Mirabeau’s Eis Winding Up

Sat., March 7, 1998

Angie Gaddy Staff Writer

Mirabeau Point’s environmental impact statement is in its last preparation stages before presenting it to the public.

The 70-acre, $33 million campus-like community project on the former Walk in the Wild zoo site will have a YMCA aquatics center - construction of which is scheduled to begin in June - a senior center, amphitheater and trails.

A draft environmental impact statement was published last October. Eleven agencies and neighboring businesses responded, citing concerns about the study’s approach to traffic and air quality.

Some raised questions about the importance of the planned freeway interchange at Evergreen Road. Others wanted a larger study addressing traffic problems in the entire surrounding area, not just on Pines and Evergreen roads.

Kaiser Aluminum, which has a large manufacturing plant across the Spokane River from the Mirabeau site, expressed concerns that the Mirabeau study had used outdated air quality data and questioning how the project would impact traffic in the area, especially on Sullivan Road.

“It seems to us, that it should look at the area in a comprehensive way,” said Susan Ashe, Kaiser spokeswoman.

So, Mirabeau went back to the drawing board and addressed those concerns by doing more comprehensive studies, according to Cathy Ramm, of Ramm Associates, which helped prepare the study.

The environmental impact statement must be approved by Spokane County Commissioners before the project can move forward.

Mirabeau’s environmental impact statement will be released by April, Ramm said. Public hearings will be scheduled after the statement is released. Commissioners will consider Mirabeau’s master plan after those hearings.

, DataTimes

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