Battle Ground’s new community development director is excited to serve the city in which she grew up and brings 26 years of experience to her new position.
Kristin Lehto was introduced to City Council as Battle Ground’s new community development director on March 4. After graduating from Battle Ground High School, Lehto found herself working in community development in the City of Vancouver. She worked as a permit specialist, an engineering technician and was most recently its permit center supervisor.
“I stumbled into permitting and community development and loved it so much, I never left,” Lehto said. “I think getting to wear some of the different hats gave me a great perspective.”
Lehto said she is excited to work for her hometown. She said the city reminds her of what Vancouver was like 25 years ago.
“There’s this amazing sense of community here,” Lehto said. “The scale allows you to have a more collaborative (and) productive work environment.”
Lehto takes the place of Sam Crummet, who is now serving as project lead on the city’s comprehensive plan. Under the state’s Growth Management Act, counties and cities are required to develop a plan every 10 years, accounting for the next 20 years of expected growth. Lehto and members of city staff will be preparing for expected employment and residential growth.
The City of Battle Ground is examining the possibility of incorporating Dollars Corner, also called Dollar Corner, west of city limits into its urban growth boundaries. If Battle Ground were to annex the 640-acre area, the city could bring more jobs into the city, by Crummet’s estimation.
Gov. Jay Inslee recently signed a bill that extends the deadline for cities’ comprehensive plans from June to December next year. Lehto said the city is still on track to have a plan approved by June 2025 and will continue to work with the county.
“At this point, we’ve shared all there is to share [with the County],” Lehto said. “Clark County is kind of taking the lead on gathering all of the information from the different cities … It’s still in that collaborative-discussion process.”
Lehto said that another big project for Battle Ground will be to develop a plan for downtown, or “Old Town Battle Ground,” on Main Street. Lehto will work with consultants over the next year to define a vision and priorities for the area. She said growth, traffic and narrow sidewalks are currently a challenge in the area. Making the district welcoming and accessible is a major goal of Lehto’s, she said.
As part of the process, Lehto and staff will define the boundaries of where Old Town Battle Ground is located. Most of what currently makes up Old Town is east of Parkway Avenue on Main Street. Apart from making the area more accessible, Lehto is reviewing ways to make Old Town Battle Ground a destination for people visiting the city.
“There’s so many businesses that operate down there right now,” Lehto said. “They’ve done an incredible job of creating that atmosphere already with what they’re putting in, and we want to help supplement that for the success of their business.”
Lehto will be working with the Parks and Community Engagement Advisory Board and the Planning Commission to develop a parks master plan for Battle Ground. With Lehto’s assistance, both committees are currently reviewing community feedback received about four park properties.
