Our Downtown Camas 2045

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Welcome to Community Summit #3!

This summit is designed as a series of focused conversations on the draft Comprehensive Plan and concludes with the draft Downtown Subarea Plan. Over the last 12 weeks, we highlighted different comprehensive plan elements with background information and a short survey on the Our Camas 2045 project page. This is your chance to review the draft Downtown Subarea Plan, get more information, share feedback, and help shape the next drafts of the Our Downtown Camas 2045 Subarea Plan and the Our Camas 2045 Comprehensive Plan.

City staff will host a “Chat with a Planner” at City Hall on Wednesday, December 10, from 3-5 PM to answer questions about the subarea plan. A Planning Commission Workshop will also take place December 16, 7 PM to review the details of the subarea plan.


Downtown Subarea Plan

Our last featured topic is the Downtown Subarea Plan! The Downtown Subarea Plan considers the historic character of Downtown Camas and offers a strategy for balancing history with future transformations to make downtown a place that will continue to attract residents and visitors alike.

What is the Downtown Subarea Plan?

The Downtown Subarea Plan is an element of the Comprehensive Plan. It is intended to serve as a shared commitment between the city and downtown stakeholders, welcoming the development and business communities to help implement the vision. The vision and goals set forth in this Plan intend to achieve the following outcomes:

  1. Set the policy direction for future implementation in Downtown.
  2. Guide development in a way that reflects the community’s vision for the area through a set of clear and objective design guidelines.
  3. Establish a framework for connecting public and private spaces and transportation networks.
  4. Lay the groundwork for the future of the Camas Mill Property by supporting an unrestricted environmental cleanup level.

The elements include a vision and goals, as follows.

DOWNTOWN SUBAREA PLAN VISION: 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.

Downtown Subarea Plan Goals

  1. Architecture and Design. Retain Downtown’s historic character and expand its charm
  2. Downtown Housing. Incentivize a range of housing options that welcome more people to live downtown
  3. Urban Amenities. Provide the right mix of development, services, and open spaces that support ways for people to live, work, and play Downtown
  4. Economic Development. Encourage (re)development to expand opportunities Downtown for retail, office, and residential
  5. Civic Life. Expand on civic life and services Downtown through strategic use of City-owned property and vibrant community events
  6. Multimodal Connectivity. Create a safe and connected transportation network that makes Downtown walkable and bikeable

After reviewing the draft Downtown Subarea Plan, please take the "Downtown Camas" survey on the Our Camas 2045 project page and provide your feedback on the actions the City can take to advance the vision, goals and policies of the plan.

The Camas Mill

The Downtown Subarea Plan includes portions of the Georgia-Pacific's Camas Mill located north of the BNSF railroad. While the mill has reduced its operations and workforce, it still employees about 150 workers and has not announced any plans to shut down entirely. Georgia-Pacific recently announced a multi-year revitalization project to remove buildings and equipment no longer needed for papermaking, and to upgrade its equipment and infrastructure with a nearly $10 million investment. While the plan is not a redevelopment plan for the Camas Mill, it reaffirms the importance of the mill site in Camas’ past and future. The plan describes the City’s desire for an environmental cleanup that is fully protective of human health and the environment and preserves future redevelopment options to support a broad range and mix of land uses.

Have a comment on the draft subarea plan or any questions for City staff? Send us an email at ourcamas2045@cityofcamas.us.

The Draft Subarea Plan is ready for your review.

The project team was at Camas Days 2025 to share what’s in the downtown subarea plan and the draft comprehensive plan while answering questions and gathering your feedback. Check out the poster boards we had at the event here, which include posters of the civic plaza and land use concepts.

The Our Downtown Camas 2045 planning team developed a refined land use concept for the downtown boundary based on feedback received during the Fall 2024 community engagement efforts (Community Summit and Survey #2). The team met with the Downtown Advisory Committee (DAC) in December to review the updates to the concept.

Please visit our interactive online map to view the changes for Downtown and learn more about the Downtown Subarea Plan and Comprehensive Plan Update (Our Camas 2045).

Hometown. Downtown. Our Town. In conjunction with Our Camas 2045, the City of Camas developed a draft 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.

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.

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.

Based on community and advisory committee feedback (see below) and assessment of relevant opportunities and constraints, the City developed 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 developed a preferred concept for the Draft Downtown Subarea Plan, which 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.

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.

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.

