Chilberg Throws Vote Behind Valley Arterial

Spokane County Commissioner Skip Chilberg has broken his silence on the South Valley Arterial and with it the hearts of many East Sprague business owners.

Chilberg said Tuesday that he will side with Commissioner Pat Mummey and vote to build the controversial commuter road.

“I come to this conclusion reluctantly because I do recognize the potential for negative impacts associated with this proposal,” Chilberg wrote in a memorandum to Mummey and Commissioner Steve Hasson, a staunch opponent of the road.

“However, after the implementation of appropriate mitigating measures, I feel the positive benefits will greatly outweigh any negatives.”

A formal vote on the project is anticipated next week. Chilberg was the acknowledged swing vote on the project, and his decision pleased Mummey, who has supported the road all along.

“This definitely solves some of our problems out there,” she said.

County engineers envision the road as an alternative for Valley commuters seeking east-west routes.

Currently, Interstate 90 and Sprague Avenue are the most direct east-west paths, but they are increasingly clogged with traffic.

Valley businessman and longtime arterial opponent Dick Behm didn’t want to talk much about Chilberg’s decision.

“We can’t make any comment right now until they vote, and we see what all three commissioners decide to do,” said Behm, a member of the Spokane Valley Business Association.

Members of the SVBA banded together to fight the proposal, saying it would hurt their livelihoods by drawing traffic off Sprague and away from their stores. The group hired an attorney and has challenged the proposal at every step. Behm said Tuesday it is likely those challenges will continue.

“The Spokane Valley Business Association is prepared to take any legal action that’s necessary, if any is necessary,” he said.

Behm referred all other questions to SVBA president Mark Hollenback.

Hollenback called the arterial a “stupid project” and an “invasion on the taxpayers.” He said he planned to continue fighting it.

Chilberg reversed himself in deciding to support the road. During the 1992 campaign, Chilberg said he opposed the arterial.

He also said he didn’t like the fact that the arterial would be built with state money that couldn’t be used for anything else.

“So many times, as I’ve explored the reasons for building the South Valley Arterial, I’ve been told if we don’t do the project, we’ll lose the money,” Chilberg said in a November 1992 newspaper article.

“That’s a poor reason for doing it.”

Since then, Chilberg has changed his mind.

Ever increasing traffic on I-90 and other Valley streets played a key role in the decision, he wrote in his memo.

“The Spokane Valley section of I-90 has recently shown traffic growth rates in excess of 5 percent per year,” Chilberg wrote.

“If this growth rate continues, our community will not only need new improvements to I-90, we will also need increased transit ridership, additional ride share programs as well as a new Valley Transportation Corridor.”

The street would be built on the old Milwaukee Railroad right of way, which runs parallel and south of Sprague through much of the Valley.

Chilberg supports a plan that calls for a four-lane, limited access street from Thierman to University roads.

The remainder of the 140-foot right of way would be set aside for two more lanes and a possible light-rail train system.

“This alternative affords us the opportunity of developing a South Valley multiuse corridor,” Chilberg said in his memo.

Engineers had recommended a sixlane road from Thierman to Pines.

But County Engineer Ron Hormann said the four-lane proposal was good, too.

“It’s an OK alternative for us,” Hormann said. “We’re not unhappy with that at all.”

If things go smoothly from here, Hormann estimated the $18 million arterial could be open in four years or so.