Our Downtown Camas 2045
Thank you to all who attended our second Community Summit on October 22nd!
The October 22nd Our Camas 2045 Community Summit provided community members the opportunity to:
- Review and comment on the draft land use alternatives
- Provide input on development scales
- Review and refine development concepts for downtown
- Learn information about the County's climate planning efforts and Greenhouse Gas inventory.
Hometown. Downtown. Our Town. In conjunction with Our Camas 2045, the City of Camas is developing a downtown subarea plan to establish a more detailed vision and action plan to catalyze public and private investment in our historic downtown that preserves and enhances its unique sense of place. Drawing ideas and input from our residents and businesses, Our Downtown Camas 2045 will be a visionary roadmap that honors our rich heritage and maintains our hometown feel while setting the stage for a thriving future.
About the Project
Comprehensive plans provide a blueprint for future growth and development within a city or county boundaries and can include planning for multiple areas and neighborhoods. The formation of a subarea plan provides an opportunity to develop a more detailed vision of future growth and development specific to an area with unique characteristics, such as downtown Camas. Similar to a comprehensive plan, a subarea plan identifies goals, policies, and strategies that align with a common community vision. Our Downtown Camas 2045 will include a subarea plan with goals and policies that will help guide future changes in our historic downtown.
Vision Statement for Downtown
The subarea planning process began with the creation of a community vision for downtown Camas, to establish where the community would like the downtown to be in 20 years. The City conducted engagement activities including stakeholder interviews, surveys, community events and visioning summits designed to create awareness of the project and engage our community in imagining our future. These activities helped identify what you love about downtown Camas today and what you would change to make downtown Camas an even better place to live, work, and play in the future.
The statement that resulted reads as follows:
Charming, vibrant, and walkable, Downtown Camas is the city’s living room. Downtown’s history is complemented by new businesses and inclusive housing options. Expansion, resiliency, and a dynamic economic landscape are critical to its success. Downtown Camas anchors the community while fostering a culture of pride, support, and connection.
The Downtown Subarea Planning Process
Based on community and advisory committee feedback (see below) and assessment of relevant opportunities and constraints, the City is currently developing a set of land use, open space, and transportation concepts that demonstrate how downtown can grow and accommodate the evolving needs of the Camas community. These interrelated concepts consider where and how new housing and commercial development should occur, how open spaces can be developed and/or enhanced to support the needs of residents, and how pedestrians, cyclists, and motorists should best move to, from, and through downtown.
With input from the advisory committees and the broader community, the City will develop preferred concepts into a Downtown Plan that will inform the Comprehensive Plan (Our Camas 2045), the zoning and design regulations to guide future development, and City investments in public amenities and infrastructure.
Advisory Committees
Our Downtown Camas 2045 is guided by three advisory committees – the Community Advisory Committee (CAC, which also advises Our Camas 2045 and is comprised of community stakeholders), the Downtown Advisory Committee (DAC, a subcommittee of the CAC working together with the Downtown Camas Association), and the Project Advisory Committee (PAC, comprised of City and agency staff). These groups review and comment on draft products, guide public outreach and engagement efforts, and act as champions for Our Downtown Camas 2045.
Public Involvement
There have been multiple outreach events to provide community members with opportunities to engage in the planning process – and more are on the way. These fun and engaging community events provide a variety of activities for Camas community members to share their ideas. Additionally, staff and officials are available to answer questions and discuss ideas with participants. Upcoming events will be posted to this website and advertised through the City’s social media channels.