SOAP LAKE — Soap Lake residents will have multiple opportunities over the coming months to help shape the city's future as officials work to update the community's comprehensive plan, a document that will guide growth, housing, infrastructure and development decisions for the next 20 years.

The city is hosting a five-part workshop series beginning Thursday at the Soap Lake Community Center, where residents can learn about proposed changes and provide feedback on topics ranging from housing and economic development to transportation, parks and development regulations.

City Planner Alex Kovach said the comprehensive plan serves as the community's roadmap for future growth.

“Really, it's the city's plan for growth for the next 20 years,” Kovach said. “It's our opportunity to update that vision and make sure we're planning for the community we want to become.”

The city completed a comprehensive plan in 2018, but state law requires cities to periodically update those plans, and Soap Lake is now preparing projected growth over the next two decades.

Kovach said current estimates indicate the city will need to accommodate more than 600 additional residents during that period, requiring officials to consider where future housing, businesses and infrastructure will be located.

“Knowing that we're going to need over 600 new residents to be able to live in this town, based on those estimates, where are we going to house them?” Kovach said. “Do we have enough diversity in housing types? Where are they going to be working? How are we going to make sure their houses are compatible with the uses next door?”

While planners can address technical requirements such as water, sewer and transportation systems, Kovach said community input is critical because residents ultimately determine the city's long-term vision.

“What the community wants and desires in the next 20 years really is how the administration and the city should move forward,” he said.

The first workshop, scheduled for Oct. 1, will focus on land use, economic development and parks. Kovach said much of the discussion will center on maps and future growth patterns.

“It'll be sort of an education on what outside input will have on our land use moving forward,” he said. “So, that'll be a lot of maps looking at how all this growth is going to be worked into our community over the next 20 years.”

Economic development is expected to be another major topic. Preliminary survey results suggest residents are particularly interested in how the city will attract jobs and grow its economy, Kovach said.

Subsequent workshops will address infrastructure needs, housing, climate resiliency and development regulations.

The Nov. 5 workshop will examine capital facilities, utilities and transportation. Discussions will include how future growth could affect city services and infrastructure investments.

A Dec. 3 workshop will focus on housing and resiliency, including plans for accommodating expected population growth and preparing for future environmental challenges.

Kovach said resiliency is a new state-required element of the comprehensive plan and involves evaluating potential climate-related hazards through the end of the century.

“We're looking at projected climatic hazards that are going to be increasing in the area,” he said. “Things like extreme heat events or extreme precipitation events, drought, smoke and wildfire issues.”

A fourth workshop Jan. 7, 2027, will focus on development regulations and land-use rules, while a final review and adoption workshop is planned for Feb. 4, 2027.

In addition to attending the workshops, residents can participate through an online survey and by contacting Kovach directly at [email protected] or by phone at 509-771-6069.

“This is the first of probably a few short surveys we're trying to get out,” Kovach said. “We're trying to get a sense of what the public's interests are.”

Kovach acknowledged that public meetings and surveys often struggle to attract participation but stressed that resident feedback helps ensure the city's future reflects the broader community rather than a small group of voices.

“Once it's in the plan, those help determine the policies and the developments that move forward,” he said. “If you're not there to talk about it, then you kind of follow along with what the state regulations are.”

He encouraged residents to think beyond immediate concerns and consider what they want Soap Lake to look like for future generations.

“If you have kids that live in this area, thinking about their future and what they're going to be growing into is one motivation,” Kovach said. “This can guide the future for the kids.”

Kovach said residents who cannot attend the workshops are encouraged to complete surveys or contact him directly by phone or email with comments, questions or concerns.

“We want this to really reflect those unique opinions,” he said. “This can seem kind of dry, some of the details, but it really does set the foundation for our quality of life here.”