New Urbanism Amid Other Plans, City Takes A Look At The Big Picture

Spokane Horizons volunteers are developing the city’s comprehensive plan.

But what about all the other plans being developed by an array of groups?

The “Downtown Spokane Partnership,” plan is in the works. So is Spokane County’s “Blueprints 2000.” And then there are all the neighborhood plans.

What comes first? The answer is simple: The city’s comprehensive plan is the foundation for all the others.

“It’s important that it be done before we get into the substantive work of the other plans,” said city Planning Director Charlie Dotson, who is also helping coordinate the downtown partnership plan.

Dotson said most of the work being done by the downtown group this summer is research and analysis. Actual downtown planning won’t start until next winter.

The city’s new comprehensive plan is expected to be adopted by the City Council before the end of the year.

In the meantime, many development projects are moving ahead, such as River Park Square, the Lincoln Street bridge, an expanded convention center, the steam plant redevelopment, and the Davenport Hotel.

The City Council already is making decisions to vacate streets and alleyways downtown to allow some of those projects to start.

Some Spokane Horizons volunteers have urged a moratorium on development, especially downtown, until the citywide plan is in place.

But Dotson said the state’s Growth Management Act allows work to continue during the development of the comprehensive plan.

“We have so many people who are concerned with their own projects, in my opinion,” said City Councilwoman Cherie Rodgers.

“We have to look at the big picture - circulation, housing, commercial, retail, all has to be part of a big vision.

“That is the hardest part, to get people to look at the big picture.”

Spokane County is also working on a new comprehensive plan. Its citizen-based process is called Blueprints 2000.

County volunteers meet in four separate groups, each led by county Planning Commission members, with help from planning department staff.

, DataTimes ILLUSTRATION: 2 Graphics: The process from beginning to end; On the horizon