Groups seek visions of Ponderay's future

PONDERAY —  What kind of a Ponderay would you like to see?

That’s what the Environmental Protection Agency and Army Corps of Engineers are asking Ponderay residents at today’s visioning workshop.

A program designed to foster individual ideas for the proposed Pend Oreille Bay Trail corridor, the visioning workshop challenges participants to concentrate on what they’d like to see in the town’s future and then draw those concepts on paper. Program officiators reassure potential participants that no artistic ability is required and stick figures work just fine.

After community members contribute their own visually-expressed ideas for the project, a professional artist takes those visuals and integrates them into vibrant, polished pictures that communicate the full range of the participants’ wishes.

 “It’s a great way to focus your mind’s eye on what you want to see in your community,” Ponderay planning director Erik Brubaker said.

 Army Corps of Engineers visioneer Jim Waddell will be present to walk participants through the process at no cost to the community. His assistance will help direct the workshop attendees toward the necessary details in crafting their vision.

“Our focus is on the Pend Oreille Bay Trail corridor, but the exercise helps us plan on a larger scale, too,” Brubaker said. “For instance, how do we account for traffic increases? How will we fit into our bigger picture with the lake and the mountains?”

According to project advocacy group The Friends of Pend Oreille Bay Trail, the corridor is a proposed waterfront footpath that is poised to increase enjoyment of Ponderay’s lakeside areas. By providing visitors and locals a location to hike and appreciate the scenic vistas, the project committee hopes to increase tourism and residential satisfaction. The trail is one of the projects set to be funded by the Ponderay bed tax should the initiative pass on Nov. 2.

The EPA Brownfields program, the Army Corps of Engineers, and the Pend d’ Oreille Bay Trail Corridor Assessment Coalition are sponsoring the visioning workshop, which is scheduled for both an afternoon and evening session. Seating is very limited, so interested individuals should contact Brubaker at 265-5468 to reserve placement.

“I have a lot of confidence that good things are going to come out of this workshop,” Brubaker said. “It will help us assess the community’s desires for this project and apply a lot of material to our long-term planning.”