Sewer system seen as catalyst for growth:

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Progress Sunday, March 17, 2002 Tenino \| *City turns to sandstone past to create welcome for future* Steve Bloom/The Olympian Leona Wallace, owner of the Tenino Antique Mall and president of the Tenino Chamber of Commerce, hopes to see continued growth. Steve Bloom/The Olympian Keith Phillips holds a mock-up of the new Tenino welcome sign. Steve Bloom/The Olympian Stone dust flying, Keith Phillips sands a large piece of what will become the welcome sign for Tenino. Pettit Daudet Sewer system seen as catalyst for growth LINDA TARR FOR THE OLYMPIAN "We just need to somehow raise the awareness level of people coming through and getting more people to come downtown." -- Jean Pettit, Tenino mayor We have a very nice downtown area. I think that the sandstone theme will go a long way if we get it going." -- Tom Daudet, Tenino city councilman TENINO -- Plans to improve downtown are on the drawing board, but residents who live in this small city and those who drive through it might not see much change in the near future -- with one exception. The Tenino Chamber of Commerce hopes to place sandstone signs at the entry points to the city's business corridor, which lies along state Route 507, also called Sussex Avenue in town. "We're hoping that if we have nice welcome signs that then it stands out you're going through a town, not just driving along a highway," said Leona Wallace, Tenino Chamber of Commerce president. It's a small beginning step, but city leaders hope that someday a sandstone-themed downtown will become a source of great pride for Tenino residents, as well as a tourist draw, which could boost business. Already many downtown businesses, City Hall and several Tenino homes are constructed of sandstone that was quarried in Tenino at the turn of the 20th century. "It's really valuable as far as identity and creating some sort of tourist attraction," said Planning Commissioner Mike Brown, whose recent $185,000 remodeling of his business, Skookumchuck Electric, incorporated sandstone. Brown added the city likely wouldn't ever rely on tourist business, but that every little bit of downtown spending helps. High vacancy rate City leaders say Tenino's downtown definitely needs a boost. It has about a 40 percent vacancy rate and doesn't get many out-of-town visitors. "We just need to somehow raise the awareness level of people coming through and getting more people to come downtown," said Mayor Jean Pettit. That boost, if it comes, will benefit the city by reducing its reliance on property taxes and providing more jobs in a city that has many low-income residents and senior citizens, said Councilman Tom Daudet. There's a long way to go, however, before significant changes come. The city is seeking ways to encourage new businesses to use sandstone, with the Planning Commission beginning a round of workshops on the subject, Brown said. In tandem, the City Council is seeking a way to bring sewer service to Tenino, said Daudet, who is on the sewer committee. "If we're going to move forward in just sustaining what we have, we need to get sewer in here, or we're going to dry up," Daudet said. There's no doubt that a system is needed if the downtown is to get the boost it needs, agreed Wallace, who also owns the Tenino Antique Mall. She said it's too costly for some small-business owners to create septic systems that would protect the sensitive aquifer on which Tenino sits. Some of the old septic systems that are attached to buildings aren't documented and cannot even be found, Wallace added. "It will make some of buildings usable," she said of a sewer system. "Right now they have defunct septic systems in there." Pettit said the city is in the beginning stages of gaining sewers. The city submitted a general sewer plan to the state Department of Ecology at the end of January, and expects to hear whether it is accepted soon. When -- and if -- that approval comes, Tenino must then find funding for such a system, which could prove difficult, she said. Who will pay If the city doesn't find grant money -- which is getting tougher to do in lean economic times -- it will have to ask residents and business owners to foot the bill. And even with grants, residents could end up contributing. Brown isn't optimistic that such a request would go over well. "I think it's going to be a tough sell, period," he said, pointing out that many residents cannot afford an additional $40 each month, which is the estimate that's been bandied about town. Some existing businesses might not even want to pay, he said, because they don't need sewers. His operation, for example, has a six-person office, so its septic system wasn't a major investment. In contrast, the new Mexican restaurant in town, La Taqueria Tres, put in a $40,000 septic system because it provides public restrooms, he said. Convincing businesses to invest in the sandstone theme could be another tricky proposition, Brown