“Easy Answers to Downtown” Follow Up
Now that the comments on my original post have seemed to run their course I would like to follow up on what was said.
I wish we would have heard from some of the City Council members or the Mayor on what they are thinking about the downtown area. Their suggestions would be really helpful as they have a knowledgeable unique perspective that would be worth hearing.
Port Townsend and Leavenworth are great destinations, but no signs are really needed there since only one road goes through both locations and the historic shopping experience is easy to see and find. However both cities have visible signs pointing out where free parking is located for the historical shopping.
Enumclaw is unique in that the downtown can easily not be seen, and easily bypassed on 410 or 169. Only 164 goes through the downtown shopping area, but runs perpendicular to Cole St. and downtown passes in a blink of an eye. Shops on Railroad Ave are not even seen.
Just by virtue of the name, the Pie Goddess is a potential tourist stopper, but people are looking down the road as they exit downtown and have to look sidewise to see her shop. People passing through on 164 don’t have the time to take in all the different shops. I agree that a destination idea is important. However, I don’t think that what the destination is, is as important as having one in place.
The consensus is that gateway signs, easily seen “free downtown parking signs” and picking a destination idea are a good start.
Young’s is more than willing to work with the other business owners to develop ideas (like the wine walk) that promote downtown shopping and visibility.
Perhaps Enumclaw.Patch could host a discussion to solicit ideas for a destination idea and gateway signs.
