes see Issaquah as heritage site Office uilding xpansion The entral Issaquah Plan is adopted Major Retail evelopments Text in red Government policies of note (ity, county, state or federal) xternal events of note (political, economic or cultural) Key events in the recent history of Issaquah

5 The Five Major hallenges facing the economic development of the ity of Issaquah Internal xternal Transportation ffordability In-ity Players djusting to the political & resident comprehension of local economic market Recognizing the external forces limiting or directing local economic growth Keeping local transportation somewhat fluid ealing with the infrastructure costs, costs of redevelopment, costs of urbanization ncouraging the buy-in to the vision of the ity conomic sophistication 1 Tolling conomic Uncertainty in the Limited transit (routes, days, hours, connectivity) 1 Shortage of affordable housing 1 Microsoft Highlands property ity economic culture has yet to mature 2 anking restrictions iscontinuous non-motorized facilities 2 Investment returns in the new Issaquah are unclear 2 Talus Office site 2 Political polarization 3 The combination of limited activism and overall complacency 4 Seattle centricity (funding, transportation) Global competition 5 oncurrency: our in-city transportation crisis The absence of green field properties for new development Others: Rowley ommons Gilman Square Pickering Meadows ostco Town & ountry Mull Property Vulcan Site Preservation of Front St 5 State udget crisis 6 3 3