said, but he's more optimistic about that. He said the best bet might be convincing businesses of the value in having a downtown district that emphasizes Tenino's history, especially since the city cannot afford to offer any financial incentives. "It gives it an identity. It gives it an interest that people from the outside have, a reason to visit," he said. Wallace pointed to the value in those visitors, even if they only stop for an ice cream cone or a cup of coffee. The city has a significant attraction along the sandstone theme in the Tenino Depot Museum, which houses the press used to make the city's original wooden money, along with old quarry and logging tools, and many local artifacts, including a doctor's office dating from 1930, she said. Promoting that value to residents and business owners, and coming up with something that everyone can swallow, is the idea behind the Planning Commission's workshops, Brown said. "We don't want to over-regulate, but we want to preserve the commercial corridor's character," he said, adding that using sandstone for downtown buildings could be required someday, but that such regulations likely won't hit the books in the near future. Historic district The city's working on another angle as well, Pettit said. "Right now, there is a committee working on establishing a historic district so that we can better showcase our historic sandstone buildings," she said. That historic district could become the city's core downtown, she added. Right now, the business district stretches from one end of the city to the other. The core could run along Sussex Avenue, starting at Olympia Street and going south for two blocks, Wallace said. Tenino is working with the county on that effort, and has spent $2,000 for county workers' staff time. The city is encouraging businesses to have their buildings listed on historic registers as well, Pettit said. Daudet said preserving the district's character and improving the downtown is important for Tenino residents, too, and not just as a way to diversify the tax base and to create jobs. "The central core to any city is the heart of the city," he said. "We have a very nice downtown area. I think that the sandstone theme will go a long way if we get it going." Pettit said the downtown's function as a community heart is evident. "The post office currently serves as a main meeting-and-greeting place for the community," she said, adding that on the day residents' water bills are due many people meet there, then walk over to the cashier at City Hall together before stopping in at a local restaurant or Hedden's Pharmacy. But Pettit someday would like to create a district that has more to offer local residents and those who stop by. "It would be nice if we had some other amenities of some kind to get people walking and be downtown, more pedestrian flavor," she said. "Our businesses are spread out over an area that does not encourage other than car transportation." Better sidewalks and pocket parks are just two ideas, she said. Pettit said better incorporating the downtown in the city's main community events -- Oregon Trail Days, Winterfest and the Christmas tree lighting -- also could get more people thinking about Tenino's downtown. For example, Oregon Trail Days has a parade and its main activities are held at the city park, but the chamber has been working on incorporating downtown into the activities, she said. Many community events are conducted at the city park or at Tenino High School. Though they face tough challenges, city leaders say they're determined to overcome the hurdles Tenino's downtown faces. "The downtown's just so important," Daudet said. "When people see that, that's their impression of the city." Tenino by the numbers - Population: 1,460 - Population growth: Tenino's population in 1990 was 1,292. In 2000, it was 1,447. There were seven single-family housing starts in 2000. - Demographics in 2000: 90 percent white, 1 percent African American, 1 percent American Indian or Alaska native, 3 percent Asian, 2 percent other race, 2 percent two or more races. - History and landmarks: The city was founded in 1906. Opinions vary on where Tenino got its name. Some say the town was named for an American Indian word for junction or meeting place, and others insist railroad officials named Tenino for a railroad engine numbered 10-9-0. An abandoned quarry now is used as the only free admission swimming pool in South Sound. The sandstone building housing the Tenino Depot Museum was built in 1914 as a Northern Pacific depot and was active until after World War II. On the main line between Seattle and Portland, eight or nine trains daily stopped here at the height of train travel. In 1965, Northern Pacific Railroad sold it to the town. With the help of a federal grant, the museum was moved 10 blocks to a city park and converted to a museum. On the Web: City of Tenino The Olympian Copyright 2002 back to main Progress index

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