The Sultan 2044 Comprehensive Plan Team continues with community engagement by actively participating in the Farmers Market. In our third week at the Farmers Market, we are setting milestones in the progress of the Sultan 2044 outreach campaign. Our objective for this event remained the same: provide residents and visitors a unique platform to voice their opinions and help shape the future Sultan. The farmer's market continues to be very successful in bringing a variety of voices to the table.
Our team has enjoyed hearing the perspective of all ages, seasoned locals, visitors, and others who have stopped by the Sultan 2044 booth. We look forward to providing updates on the comprehensive planning project as we continue to empower community voices and work towards a prosperous future together.
Top takeaways:
Traffic Troubles Persist: As the city continues to grow, the increasing number of vehicles on the roads has led to longer commute times, delays, and frustration among locals. Despite ongoing efforts to improve infrastructure and implement traffic management strategies, it is evident that more needs to be done to tackle this challenge effectively.
The Need for Further Investment in our Community: Sultan's residents are eager to see their town more walkable, livable, and business-friendly. There’s a strong desire for a walkable area that connects Basin Road to the downtown district. Such a development would provide residents with a safe and convenient means of travel between these two areas.
Fueling Growth: Sultan's Need for More Businesses Sultan has about 1/3 the population of the City of Monroe but about 1/20 the tax base. Due to limited shopping and service options, residents must travel outside the city for essential goods and services, resulting in time and expenditure outside the community rather than within our local economy. The absence of local businesses and services has many other impacts, including a lack of local employment opportunities, slow economic growth, and long-term prosperity. In Sultan, more tax burden falls on homeowners compared to other communities. By attracting new businesses and encouraging entrepreneurship, Sultan can create a vibrant local economy, retain spending within the community, and provide residents with convenient access to goods, services, and employment opportunities. This, along with participation from the community in the land use planning process, will be critical to the city’s future and growth. More diverse businesses and services are needed to support Sultan's growing population
Your participation in the land use planning process will be key to the city’s future. The Washington State Department of Transportation along with other agencies have suggested that a strong corridor planning effort may be a good way to build a stronger financial future for the city.
If you didn’t make it to our booth, don’t worry! We have plenty of upcoming opportunities for you to learn and share ideas about the comprehensive plan update. Check the Events tab regularly and consider signing up for project updates on the website home page. We also encourage you to fill out our first community survey!
Last Saturday, we were fortunate to connect with passionate community members, and curious visitors of Sultan. The atmosphere was electric as individuals passionately shared their experiences and anticipation for the much-anticipated Mountain View Park, set to grace our town in 2024. We extend our heartfelt appreciation to everyone who generously spared their time to engage with us and express their thoughts. Your participation has been instrumental in shaping the future of our Sultan. We look forward to more enriching interactions in the future and are excited to see everyone next Saturday at the Farmers Market.