MOSES LAKE — Moses Lake gets a lot of sun, which – according to consultants hired by the city to make suggestions for improving downtown – has upsides and downsides. The consultants told Moses Lake City Council members Tuesday that there are ways to mitigate the downsides that could make downtown more attractive for residents and visitors alike.

"You have sun, and sun is awesome," said Guy Michaelsen of Berger Partnership. "Sometimes it's really warm, hot sun in the summer, sometimes it's sunny on a very, very cold day. In the case of summer, how can we get some shade downtown? The idea of having some shade and relief when you're walking down the street, or when you're in Sinkiuse Square, is really important."

One of the possibilities, he said, is to take advantage of Moses Lake's agricultural history and identity. The eventual answer to adequate shade probably would be trees, Michaelsen said, but shade structures resembling the types used in agriculture could be an interim option. 

"We love that idea of embracing that agricultural quality," he said.

 The consulting team made a couple of visits to Moses Lake and hosted public workshops in early October. They reported their findings and some ideas to the council, with an emphasis on low-cost projects that could be finished quickly and make an impact. 

The final decision on what project, if any, to pursue will be up to the council.

Council member David Skaug said he thought more shade would make a big difference.

"I think that's one of the complaints, I know for myself, that there's no shade," Skaug said. 

Michaelsen said the consulting team also focused on the possibilities of water, especially running water.

"Water – it's a magnet, and people love it," he said.

However, the area around West Third Avenue to McCosh Park doesn't really connect to the water that's nearby. 

"When you're downtown, you don't feel the lake of Moses Lake," he said.

There is a fountain in Sinkiuse Square, but the residents and business owners that the consultants talked with were not enthusiastic about it. 

"You have what I think is a nice little fountain, but we definitely heard feedback, and it is not beloved," he said. "And it could be so much more. So, what can that mean?"

Michaelsen said a splash pad or spray park is one option, but maybe not the best one. Among other things, a splash pad can only be used part of the year. 

"That has a ton of operational challenges with it. If you have water that you're inviting people to play in it, it needs to be treated. It gets very expensive very quickly," he said. 

A fountain is an alternative, and Michaelsen said, has some advantages.

"It doesn't have that same burden – it's not designed to be interactive. You still get the sound and magnetic quality of water that could have a much longer window throughout the year."

A fountain could be interactive in the sense of allowing people to play with water, he said, citing a project he did about 20 years ago for a school. Water can be channeled by a series of valves and channels. 

"It's still there and it's thriving," he said. 

That too could be tied into the city's heritage as a community built with the help of irrigation, he said.

Moses Lake is a desert landscape with wide-open skies but a relatively flat landscape, and consultant Dave Cutler, Northwest Studio, said adding vertical elements to the cityscape would have a big impact. 

The consulting team had some suggestions, starting with upgrading the trees downtown.

"Create space around a tree that's creating shade that adjacent businesses can embrace," Michaelsen said. 

The eventual development would take up some downtown parking spaces, he said, but he thought the parking loss would be minimal. He suggested starting small around Sinkiuse Square.

"If we just start there, we can grow this out. We can start with just a few trees," he said. "Let's try it – let's make sure it works."

Sinkiuse Square is well designed, he said, but it lacks shade and doesn't have any attractions.

"Near term, how can we make that feel not like part of the street?  How can we start to get some shade, how can we provide some seating, how can we provide some amenities?" Michaelsen said. 

He suggested small trees planted in pots, which could be used to anchor shade structures and benches.

There is space downtown for small improvements, he said, citing the intersections along South Division Street. 

"These are little areas where we can do something," he said. "The idea of giving purpose to these corners, invite people to linger and enjoy it." 

Cutler said the road to getting something built could be broken down into two years.

"We would love to have a few of these things in place in the summer of 2027," Cutler said.

He suggested starting with upgrades to the intersections and more attention to the city's streetscape, focusing on West Third Avenue. City Manager Rob Karlinsey said the city's existing benches and tables don't really match and some of them look weathered. City officials also are working on new streetlights, and the benches and tables could be picked harmonize with the streetlight design.

"I think that would really make a big impact on our downtown," Karlinsey said.

Council member Victor Lombardi said the whole design should be harmonized, so that new pieces will work with things already purchased. Skaug said one of the first tasks is to pick a harmonizing element. Mayor Dustin Swartz said it wouldn't be a theme, but rather a baseline for adding new elements as the projects progress. 

Karlinsey said there are some options for funding, including grants and city money. City officials have made a request for an allocation in the state's capital budget, he said. 

    Dancers with Los Hermanos de los Andes perform during September's UMANI Festival. Sinkiuse Square is a focus of the city's downtown enhancements program.
  

    Upgrades to Sinkiuse Square are part of the city's downtown enhancements plan.