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Spokane, Washington  Est. May 19, 1883
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Valley eyes rule change to allow parklets along Appleway Trail

Miles Bergsma arranges the seating on the “parklet” seating area installed in front of Wollnick’s, Durkin’s and Madeleine’s on Main Ave. in downtown Spokane Thursday, Aug. 3, 2015. Spokane Valley is considering allowing businesses to place parklets along Appleway Trail. (Jesse Tinsley / The Spokesman-Review)
By Amy Edelen amye@spokesman.com(509) 459-5581

Spokane Valley is considering allowing businesses to place parklets along the Appleway Trail to boost economic development and provide a gathering place for people.

Several businesses along Sprague Avenue are expressing interest in building parklets – small areas that extend the sidewalk, often with amenities like seating, and typically installed on parking lanes and using several parking spaces – which they say would be a benefit for them as well as trail users, said Mike Basinger, economic development manager for Spokane Valley.

“This whole process is to really connect that amenity to the community,” said Basinger.

Many cities in the U.S., such as San Francisco, Seattle and Philadelphia, have added parklets along their streets to provide a small urban oasis for people to congregate, or sit down and eat a meal from a nearby restaurant.

The city of Spokane implemented regulations in 2017 allowing businesses to extend service into portions of the street with parklets and streateries.

Spokane Valley City Attorney Cary Driskell said that when the city entered an interlocal agreement with the county, there was discussion among council members that the Appleway Trail could be an economic development tool for businesses along its north side.

The Appleway Trail is on the former Milwaukee Railroad right of way, which is owned by Spokane County and utilized by Spokane Valley through an interlocal agreement.

The city and county are working on a separate agreement, in its early stages, to allow the temporary parklets, said Driskell.

The agreement would need to be finalized through a vote by the county commissioners and Spokane Valley City Council.

The parklets – which would be paid for by business owners – could then be permitted through a license agreement approved by the city and county.

The Appleway Trail runs east and west through the heart of Spokane Valley and will eventually connect Balfour Park to Liberty Lake.

The city will complete a section of the trail from Sullivan to Corbin roads this summer and is expected to begin construction on a section from Evergreen to Sullivan roads in 2020.