Arts & Entertainment Community Government

Commission seeks more specifics in Comprehensive Plan arts element

Last year, as the city of Gig Harbor prepared to update its Comprehensive Plan — the outline for the way city government will strategize, create, and operate towards the year 2044 — it conducted surveys at various events known to be a bustle of Harbor activity. Several centered around the Downtown Waterfront Farmers Market.

The city asked about six specific elements of the comp plan, including two separate sections encompassing “Sports/Recreation” and “Bikes/Trails.” But the surveys made no specific mention of arts and culture. Some people answering the questions may have had the arts in mind when they selected an unspecified seventh choice, “Other,” or possibly “Downtown Vitality.”

Participation in the surveys varied and it is unclear how Harbor residents would have voted if they been presented with a distinct Arts and Culture choice. But it’s clear from at least one of these surveys that the arts — or, perhaps, the struggle the arts have long faced in the Harbor — are on a few folks’ minds: At the farmers’ market opening day in 2023, the city noted that feedback included “a desire for … a performing arts center.”

Comp plan update due

Washington state requires local governments to update their comprehensive plans every 10 years. The timing of these updates is staggered. This year, the state requires Pierce, King, Snohomish and Kitsap counties — and their cities — to submit Comprehensive Plan updates by December.

Arts and Culture is included Gig Harbor’s Comprehensive Plan. The city’s Arts Commission, which is responsible for proposing changes to the Arts & Culture element of the Comprehensive Plan, submitted a draft that includes more specific steps to incorporate the arts as part of Gig Harbor’s economic vitality.

The Arts Commission is an advisory panel composed of volunteers appointed by the mayor and City Council. The draft update goes to the City Council, which must approve the wider Comprehensive Plan.

The commission’s draft update reflects many of the same concerns Harbor residents and artists have voiced to Gig Harbor Now. The draft update focuses on a range of issues, including advocating for cultural and historical representation in art; creating affordable artistic spaces; strengthening artistic grant funding; and fostering an arts-rich community that acts as part of the Harbor’s internal life and outward appeal.

Revised language

The commission suggests a range of updates to current Comprehensive Plan language. These changes include removing some sections altogether, refining the language of others and adding entirely new ones that appear to have more direct, tangible action associated with them.

For instance, the commission suggests removing a comparatively vague passage: “Creative + Economic Vitality. Acknowledging the important dynamic between creative enterprise and economic vitality.”

It suggests replacing that language with the more specific: “Create a cohesive wayfinding and interpretive signage strategy and incorporate unique city landmarks into this system.” This potentially opens the door to tangibly blending art into downtown flow and tourism.

The commission also suggests adding: “Develop selection criteria for public art that addresses the physical context and provides opportunities for local artists to participate.”

The commission also observes, by way of language update, the Harbor may already have appropriate existing spaces that could serve as an affordable arts center.

The arts commission suggests removing a line that reads: “Encourage the development of adequate, affordable and appropriate spaces for artistic and cultural activities for all.” In its place, the commission suggests: “Encourage adequate, affordable and appropriate spaces for artistic and cultural activities for all.”

In its rationale behind the change, the commission writes: “Minor edit to remove ‘development’, as existing spaces may also need to be considered.”

Repurposing existing space would remove the cost of creating a whole new building to house an arts center. That could eliminate a significant financial hurdle for the city.

Incorporating history

The commission also calls for incorporating the area’s history into public art. A new addition reads, “Encourage historical interpretation to be integrated with adaptive reuse of historical and cultural sites.”

Following a handful of planned city council study sessions in September and October, the city plans to submit its Comprehensive Plan draft update to the Washington state Department of Commerce in mid-October. Commerce will conduct a 60-day review.

The Arts Commission will meet again at 10 a.m. Wednesday, Sept. 11. Anyone interested can join in person at the Civic Center on Grandview Street or via Zoom.