City Planners, Preservationists Meet Spokane Residents Can Hear Ideas, Opinions At Community Forum

Urban planners and historic preservationists begin arriving in Spokane this week for a three-day regional conference.

But it’s Spokane residents who stand to benefit most from the fresh ideas, diverse opinions and experiences of the national experts coming to the city.

Residents can hear about Spokane’s assets, discuss plans for the city and ask questions of a panel of experts Saturday at the Odd Fellows Hall during a community forum.

The forum, held the last day of the conference, poses the question: “Where do we go from here?”

“It all has to result in something,” said Leroy Eadie, a Spokane city planner and one of the conference organizers. “I hope at the Saturday session we will come out with something, a principle or goal we can apply to Spokane.”

Keynote speakers include Richard Moe, president of the National Trust for Historic Preservation; Constance Epton Beaumont, also with the National Trust For Historic Preservation; and Nore Winter, a nationally recognized planning and preservation consultant from Colorado.

Planners and preservationists from throughout the West have signed up for workshops on topics such as “Those Baffling Building Codes,” “Funding for Historic Preservation” and “Beyond New Urbanism.”

Organizers have thrown in some fun, too, designed to show off Spokane.

A tour of the Spokane Falls, including its history, cultural significance and current issues, is planned. Also planned are tours of the Davenport Arts District, Ninth Avenue Historic District, and historic landscapes, including parks designed by the Olmsted Brothers. A bike ride on the Centennial Trail and an art and antique auction at the Steamplant are some of the other conference events.

Speakers from the National Trust For Historic Preservation will discuss causes of urban decline, alternatives to sprawl and historic preservation as a tool for revitalizing cities.

“I want these nationally known people to give us ideas and solutions to issues facing us right now in Spokane,” said Susan Winchell, a planner with the boundary review board and one of the conference organizers.

“We are bringing all this expertise to Spokane and it will benefit our community.”

The Saturday panel will include Beaumont, City Councilman Jeff Colliton, downtown developer and architect Ron Wells, former state Historic Preservation Officer Mary Thompson, and Fred Hurand, chairman of Eastern Washington University’s urban planning department.

The discussion will be moderated by Steve Franks, a Spokane city planner and member of Spokane Preservation Advocates.

The conference is sponsored by the Washington chapter of the American Planning Association and Washington Trust For Historic Preservation. It was organized by Teresa Brum, director of the Spokane City and County Historic Preservation Office, along with co-chairs Eadie and Winchell.

This sidebar appeared with the story: FORUM A community forum will be held as part of a three-day regional conference at the Odd Fellows Hall, 1017 W. First Ave. The Saturday program begins at 8:30 with breakfast, an old house workshop, and the community forum from 10:15 a.m. to noon. Cost is $20. For more information call 625-6983.