Community Engagement

Since opening in 2012, the Snoqualmie Community Center/YMCA has had one of the highest membership saturation rates in the country. Due to the facility's small size and the growing population, a future facility expansion was always planned to serve the health and wellness programming needs of Snoqualmie Valley youth, teens, adults, and seniors. 

Community surveys conducted by the City and YMCA of Greater Seattle since 2017 have shown resident support for a facility expansion and pool addition, including the recently completed 2023 Snoqualmie Community Survey in which 66% of respondents were supportive of the City moving forward with the project. 

Community Partnership Efforts and Support

The City has actively pursued partnership efforts for the Community Center Expansion, including with the Snoqualmie Valley School District (SVSD), King County, and other local organizations. 

In late 2023, the City presented SVSD an invitation to financially invest in the project to provide the Mount Si High School swim program with a home pool equipped to handle training and dual swim meets. Unfortunately, the SVSD Board of Directors declined the investment at the time, citing limited capital funds that should be reserved for other district projects. SVSD does, though, remain a supporter of the City's Community Center Expansion Project and efforts to meet the area's underserved aquatics needs.

In spring 2024, Mayor Ross also sent an invitation to the City of North, Si View Metropolitan Parks District, SVSD Board of Directors, and King County Councilmember Sarah Perry to partner on the Community Center Expansion Project. With the project's $2 million design phase almost complete and the project's central Snoqualmie Valley location, it is ideally situated to serve the regional needs of youth, teens, adults, and seniors in the upper Valley. 

Snoqualmie City officials met with a Si View Parks Commissioner regarding a potential partnership. The City of North Bend declined the partnership opportunity. 

Community Center Expansion Public Engagement Opportunities

In early 2024, the City hosted multiple opportunities for community members to learn more about the Community Center Expansion project, including upcoming open houses and a town hall.  These events offered attendees the chance to view Community Center Expansion project designs completed by Absher Construction, view exterior and interior project conceptual images, and ask questions of the design team, City and YMCA staff. 

Community Center Expansion Town Hall

  • Wednesday, February 28, 2024 | 7 pm | Snoqualmie Community Center/YMCA.

Community Center Expansion Open Houses

  • Wednesday, January 31, 2024 | 5-7 pm | Snoqualmie Community Center/YMCA gymnasium. Pizza and refreshments provided.
  • Thursday, February 8, 2024 | 5-7pm | Snoqualmie Community Center/YMCA gymnasium Pizza and refreshments provided.

Past Community Center Expansion Public Engagement

Town Hall

In June 2019, the City held a Town Hall to gather community input about a Community Center expansion, including features community members would like to see. The Town Hall was facilitated by Una McAlinden Consulting & Facilitation. Attendees were broken into small groups, categorized by age.

Resident Survey

A randomized telephone survey of Snoqualmie residents was conducted in July 2019 by professional survey firm EMC Research about a potential expansion of the Snoqualmie Community Center. The survey results showed 72% of those interviewed felt an expansion was a good idea and supported the proposal.

Community Center Expansion Advisory Committee

In spring 2023, a project advisory committee consisting of residents and representatives from businesses, nonprofits, and community organizations from across the Snoqualmie Valley, convened to provide an in-depth analysis of available project data and determine facility uses. This advisory committee work established the guiding principles used by the design-build team, Absher Construction, to develop the design of the Community Center Expansion.  

Members of the advisory committee included representatives of the Snoqualmie Valley School District, Snoqualmie City Council, Encompass, Church on the Ridge, Snoqualmie Ridge ROA, Snoqualmie Valley Hospital District, Snoqualmie Valley YMCA Advisory Board, Si View Metropolitan Parks District, Empower Youth Network, City of Snoqualmie Economic Development Commission and Parks and Events Commission, SnoValley Chamber, as well as Fall City, North Bend, and Snoqualmie residents.