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The seas of discussion have been calm so far, but rougher waters of disagreement over aspects of the Sprague-Appleway Revitalization could be ahead.
At last Tuesday’s Spokane Valley City Council Meeting, talks were brought to a close on Book 1 of the plan, which largely covers the goals and intents of the revitalization effort. Later deliberations – which will resume Sept. 23 – get into more detailed components such as zoning and whether or not Sprague Avenue will return to two-way.
Consultants recommend the two-way configuration at least in the area around the proposed City Center at Sprague and University in order to slow traffic and make the environment more pedestrian-friendly. By creating more open space and bringing storefronts – boutique shops and small restaurants have been envisioned -- closer to the street, the idea is to jumpstart commercial activity on the rapidly dilapidating arterial.
“We can’t just gloss over the existing conditions on Sprague,” Deputy Mayor Dick Denenny said. “The question we’ve been asking people is, ‘Are you satisfied (with how things are now)?’”
That question has driven the council – and city planners – forward despite harsh criticism from some Sprague Avenue business people and other community members who have lambasted the city for requiring new building and design standards, drawing up different zone classifications and altering traffic patterns in the plan. Many of those same critics, however, have agreed that something needs to be done to re-energize Sprague, the historic main artery through Spokane Valley.
One of the components that the council agreed upon Tuesday was boosting awareness and creating new opportunities for growth along the Auto Row area of Sprague between the freeway overpass and Dishman-Mica Road. While restaurants and other shops would be allowed in some areas, a requirement to disallow used-car dealerships was scrapped as it was deemed unworkable legally.
“We need to take that out,” said Council Member Diana Wilhite.
Attendance at the meeting was light – the public is not allowed to comment while the council deliberates – so the council moved briskly through the general goals of the plan. Wilhite, however, said the city should be careful not to overregulate signage or business uses along the corridor.
“I’m a free-market girl,” she said.
Council Member Rose Dempsey was concerned that stores would be too clustered in the city center area.
“I think this idea of really tight, clumped-together businesses doesn’t take into account for our Western spaciousness,” she said.
Denenny re-emphasized the idea is to make the city center a place where visitors want to walk around safely.
“The intent of this is to make this extremely walkable and for people to move about comfortably,” he said.
Wilhite was also concerned about plans uses for Appleway, which would incorporate housing on the north and south sides of the boulevard. She wondered why housing on the north side of the street would be located so close to the backs of commercial buildings on the south side of Sprague.
City Planner Scott Kuhta said design standards would make the appearances more compatible to avoid “the white wall” separating Appleway from apartments on Appleway west of University.
“Unless that’s what you want,” he said.
Denenny said a lot of the zoning requirements, especially around city center -- where City Hall and possibly a new library are planned – are designed are designed to boost that area’s viability first in developers’ eyes.
“The intent is to use the mechanisms available to us to focus on city center,” he said. “This actually opens up some new opportunities.”
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By
Mike Huffman
