Kendall Yards decision includes traffic fixes to be paid for by developer

With his approval of the massive Kendall Yards development Thursday, city of Spokane Hearing Examiner Greg Smith outlined traffic improvements he feels should be paid for by developer Marshall Chesrown’s company, Riverfront Properties LLC.

The primary improvements that Riverfront Properties will be “100 percent responsible” for involve the construction of Kendall Yards Boulevard, the east-west arterial that will run through the development, and that road’s connections to Maple and Monroe streets.

According to Smith’s decision those traffic improvements include:

“ Intersection improvements at Monroe Street and Kendall Yards Boulevard, which is roughly where Bridge Avenue intersects Monroe now. This intersection will include a new traffic light on the north side of the Monroe Street Bridge and modifications to the lane widths on Monroe.

“ The intersection at Maple Street and Kendall Yards Boulevard, which is just north of the Maple Street Bridge. This includes a traffic light for southbound vehicles heading over the bridge. It also includes removal or relocation of the bridge abutment, and the addition of a deceleration lane for northbound Maple Street traffic turning east into the development.

“ Construction of the Centennial Trail west of Monroe Street, within the property.

“ Construction of improvements to Ohio Avenue where vehicles are to be prohibited. The developer plans to convert parts of Ohio into open space, namely between Cedar and Elm streets and from Cochran Street to Bridge Avenue.

The financing of numerous additional traffic improvements remain to be ironed out between the city and developer.