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Awards: 2006 APA/PAW Joint Awards Program - Merit Award in Citizen Involvement Plans Category
The Vision for Skykomish project identifies and describes a vision for the future of the Skykomish community, representing its future aspirations and intentions. It was drafted between March and August of 2005 by members of the community (including local students and town staff), BHC Consultants, University of Washington’s Northwest Center for Livable Communities, Washington Department of Ecology, BNSF, EnviroIssues and King County.
The Vision project was undertaken in conjunction with cleanup planning efforts by BNSF Railway, as overseen by the Department of Ecology. A large area of Skykomish is affected by contaminants in the soil and groundwater emitted by the former BNSF Skykomish maintenance and fueling facility from the late 1890s until the 1970s. Starting in 2006, BNSF began conducting the cleanup of the contaminated soils under the oversight of the Department of Ecology, providing the community with an extraordinary opportunity to carry out projects and actions that will contribute to implementing its Vision. The impacts of contamination and the resulting cleanup, which will likely disrupt the town and its businesses for more than a year, threaten the existence of Skykomish.
The Vision for Skykomish works to preserve the future of this historic town, by giving the community a sense of what Skykomish will aspire to in years to come. Furthermore, it establishes strategies – from economic planning to infrastructure development – designed to help local businesses survive and grow post-cleanup. And finally, the Vision hopes to take advantage of the cleanup efforts by making Skykomish a model of environmental restoration.
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