Gov. Gregoire announces 2012 Smart Communities award winners

For Immediate Release: June 8, 2012

OLYMPIA � Gov. Chris Gregoire today announced the winners of her 2012 Smart Communities Awards. Now in its 7th year, the program recognizes achievements by local leaders to promote �smart growth� planning and projects that contribute to our quality of life in Washington state.

�We need vibrant, quality communities to keep and attract people and businesses to Washington state,� Gregoire said. �I commend the work of those local governments and their partners recognized with this award. Their efforts are vital to our continued economic recovery, and help make Washington a great state in which to live and do business.�

Smart Communities Award winners are:
� Skagit County for its Envision Skagit 2060 plan, which engaged county residents in planning for the long-term future of the county;
� City of Sequim for its downtown plan;
� City of Redmond for the Tudor Manor housing project and the city�s long-term capital investment strategy, which maps out the city�s major construction projects for the next 18 years; and
� City of Renton for its city center community plan and its 20-year parks plan.

The judges also selected three projects for merit awards:
� City of Ellensburg for its Energy Efficiency and Conservation Strategy;
� City of Shoreline for its town center plan; and
� Snohomish County Tomorrow for a collaboration of the County, its nineteen cities and the Tulalip Tribes on county-wide policies to guide future planning and development.

The Governor�s Smart Communities Awards to cities will be presented June 21 at the Association of Washington Cities annual conference in Vancouver. County winners will receive awards at the Washington State Association of Counties annual meeting in Wenatchee on November 14.

�The 2012 Governor�s 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 Commerce. �Communities can move forward economically when good, collaborative work like this is being accomplished.�

Washington�s comprehensive Growth Management Act has been in place for 22 years. Using it as a framework, local communities plan and implement their vision for the future. For more information on the Governor�s Smart Communities Awards or the Growth Management Act, visit www.commerce.wa.gov/growth.

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2012 Governor�s Smart Communities Award Winners

Smart Vision Award � Comprehensive Planning
� City of Renton City Center Community Plan
� City of Renton Parks, Recreation and Natural Areas Plan
� Skagit County Envision Skagit 2060

Smart Choices Award � Implementation of a Comprehensive Plan
� City of Sequim Downtown Plan
� City of Redmond Vision Blueprint: Redmond�s Capital Investment Strategy, 2013-2030

Smart Partnerships Award � Development Project to Implement a Plan
� City of Redmond Tudor Manor

Judges� Merit Award
� City of Ellensburg Energy Efficiency and Conservation Strategy
� City of Shoreline Town Center Plan
� Snohomish County Tomorrow: County-wide Planning Policies

Other 2012 Nominees
City of Covington Town Center Plan
City of Des Moines Amendment of Comprehensive Plan
City of Ferndale EAGLE Program
City of Ferndale Main Street Master Plan
City of Long Beach Water System Plan
City of Pullman North Grand Avenue Improvement Plan
City of Woodinville Downtown Little Bear Creek Corridor
City of Everett Hoyt Avenue Streetscape Improvement
Jefferson County Critical Areas Stewardship Plan Permitting Process
City of Port Orchard Bay Street Pedestrian Path
City of Issaquah Rowley Properties Development Agreement and Planned Action EIS