Auburn-Comp-Plan-Compiled

CORE PLAN BACKGROUND & SUMMARY

A variety of sources shaped this Plan, but the sin gle greatest influence was the people who live in, work in, and visit Auburn. The process for de veloping this Plan included input from more than 1,000 citizens, residents, and business owners who shared their opinions, criticisms, ideas, and con cerns regarding where we are today and where we need to be in the future. The following are the key inputs that shaped this Plan: • In 2014 the City conducted the “Imagine Auburn” visioning exercise, which yielded about 1,000 responses from citizens, res idents, visitors, and business owners. This effort alone provided a major source of in fluence for the Plan. • Substantial demographic data were ana lyzed in order to understand the profile of and identify trends in our community. These data provided significant information for formulating ideas and concepts. • The Auburn Health Impact Assessment and Housing Inventory were focused studies con ducted to provide enhanced information in important areas. These studies provided di rect input on how to promote a healthy life style in Auburn and how to manage the di verse housing stock in a city that is 124 years old. • The Washington State Growth Management Act, King and Pierce Countywide planning policies, and the Puget Sound Regional Council VISION 2040 are laws and policies under which the City must plan. While these do not define our vision, they do establish the framework within which we must operate. The Comprehensive Plan is a guidance document. At its nucleus are the City’s collective vision and values, which provide a foundation for future direction. The policies and actions will help the mayor, city council, and staff follow the path to our vision, but we must remember that this path is wide and will likely meander a bit. The world around us is constantly changing, so being flexi ble and open-minded allows us to better face the future challenges that will confront us.

I ntroduction and B ackground Auburn is in the midst of an exciting stage in its evolution. From the 1850s until the mid-1990s, Auburn transitioned from a railroad and farm ing community to a small town. Since then, the dynamism brought about by the opportunities and challenges accompanying growth and progress has drastically changed the City. With its annexations during the late 1990s and early 2000s, its overall growth from that time to the present, and its anticipated growth over the next 20 years, Auburn has grown into a mature city of local and regional significance, and con tinues to grow with an operating budget in ex cess of a quarter-billion dollars annually. As a result of this ongoing maturation, Auburn has changed from a relatively insulated small town, nestled in the midst of many similar commu nities surrounding Seattle and Tacoma, into a city with its own complex identity and myriad of dreams and dilemmas. From the time of set tlement and for 100 years thereafter, one would find it hard to imagine the Auburn of 2035, with a projected 100,000 residents. Auburn’s transition from a small town to a city of regional significance is far from complete. There is much work ahead of us. While we are fortunate to have many strengths and opportu nities to build upon, we also know that we have work to do in many areas. We must prepare for those future challenges that we know we will face, as well as those that will be presented to us along the way. This Comprehensive Plan es tablishes a commitment to a future Auburn and lays the foundation for how we will navigate the next 20 years. It accomplishes this by express ing the following: • Describing a vision for Auburn. • Declaring our commitment to core values . • Setting policies to achieve the vision. • Outlining actions that adhere to core values.

Core Plan

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