By Kevin Hanson-The Courier-Herald
It has been a long time coming, but Enumclaw city officials are on the brink of embracing an equestrian theme for the community - and they're inviting local folks to join a brief celebration.
During their regularly-scheduled meeting Monday night, members of the Enumclaw City Council are expected to “brand” the city with the equine theme and take other steps toward making the community a horse-fancier's dream.
Monday's council meeting is slated to begin at 7:30 p.m. at City Hall, 1339 Griffin Ave. The equestrian item will be near the top of the agenda and, following council action, proceedings will be halted in favor of cake and refreshments.
Getting to this point has been a long ride for the council and a band of interested citizens.
Initially looking for anything that would draw tourists to town - along with their expendable dollars - the city hired a consulting firm to devise a tourism and marketing play. The recommendation was made that Enumclaw take on an equestrian appearance in everything from entryways to downtown signage. The biggest element of the proposal was turning the county fairgrounds into an equestrian center, for horse aficionados of all shapes and sizes, that would rival any in the Pacific Northwest.
Generally supported by the council, the next step was an economic analysis of the equestrian center part of the equation. That study came back with words of caution: it was noted that equestrian centers are a risky proposition and suggested Enumclaw start small before taking a large, expensive leap.
That was followed by the last in a series of public meetings. At a Feb. 5 workshop at the Enumclaw Senior Center, speaker after speaker stepped forward to sing the praises of transforming the fairgrounds - now known as the Enumclaw Expo Center and under city ownership - into a haven for equestrians of all disciplines.
Kevin Hanson can be reached at khanson@courierherald.com.
