Getting There: Airport bringing new plan to public

Growth at Spokane International Airport for the next 20 years is going to be guided by a new master plan, which the public can weigh in on this week.

Airport officials have scheduled three open houses to give residents, air passengers and businesses a chance to influence the final plan.

The first of the sessions will be Tuesday from 4 to 7 p.m. at the DoubleTree Hotel in downtown Spokane. Parking at the Spokane Convention Center garage will be validated.

The second session will be Wednesday at the Mirabeau Park Hotel in Spokane Valley, and the third session will be Thursday at the Pence Union Building on the Eastern Washington University campus in Cheney. Those sessions will also run from 4 to 7 p.m.

The Airport Master Plan will guide decisions on future terminal improvements, gates, parking, roads and related services needed to accommodate air travel.

In addition, the plan will look at cargo operations, future land use and the likelihood of an expansion of aerospace industry in and around the airport, airport spokesman Todd Woodard said.

The proposed plan will be arranged in a series of displays so people can drop by the sessions on their own schedules and view the different issues and recommendations before making comments.

“The airport is a pretty valuable asset, a strategic asset,” Woodard said.

Work on the new master plan dates to January 2011.

“The plan is only as good as the public comment we receive,” Woodard said.

Rockwood Boulevard

The city of Spokane has two big road construction projects starting this week.

On the South Side, Rockwood Boulevard from Cowley Street to Southeast Boulevard and Upper Terrace Road from Rockwood Boulevard to 17th Avenue are going to be closed for a rehabilitation project at a cost of $2.7 million.

In addition, a neighborhood street repaving project is set for Queen Avenue from A to Nettleton streets. Nearby portions of Crown and Olympic avenues as well as Nettleton and Milton streets will be included in the $910,000 project.

While the new areas undergo construction, crews were nearing completion of rehabilitations of 29th Avenue from Bernard Street to High Drive and Spokane Falls Boulevard from Division to Sherman streets. Reopening was pending last week, officials said.

Francis work

Work continues in the Hillyard area on a repaving of Francis Avenue west of Haven Street and reconstruction of the intersection of Francis and Market Street. The city is repaving Francis from Division Street to Haven in two phases. The first section under contract is from Haven to Crestline. The segment from Crestline to Division will be done later this construction season.

The work at Francis and Market is part of a state job to build a new overpass bridge for Francis east of Market to allow room for the North Spokane Corridor and a railway line.

The work has resulted in traffic tie-ups and reduced access to businesses in the area. Local businesses are asking residents to make a special effort to shop with them so they can keep their doors open. Receipts at those businesses have fallen 30 to 40 percent.

Valley trail input

A draft plan for a new Appleway Trail on a former rail right-of-way in Spokane Valley will be available for public review and comment at an open house May 22 from 4 to 6 p.m. at CenterPlace Regional Event Center, 2426 N. Discovery Place.

The meandering trail with seating areas will run from the east end of Appleway Boulevard to Evergreen Road on the former rail property.

Ideas include using native plants, community gardens, shade trees and bird houses.

For more information, contact Inga Note at inote@spokanevalley.org or (509) 720-5011.