Thursday, October 1, 2026
CHELAN — Chelan residents will soon be able to track dozens of city infrastructure projects, from water lines and sewer upgrades to sidewalks and trails, through a new interactive online map that city officials say is designed to make capital planning more transparent and easier to understand.
Public Works Director Jake Youngren and City Engineer Travis Denham unveiled the new “story map” tool to the Chelan City Council Tuesday night as part of a wide-ranging update on projects planned or underway in 2026 and 2027.
“We’re trying to replace the old project sheets with something that’s more visual and more accessible,” Denham told council. “This will be on the city website, and anyone will be able to click into a project, see where it is, what it costs, and what stage it’s in.”
The map allows users to browse projects geographically or from a list, then drill down into individual pages that include descriptions, cost estimates, timelines and links to the city’s ClearGov budgeting platform. Youngren said the goal is to give both council and the public a clearer, real-time picture of what’s happening across the city.
Mayor Erin McCardle praised the tool as a major step forward in public communication.
“We talk about these projects all the time,” McCardle said. “But this makes it extremely clear and very transparent what’s actually happening and where.”
Among the major water projects in the two-year window is the Airport Waterline, a project that has reached final design but is now in negotiations with the Washington State Department of Transportation because the line runs through state right-of-way.
Denham said the city is working through WSDOT requirements that could significantly increase the cost if the state insists the line be encased inside a second protective pipe.
“If they hold to that interpretation, it would push the project beyond what we have funding for,” Denham said. “We’re preparing our case and hoping to resolve it at the regional level.”
Other major water system projects include design work for the East Chelan Reservoir, which will improve fire flow and system redundancy, replacement of the 80-year-old submarine water line buried beneath the Chelan River, and several booster pump station and transmission upgrades tied to future development.
On the sewer side, one of the most disruptive projects will be the SR 150 sewer main replacement, scheduled to go to bid in February with construction beginning in early spring.
“That’s going to be a painful construction season,” Denham said, noting that the city is working to minimize impacts on traffic and businesses and hopes to complete the work by Memorial Day.
Another major sewer project, Lift Station No. 1, will include not only infrastructure replacement but also surface improvements tied to Riverwalk Park. Youngren said the Public Facilities District is contributing about $750,000 toward that effort.
The city is also moving forward with a series of pedestrian safety projects, including improvements on Saunders, Webster and Woodin, many of them funded through transportation grants and subject to WSDOT review.
Denham noted that working in state right-of-way adds time and complexity to nearly every project.
“It’s not good or bad, it’s just another layer we have to navigate,” he said.
One of the longer-term efforts highlighted is the Apple Blossom Trail connection, which the city is positioning as a major grant candidate this year. The project faces high costs due to extensive retaining walls, but Denham said developer contributions, now totaling about $1.1 million, put the city in a strong position when applying for outside funding.
“We’re building the narrative around Weidner, the hospital, EMS — there’s a strong case to be made for this connection,” he said.
The city is also preparing to move forward with the Recycle Center project using a design-build approach, with Bailey Construction selected for pre-construction work. Construction could begin as early as this spring.
Youngren said the online map is intended to become a living document, updated regularly as schedules shift and projects evolve.
“This schedule is probably only as good as today,” he said. “Tomorrow, something will change.”
Denham said the tool should be live on the city’s website by the end of the week.
Andrew Simpson: 509-433-7626 or andrew@ward.media
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