City Seeks Residents’ Help On Four-Year Growth Plan

Spokane city government is gazing into the future, and it wants some help.

Today marks the beginning of a program known as Spokane Horizons, a four-year planning process designed to help the city deal with increased population, higher housing costs, more traffic, greater employment and new social issues.

“The city of Spokane is more and more committed to neighborhood planning,” said Chris Hugo, a city planner. Right now, the charge is finding “the best ways to get the community involved in what we’re doing.”

City planners want to know how to get - and keep - residents involved in the planning process.

To do that, they’ve invited representatives from more than 600 community organizations to attend focus group sessions, which start today and are open to the public.

The sessions will be held today from 9 to 11 a.m. and 2 to 4 p.m.; Wednesday, 7 to 9 p.m.; Thursday, 9 to 11 a.m., 2 to 4 p.m., and 7 to 9 p.m.

All meetings take place at 221 N. Post.

Once a communication system has been established, the city will move into the actual planning process, setting urban growth boundaries, devising a capital investment plan and drafting a comprehensive plan.

“This probably represents the most far-reaching degree of the city’s planning process that we’ve ever had,” said Mayor Jack Geraghty.

For more information, call 625-6185.