Gov. Chris Gregoire today announced the winners of her 2009 Smart Communities Awards for creating livable communities. The awards honor nine communities across the state from among 21 outstanding nominees for outstanding achievements in growth management.
“As Washington recovers from this downturn in the economy, the work of local governments and their partners in creating vibrant, quality communities is vital to success,” said Gregoire. “The leadership of these award winners helps to makeWashington a great state in which to live and do business.”
City winners are Hoquiam (Smart Vision Award – Comprehensive Planning – City Land Use Plan), Walla Walla, Mountlake Terrace, Everett, and Puyallup. Partnership awards recognize King Countyand the City of Issaquah for work on transit-oriented development; and to Pasco, Richland and Kennewick in partnership with Benton and Franklin Counties, for their work on the Sacagawea Heritage Trail. The judges also gave Merit Awards for cutting-edge work by Garfield County on zoning for renewable energy projects, and by City of Sammamish on its permitting process.
“The Smart Communities Award winners reflect the wide variety of efforts and collaborations that make up growth management planning in Washington,” said Rogers Weed, director of the Washington State Department of Community, Trade and Economic Development (CTED). “Communities can move forward economically when good, collaborative work like this is being accomplished.”
Many of the projects included collaborations between government and the private sector. The Smart Communities Award winners will be showcased at the Washington State Association of Counties statewide meeting June 11 in Kennewick and the Association of Washington Cities annual conference June 25 in Spokane.
Washington’s comprehensive Growth Management Act has been in place for 19 years, providing a framework for local communities to plan and implement their vision for the future. For more information on the Smart Communities Awards or the Growth Management Act, visit www.cted.wa.gov/growth.
CTED is the lead state agency charged with enhancing and promoting sustainable community and economic vitality in Washington State. For more information, please visit www.cted.wa.gov.
