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The Spokesman-Review Newspaper
Spokane, Washington  Est. May 19, 1883

Designs Drawn For Fleet Facility In Garry Park Area

Garry Park residents will have their first look at draft designs for the city’s proposed fleet maintenance facility tonight.

A small committee of neighborhood representatives met for several nights in January to discuss traffic, access, lighting and other concerns.

Now the committee, architects and city representatives are coming back to the neighborhood with the proposed plan.

“Come look and see how it will affect the neighborhood, access and positioning of the building,” said neighbor Jim Santorsola who supports the project.

Santorsola said there were nearly a dozen people on the committee, including city and neighborhood representatives and architects. “It’s been a real community attempt together with the city,” said Santorsola.

The project was initially planned for the Logan neighborhood, which strongly opposed it.

The Assembly of Neighborhood projects, as one of its first projects, researched other locations for the facility, finally recommending the Garry Park site.

The city deposited $450,000 in earnest money and began meeting with neighbors.

The complex will wash, refuel, repair and maintain city vehicles ranging from motorcycles to snow plows and garbage trucks.

An estimated 400 cars and trucks are expected to arrive at and depart the fleet maintenance complex each morning.

Walt Shields, committee chairman, acknowledged there is still opposition to the facility in the neighborhood.

“Some of the strongest opponents were on our committee,” said Shields. “But they realized if the city is actually going to do this, then they wanted to give input.”

“Everyone realizes something is going in there. Is it better to have a city project that we have some say in, or something we have no say in?” Shields asked.

Garry Park neighbor Julie Broxson has opposed the project from the beginning. She was asked to be on the committee.

“There are a lot of people in the neighborhood who don’t support this,” she said.

“Traffic is still a big concern for me. The design is looking do-able, but the traffic is going to be a big impasse,” she said.

“I think, what we have come up with is the best plan if it has to go in,” said Broxson. “I would love for it not to go in. I would rather see nice office buildings there.”

Some of the requests by the committee include no driveways or other access on the north side of the site, restricted truck traffic on Napa, controlled lighting, and location of the 24-hour maintenance facility on the south end of the site.

Also, along Desmet, the committee proposed a buffer area without buildings, maintained by the parks department.

“We encourage everyone to come and see what the committee has come up with,” said Shields.

“If the neighborhood continues the process, and the city council decides to move forward, the committee will remain active in making decisions,” said Shields. “We will have input all the way down the line.”

, DataTimes MEMO: This sidebar appeared with the story: Plans unveiled Draft designs of the fleet maintenance facility will be presented at 7 p.m. tonight at Stevens Elementary School, 1717 E. Sinto.

This sidebar appeared with the story: Plans unveiled Draft designs of the fleet maintenance facility will be presented at 7 p.m. tonight at Stevens Elementary School, 1717 E. Sinto.