Jackson Ave. Parking Compromise Reached

Thu., Dec. 7, 2000

By Lorie Hutson lorieh@spokesman.com (509) 459-5446

After three hearings about the parking woes on Jackson Avenue, Spokane County commissioners have come up with a compromise.

Commissioners agreed this week to ban parking on one side of the road to try to allay the neighborhood’s concerns about safety.

Neighbors in the small area northwest of Pines Road and Interstate 90 petitioned the board starting this summer for a no-parking zone on Jackson Avenue.

Thirty people living nearby signed a letter saying the pavement there is too narrow to safely allow parking. There is a gravel strip on the south side of the road. The narrow pavement, overflow parking from a nearby apartment complex and speeding drivers make the small stretch between Wilbur and Bowdish dangerous, they said.

But other homeowners said if parking was prohibited on Jackson, it would just push the problem around the corner in front of their homes.

County commissioners said they tried to balance the competing concerns in their decision. They banned parking on the south side of Jackson Avenue.

“I think this is the best compromise that we could make as commissioners,” said John Roskelley.

He said the board will consider the problems on Jackson Avenue in future decisions and try to ensure there is enough parking at new apartment complexes.

There is only one parking space per apartment at the EaglePointe Apartments at Jackson Avenue and Bowdish, which means many residents must park along the streets nearby.

Commissioners agreed earlier this year to forbid parking on the corner where Jackson Avenue curves to meet Wilbur Road, but they did not consider stretching the ban down the block because it was not advertised to the public. The board held two other meetings to listen to neighbors’ concerns.

County engineers told the commissioners a no-parking zone on both sides of the street was not necessary. The road is 38-40 feet wide, which should allow room for people to park safely.

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