From our editorial:

It looks as if residents of southeast Spokane who don't want to be big-boxed in are going to have to deal with the kind of suburban development they've boxed out for years. Drawn by the lure of millions in sales-tax dollars, the City Council on Monday approved a rezoning of the area that will turn it into one of the city's major commercial districts.

But the city has a duty to ensure that the large stores are thoughtfully integrated into the neighborhood. The Plan Commission was so concerned that it voted against a rezoning request.

The main problem is that the current streets are too skinny to accommodate a large increase in traffic. The center point of the new developments would be at South Regal Street, which has three lanes, and the Old Palouse Highway, which has two. Neither street is the kind of wide arterial traditionally associated with large commercial centers.

Do you drive this area often? Your thoughts on solutions?

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