Welcome to Community Summit #3!

This summit is designed as a series of focused conversations on the draft Comprehensive Plan and concludes with the draft Downtown Subarea Plan. Over the last 12 weeks, we highlighted different comprehensive plan elements with background information and a short survey on the Our Camas 2045 project page. This is your chance to review the draft Downtown Subarea Plan, get more information, share feedback, and help shape the next drafts of the Our Downtown Camas 2045 Subarea Plan and the Our Camas 2045 Comprehensive Plan.

City staff will host a “Chat with a Planner” at City Hall on Wednesday, December 10, from 3-5 PM to answer questions about the subarea plan. A Planning Commission Workshop will also take place December 16, 7 PM to review the details of the subarea plan.


Downtown Subarea Plan

Our last featured topic is the Downtown Subarea Plan! The Downtown Subarea Plan considers the historic character of Downtown Camas and offers a strategy for balancing history with future transformations to make downtown a place that will continue to attract residents and visitors alike.

What is the Downtown Subarea Plan?

The Downtown Subarea Plan is an element of the Comprehensive Plan. It is intended to serve as a shared commitment between the city and downtown stakeholders, welcoming the development and business communities to help implement the vision. The vision and goals set forth in this Plan intend to achieve the following outcomes:

  1. Set the policy direction for future implementation in Downtown.
  2. Guide development in a way that reflects the community’s vision for the area through a set of clear and objective design guidelines.
  3. Establish a framework for connecting public and private spaces and transportation networks.
  4. Lay the groundwork for the future of the Camas Mill Property by supporting an unrestricted environmental cleanup level.

The elements include a vision and goals, as follows.

DOWNTOWN SUBAREA PLAN VISION: 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.

Downtown Subarea Plan Goals

  1. Architecture and Design. Retain Downtown’s historic character and expand its charm
  2. Downtown Housing. Incentivize a range of housing options that welcome more people to live downtown
  3. Urban Amenities. Provide the right mix of development, services, and open spaces that support ways for people to live, work, and play Downtown
  4. Economic Development. Encourage (re)development to expand opportunities Downtown for retail, office, and residential
  5. Civic Life. Expand on civic life and services Downtown through strategic use of City-owned property and vibrant community events
  6. Multimodal Connectivity. Create a safe and connected transportation network that makes Downtown walkable and bikeable

After reviewing the draft Downtown Subarea Plan, please take the "Downtown Camas" survey on the Our Camas 2045 project page and provide your feedback on the actions the City can take to advance the vision, goals and policies of the plan.

The Camas Mill

The Downtown Subarea Plan includes portions of the Georgia-Pacific's Camas Mill located north of the BNSF railroad. While the mill has reduced its operations and workforce, it still employees about 150 workers and has not announced any plans to shut down entirely. Georgia-Pacific recently announced a multi-year revitalization project to remove buildings and equipment no longer needed for papermaking, and to upgrade its equipment and infrastructure with a nearly $10 million investment. While the plan is not a redevelopment plan for the Camas Mill, it reaffirms the importance of the mill site in Camas’ past and future. The plan describes the City’s desire for an environmental cleanup that is fully protective of human health and the environment and preserves future redevelopment options to support a broad range and mix of land uses.

Have a comment on the draft subarea plan or any questions for City staff? Send us an email at ourcamas2045@cityofcamas.us.

The Draft Subarea Plan is ready for your review.

The project team was at Camas Days 2025 to share what’s in the downtown subarea plan and the draft comprehensive plan while answering questions and gathering your feedback. Check out the poster boards we had at the event here, which include posters of the civic plaza and land use concepts.

The Our Downtown Camas 2045 planning team developed a refined land use concept for the downtown boundary based on feedback received during the Fall 2024 community engagement efforts (Community Summit and Survey #2). The team met with the Downtown Advisory Committee (DAC) in December to review the updates to the concept.

Please visit our interactive online map to view the changes for Downtown and learn more about the Downtown Subarea Plan and Comprehensive Plan Update (Our Camas 2045).

Hometown. Downtown. Our Town. In conjunction with Our Camas 2045, the City of Camas developed a draft 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.

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.

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.

Based on community and advisory committee feedback (see below) and assessment of relevant opportunities and constraints, the City developed 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 developed a preferred concept for the Draft Downtown Subarea Plan, which 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.

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.

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.

Page last updated: 08 Dec 2025, 10:27 AM