• Population: 17,150.
• Must see: Battle Ground Lake State Park.
• Web site: http://www.cityofbg.org.
The city of Battle Ground has all the amenities of a large city with plenty of small-town charm.
The second-largest city in Clark County has experienced explosive growth in recent years. People have flocked to the city and businesses have followed.
An Interstate 5 interchange that opened in October 2008 makes it easier for residents and goods to reach the city. The interchange links I-5 and Northeast 219th Street, also known as state Highway 502.
According to the Washington state Department of Transportation, it reduces traffic congestion at the 179th Street exit — the one that was used by most drivers headed to Battle Ground — by 30 percent.
Another big project looms in the future: widening almost five miles of 219th Street to four lanes and installing a concrete median from the interchange east toward Battle Ground. Construction is scheduled to begin in 2012 at a cost of $88 million.
Some people worry the interchange will change the rural feel of the city, but city leaders and business owners have long supported the project. Visitors bring their wallets with them, and that means they’ll be spending money.
Another perk is the city’s skate park. The 25,000-square-foot project draws visitors from Portland and Seattle. The park, which opened in June 2007, is a sign of the city’s emerging interest in bringing more outdoor tourist activities to Battle Ground.
The park was joined in late 2008 by a community event center. The multipurpose facility gives residents options for large indoor gatherings. The 12,000-square-foot center has a room with seating for about 260, commercial kitchen space and rooms to host smaller events. The center earned the city the Clark County Community Pride Design Award in 2009.
Construction of Battle Ground Village, a 21-acre mixed-use development located at Southeast Rasmussen Boulevard and Southeast Commerce Avenue, began a few years ago and is ongoing. So far the village has more than a dozen businesses up and running, ranging from a coffee shop to a steak house, a hair salon to clothing boutiques.
A new 13,000-square-foot library opened in May 2009 in the Battle Ground Village development.
The city has also attracted mega stores, and more big-box stores are expected. Plans have been submitted for a large retail center in Battle Ground along state Highway 503 in the city’s developing southeast quadrant. The 17-acre site is north of a proposed extension of Southwest Rasmussen Boulevard to Highway 503. No retail tenants have been announced for the proposed complex.
While big-box stores may be coming, there are plenty of unique small businesses in town. Old Town Battle Grounds coffeehouse, is housed in a 1930s Cape Cod house on Main Street in Old Town Battle Ground.
Owner Diane Harris greets most of her customers by name. She’s been known to call her regulars if they don’t show up at their usual time.
Much of the area surrounding Battle Ground remains rural. Until it is folded into an urban growth area, zoning will preclude major development from taking place.
But that might not be far in the future. Marty Snell, Clark County community development director, said state law requires the county to review and, if needed, update its long-range growth plan by December 2011.
Most residents are very protective of Battle Ground and won’t likely let the growing city lose its intimate, tight-knit feel.
