Jennifer Lindsay, mayor of Ridgefield, saw a lot of positive things happen in her community in 2023 and envisions even better things this year by building on that momentum.
Lindsay thought Ridgefield has improved greatly with growth and expanded events, keeping the community’s small-town identity intact. She said the Ridgefield Fourth of July event was a success this year, and she felt uplifted by seeing the downtown area full of families.
“Our hometown celebration that we had a few weeks ago was packed with the most people I think we’ve ever had before at our hometown tree lighting, which was wonderful,” Lindsay added.
Every event felt special to Lindsay this year as the whole globe rebounded from the pandemic.
“So, it was just a great way to have the whole community kind of come together because I think that’s what Ridgefield is really known for is this hometown community feel,” Lindsay said. “We’ll be able to kind of get back to our roots and do those things that make Ridgefield such a special place again.”
2023 groundwork leads to 2024’s infrastructure projects
Behind the scenes, city staff completed a lot of foundational work, Lindsay said.
“We’re growing like crazy,” said Lindsay, adding Ridgefield grew 38% between April 1, 2020, and July 1, 2022, according to the U.S. Census Bureau. Estimates for 2023 were unavailable.
2023 laid the groundwork for some major infrastructure projects coming to Ridgefield streets in 2024, she said.
“So in 2024 it’s going to be really exciting because we’re going to have all these things that we’ve had on paper for the last year actually start to become a reality,” Lindsay said. “We have a lot of really big infrastructure projects. So, we’re going to be widening Pioneer Street, which is going to be huge, from where the Chevron Station is right there by I-5, basically all the way over to Rosauers.”
The widening of Pioneer Street will add two lanes in both directions, a median and pedestrian access with full sidewalks, Lindsay added.
The city will also complete the second phase of the Royle Road enhancements designed to accommodate the growth.
“So yeah, those are some of the bigger things, and then we also have a lot of really cool projects going on with our parks in our city, too,” Lindsay said. “We got the splash pad at Overlook Park completed just recently at the tail end of the year. So, not the best time of the year for it to get completed, unfortunately.”
Lindsay said, when the outside temperature is 95 degrees and it is sunny out again, the splash pad will be for everyone to enjoy.
The addition of Costco
“Costco is going to be really great for Ridgefield,” Lindsay said. “In 2021, one of the things that the voters of our city approved was a voter-approved sales tax within the city of Ridgefield and to help pay for the roads. So having [Costco] is going to be great, and they’re a great employer. They have a good salary, and they have good benefits.”
With Costco paying property taxes, some of that money will go toward the school system, which she said is a positive thing.
Having a Costco within city limits will bring more jobs into the community, and Lindsay said allowing people to stay and work in the community, rather than commuting elsewhere, is a priority for city staff.
She added that developers have told the city of Ridgefield that construction on the Costco and the surrounding development will be “going vertical” in the spring of 2024, with doors opening by the end of the year.
“So, definitely, that whole area is going to be one to watch for because there’ll be a lot of things I’m sure announced in 2024,” Lindsay said of the development surrounding Costco. “It will be exciting to see what commits to coming to Ridgefield.”
New faces and new spaces for the police department
After the city of Ridgefield swore in Police Chief Cathy Doriot in March, the city initiated other changes, including a new space on “The Bluff.”
“Chief Doriot is such a good fit for our community. I mean, she was born and raised in Ridgefield,” Lindsay said. “It’s really nice having someone who understands where Ridgefield was and where it’s going to lead our department.”
Doriot joined the police department in 1989.
As well, the police department moved to its first new location since 1998.
Lindsay said the new building, “The Bluffs,” was an innovative task as it was a public-private partnership. She added the building basically got “more bang for our buck.”
“It is a bigger, better space than we would have if we would have just gone at it on our own,” Lindsay added. “It also functions as the new home of the Port of Ridgefield too. … A lot of people came together, and now we have this really amazing new police station for our growing police force.”
