November 10, 2007 in Voices

Parking ban near University High School extended

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Spokane Valley City Council members approved the extension of a parking ban near University High School as well as funds for aesthetic improvements to the new Barker Bridge over the Spokane River at their regular meeting Wednesday evening.

The parking ban, passed unanimously, lengthens the current no-parking zone directly across from the high school on Collins Road between 32nd to 31st avenues farther north to 30th between 7 a.m. and 3 p.m. during the school year. Up until now, University High students have been parking along Collins Road to avoid the logjam in the school parking lot at the end of the school day. The school’s parking lot has adequate parking space, but is poorly designed, and it can take students up to 20 minutes or more to exit, according to Public Works Director Neil Kersten. An additional Pines Road exit was prohibited based on conditions placed on approval of the school’s construction.

Council members voiced concerns, also brought up at previous meetings, that to extend the ban would only cause students to park farther away. Deputy Mayor Steve Taylor said that the resolution does not address the cause of the problem, the ill-designed parking lot, and as such the matter is likely to pop up again when students simply park on the next block.

Randy Kenworthy, who resides on the block of Collins Road included in the newly extended no-parking zone, disagrees. Students, he says, are disinclined to park directly in front of houses, and many of the houses beyond Collins between 31st and 30th open up to the street directly. Moreover, he says he addressed the issue with residents beyond no-parking zone, however they declined to have their streets be included in the resolution since the no-parking zone will apply to residents as well as high school students.

The fact that residents will not be able to park on the some streets adjacent to their properties is an issue most people aren’t aware of, says Kenworthy. “As homeowners, we are sacrificing,” he says, but it’s a sacrifice they’re willing to make if it alleviates the problems residents have had with students parking along Collins.

“If the kids who came just parked in the morning and drove off later, that wouldn’t be a problem,” he says, but the students have worn out their welcome with their loitering, smoking and particularly littering. He adds that street cleaners haven’t been able to clean the blocks in question for some time as they are constantly filled with student vehicles, including 14 on Wednesday morning alone.

Tickets for those who park on Collins between 32nd and 30th during school hours will likely be around $40, according to the Spokane Valley Police Department.

Council members also discussed at length a proposed budget for aesthetic improvements to the new Barker Bridge, to be constructed during the summers of 2008 and 2009. The artistic embellishments will involve sand-blasted and stained inlays, including designs by local artist Sami Perry.

The proposed artwork includes, among others, designs of trees, leaves, kayakers, bikers, and fishermen, although councilman Richard Munson commented that the design was “a little busy,” and requested a “cleaner” final design. Council members also specified that the artwork should be placed on the underside of the bridge so that Centennial Trail users can appreciate it.

Funds for the aesthetic improvements, which are not eligible for federal funding and will come out of the city’s budget, were approved for up to $74,000. Five of the six present council members voted in favor, with Taylor as the lone dissenting vote. “I know how far these dollars can go,” he said, citing various other public services to which the funds could be directed. But, he added, “I don’t hate art.”

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