Don’T Touch Green Space, Residents Say 400 People Pack Workshop On Downtown Cda

Stick the parking lot underground, turn City Hall into a library or community center, but leave the green space alone.

Create a downtown that caters to local residents instead of tourists, hold more festivals, bring back the carousel. But leave the green space alone.

Those were common sentiments among the more than 400 people who overflowed into nearly every corner of the commons area at Lake City High School on Wednesday night. They were assembled for the first in a series of workshops about saving downtown and revamping the parks and open spaces.

The workshops are being conducted by Walker-Macy, a Portland design firm hired by the city to develop a master plan for the public property near downtown.

There was a broad cross section of people - from high school students to Spokane developers, business people to baseball enthusiasts. Split into groups of eight, they were given an aerial photograph of the downtown area and told to mark the spots the city shouldn’t touch and those where changes could be made.

Red ink, which meant hands off, corralled City Park, Independence Point, McEuen Field, Memorial Field and Skateboard Park on most of the maps.

Participants also were asked to list what they like, what could be added and what types of festivals would bring more people to the area.

There was a bit of confusion early on, especially among people who had expected to take turns sharing their thoughts with the entire audience rather than their individual groups. Within minutes, however, the room was abuzz with people trading - and sometimes arguing - over their ideas.

And the ideas flowed.

At the end, representatives from each group came to the microphone to share the top three ideas from their discussions.

“We feel we need to preserve the land and the beach and the public areas,” student Thomas Hancock said, drawing ample applause for an idea repeated many times. “We need a downtown more community-based vs. tourism.”

Building a community center somewhere downtown, with a swimming pool, was suggested several times. A trolly also seemed to have broad support.

Taking down the cyclone fences at McEuen Field is on the public’s list of possibilities, as is building an ice skating rink somewhere nearby. Many brought up turning the City Hall site into a library, community center, performing arts center or museum.

“City Hall, you’re outta there,” Charlie Roan joked.

Others like the idea of putting the Third Street parking lot underground and adding tennis courts or a performing arts center on top.

One of the bigger surprises of the evening were comments about relocating the Third Street boat launch, the busiest public launch in the state. An equal number of people suggested making it a bigger, better docking area instead, as a way to attract more users.

The idea of bringing back the carousel that once sat at Independence Point resonated with many, including a group represented by Jan Meyer of The Bookseller.

That may be possible. The carousel was found in a storage facility in Hood River, Ore., after being used for several years in a shopping mall in Virginia, Doug Macy of Walker-Macy said after the meeting.

Traffic and parking came up often. Several people suggested turning Lakeside Avenue and Sherman Avenue into one-way streets, with diagonal parking.

Participants will receive a summary of the ideas in the mail.

The final plan will be submitted to the Urban Renewal Agency in late May, said Charlie Nipp, the agency’s chairman.

Urban Renewal will take its recommendation to the City Council in June.

“We are hoping that will be more of a formality,” Nipp said, “that the community will be working together and gaining consensus for the final product.”

Two sidebars appeared with the story: 1. WHAT’S NEXT There will be two more workshops in the next several weeks to come up with alternatives for reviving downtown and redeveloping the parks and open spaces from City Hall to Memorial Field.

2. WHAT COUNCIL MEMBERS PLAN TO DO On Wednesday, a consultant hired by Coeur d’Alene’s Urban Renewal Agency took public input on redesigning parks and open space from City Hall west to Memorial Field. City Council members were asked whether they would agree to leave the popular green space as it is now if the public asks them to do so. Their responses follow: Councilwoman Sue Servick: “If there is an overwhelming majority that comes out at these meetings and says `no, leave everything alone,’ we’d have to listen to that.” Councilman Chris Copstead: “If the people of the community say leave it alone, and have just reasons, that’s what we need to do.” Councilwoman Nancy Sue Wallace: “No, it’s not acceptable to me because I think that the space where City Hall is now is underutilized and could be used for many things. It could be used for a performing arts center, it could be used for a civic center, it could be used for a recreation center, for a library. There are many things we could do to enhance the beauty of our town.” Councilman Ron Edinger: “That’s acceptable to me.” Councilwoman Dixie Reid: “If the public says don’t do anything, absolutely.” Councilwoman Deanna Goodlander: “Obviously, what people want is what we have to give them.”