The Downtown Master Plan passed in December 2004 called for Design Standards to help maintain the quality of Walla Walla's downtown architecture and design. Since that time, the Standards have slowly made their way through the Planning Commission and various City of Walla Walla departments with no final progress towards passage. Development projects are currently subject to less comprehensive Interim Design requirements spelled out in the municipal code.

DWWF has requested that the City move the Standards forward as written with a strategic process change: building owners or businesses proposing work on a downtown property would be required to submit to a review process and discussion of the appropriate Standards, but compliance with revisions suggested through the review process would not be mandatory for project approval.

DWWF design committee members see this strategy as a means to move the Standards forward into the design process in order to ensure the best possible new projects downtown. Given the pace of development and climate for new businesses, it is critically important to begin implementing the Master Plan recommendation for Design Standards.

A copy of the Design Standards can be found on the City's web site.