Ailing Corbin Park Trees To Be Removed

Thu., Feb. 17, 2000

By Isamu Jordan isamuj@spokesman.com

(From North Side Voice, March 2, 2000): Jim Flott is the horticulture manager for the Spokane Parks Department. His name was misspelled in the Feb. 17 edition of the North Side Voice.

More than a dozen trees will be removed from Corbin Park in the first phase of an effort by neighbors to re-establish the park’s roots.

Within the next couple of weeks, about 17 ailing trees will be taken out of the park. This will make way for a plan to reshape Corbin to reflect its original design set by the Olmsted Brothers, who were prominent landscapers at the turn of the century.

The trees slotted for removal are mostly black locusts and silver maples that have been deemed hazardous by the Spokane City Parks Department because of decayed cavities, weak roots and splits in the trunks. Those problems were magnified by the 1996 ice storm, said parks department horticulture manager Jim Slott.

A total of 37 trees are scheduled to be removed in the next year. Some will be relocated, others will be replaced.

In 1992, 200 diseased elm trees were removed. The old elms formed a majestic canopy and double ring around the park.

“We’re looking back to the original Olmsted plan and any other changes that have happened,” said Gina McKenzie, a member of the Corbin Park Homeowners Association. “We would like to see changes that point back to the original design.”

Corbin Park was originally designed in 1900 with a lake in the center. It was redone 10 years later, following a 1909 Olmsted Brothers plan that included the mirror basin in the center, lawns, a lily pond, rose garden and ring of elms.

The park also was the site for the Washington and Idaho Fairgrounds in 1895.

Corbin is the only Spokane park on the city, state and national registers of historic places.

“It’s really a positive thing to make the most of a historic neighborhood,” McKenzie said. “There is a pride of place that emanates from the area. It’s positive to the image of the city of Spokane.”

McKenzie said a master plan for the park should be set by next December.

Local journalism is essential.

Give directly to The Spokesman-Review's Northwest Passages community forums series -- which helps to offset the costs of several reporter and editor positions at the newspaper -- by using the easy options below. Gifts processed in this system are tax deductible.

Meet Our Journalists

Jesse Tinsley

Meet Jesse Tinsley. As a certified drone pilot, this veteran Spokesman-Review photographer often can be seen capturing beautiful aerial photographs of our region. Sometimes though, the job requires getting down with the dogs.
Jim Meehan

Jim Meehan is no stranger to Zag Nation. As the lead writer covering the Gonzaga men’s basketball team, he tells the stories behind the game and gets fans a bit closer to their favorite players.
Molly Quinn

There is no artist in Spokane like Molly Quinn. Her whimsical style is instantly recognizable to readers of The Spokesman-Review. She has painted gorgeous illustrations that instantly elevate the journalism accompanying it. She brings to life the stories that defy photography. She makes our pages better.
Rob Curley

Spokesman-Review editor Rob Curley loves to talk with people and learn about their lives, whether it's a best-selling author or a stranger he meets downtown on his walk to lunch. It's that inquisitive nature combined with a playful sense of storytelling that helps make our newspaper different than most.