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The Spokesman-Review Newspaper
Spokane, Washington  Est. May 19, 1883

Down To Earth

Update on County’s purchase of downtown YMCA

In a vote yesterday, the Spokane County Commission voted to spend $4.3 million from the Conservation Futures program to pay for the YMCA building in Riverfront Park - with the plan being to demolish the building and convert it to open space in the park.  As the Spokesman reported yesterday, the deal to buy the property will stop a planned 15-story condo tower from being built on the site - a pricey project that in our current economy Commissioner Bonnie Mager (who voted against the purchase) doesn't see as a likely threat. 

While we are all for preserving the integrity of Riverfront Park and the scenic Spokane River it's worth bringing to light a comment left in the comments section of the Spokesman's story.  Stephen Eugster, who upon a quick Google search we learned to be, among other things we presume, a fellow blogger - linked to a 20-page report he had written in January of 2009 titled, "CONSERVATION FUTURES TAX REVENUE CANNOT BE USED FOR PURCHASE OF DOWNTOWN SPOKANE YMCA."  The report is a fascinating read, and has left us perplexed as to how we feel about this purchase.  As we said earlier, it's inherently good that the park was saved from a scenic-disturbing structure, but at what cost?  Could those Conservation funds be better allocated, maybe to an actual conservation area?
As Eugster points out in his report, "The Conservation Areas, the term used in Spokane County, defines areas of undeveloped land primarily left in its natural condition. These areas may be used for passive recreational purposes, to create secluded areas, or as buffers in urban areas. As of 2008, Spokane County holds 4,525 acres on 12 different properties as Conservation Areas. The City of Spokane manages an additional 10 properties within city limits. These conserved lands include wetlands, farmlands, steep hillsides, river corridors, viewpoints and wildlife habitats and corridors."

To read the full report - which we highly recommend - click for the PDF HERE.



Down To Earth

The DTE blog is committed to reporting and sharing environmental news and sustainability information from across the Inland Northwest.