Planners outline ideas for Lincoln Heights

Experts in community planning from the Seattle-based Urban Land Institute Northwest said the Lincoln Heights district in southeast Spokane is at a crossroads.

Good land-use planning, focusing on people and pedestrians instead of automobiles, could help revitalize the commercial area and create a vibrant urban space for more residents, panel members from the organization said recently.

“Lincoln Heights right now is on a bit of a threshold … where if you do nothing you may look back with regret in 20 years,” said Jon Rose, a member of the Urban Land Institute board and a private real estate planner.

Automobiles may become so dominant in 10 years that it will be difficult to reclaim the area as a people place, he said.

“You are teetering on the edge,” he said.

Rose was part of a technical assistance panel from ULI that came to Spokane for a fast-paced, two-day visit on June 17 and 18.

A verbal report to city officials and community members is going to be followed by a more complete written report.

Many of the panel’s recommendations were outlined in the June 18 verbal report, which is posted online at vimeo.com.

For nearly two years, neighborhood leaders have been urging a close look at Lincoln Heights to come up with ways to guide land use and encourage revitalization.

The South Hill Coalition of six neighborhood councils, including the Lincoln Heights Neighborhood Council, has made Lincoln Heights planning a high priority.

In September, city planners will begin meeting with the neighborhood to start developing concepts for what they’re calling the Lincoln Heights District Center.

City Councilman Mike Allen said, “This is the very first part of this conversation that will take years to materialize. That is an area of our city that is ripe for reinvestment.”

Rose said the district center should be redeveloped to take advantage of nearby park and open space, land for new development and a series of identifiable entrances along 29th Avenue, Southeast Boulevard and Regal Street.

Rose described Thornton Murphy Park as “an under-producing asset.”

He said Lincoln Heights is unwelcoming on foot.

Among the chief recommendations is to encourage as much multifamily housing as the community will tolerate. Rose said bringing new residents out of their homes and into parks, cafes, shops and walkways will create a sense of community and connection.

A multifamily property tax exemption could be extended to the area as an incentive for residential investment.

Rose said pedestrian connections, particularly from north to south, are another key.

More housing and redevelopment could occur on 27th Avenue from Southeast Boulevard to Ray Street, and could be accompanied by trees, safe pathways and a more thoughtful use of vehicle access.

The panel also recommended reducing 29th Avenue from two lanes in each direction to one lane in each direction with plantings and signage and a center turn lane.

Allen said he likes the idea of having more multifamily residences but is against reducing lanes on 29th.

Other recommendations included a park amphitheater, a merchants association, a farmers market, a parking management strategy and a lighting plan.

Another idea is to allow small, pedestrian-friendly commercial centers for coffee, pizza and other local goods on the periphery of the larger commercial area.