City of Chelan Wayfinding
SCJ worked with the City of Chelan and the Chelan Historic Downtown Association on improvements throughout the downtown area and along the waterfront of Lake Chelan. SCJ has been involved in all aspects of the projects, from visioning, traffic analysis, and funding, through design and construction management. The lake is a major tourist draw, and the significant bike and pedestrian traffic along with the associated parking issues demand a creative approach to maintain circulation and access while accommodating all modes of travel. Improvements include wider sidewalks, landscaping, illumination, pedestrian crossings, improved intersections, multi-use pathways and on-street parking.
Streetscape Improvements
The City wanted to identify the best use of existing right-of-way on the historic downtown city streets. Some streets have retail frontage, some provide access in residential neighborhoods, and some serve significant regional vehicle traffic and substantial pedestrian and bicycle traffic during the summer months. SCJ developed specific streetscape plans for each street, block-by-block, to provide for enhanced bicycle and pedestrian facilities, landscaping, traffic calming, parking and access, and circulation improvements. The city will use these plans to pursue grant funding for some areas and to identify frontage improvement requirements in areas where private development is occurring.
Wayfinding Plan
The initial traffic circulation and parking study identified wayfinding as a key element of a successful downtown and waterfront access plan. SCJ recently completed the wayfinding plan, which included extensive public engagement, stakeholder coordination, and several design alternatives. The wayfinding plan also included an implementation strategy, noting where signs were required, and what type of sign to use (i.e., pole-mounted, monument, vehicle- or pedestrian-oriented, etc.).
