Input Sought On Growth Strategies

Spokane city planners are looking for public input to help choose the best growth strategy for the new comprehensive land-use plan.

A public meeting is scheduled for next Thursday at 7 p.m. in the auditorium at Avista Utilities, 1411 E. Mission.

Planners are looking to Spokane citizens to help select one of three growth alternatives.

One alternative, the most traditional of the three, is to maintain current patterns that focus economic development on major arterials such as Division and Sprague. This alternative caters to the rural lifestyle that prefers separation between residential and commercial areas, said City Planner Susanne Croft.

“Current patterns are for people who value large yards and a lot of space between them and their neighbors,” Croft said.

The other two alternatives involve intermingling residential and commercial areas to lessen commuter traffic.

For example, one of those options focuses on neighborhood centers such as the Garland district and old downtown Hillyard. Those areas would combine housing and office building space to provide services without people having to drive across town.

Such neighborhood centers would have the feature of being tailored toward community needs. For example, if more employment opportunities were needed in Hillyard, neighbors could have input on which businesses would employ those who live nearby, Croft said.

“There would be a cluster of six to 10 blocks that would include schools, parks, businesses and residential housing,” Croft said. “All of the daily needs could be met by walking a few blocks.”

The third alternative places an emphasis on downtown. This option would focus on enhancing entertainment and business downtown while developing housing close to the center.

Croft said this alternative would appeal most to younger professionals, especially if there were more technological businesses downtown.

City planners worked with five neighborhood councils on the North Side during the last five years to come up with these alternatives. Thursday’s meeting will discuss the environmental, fiscal and social impacts of each alternative.

“Prevailing input says more people like the focused growth alternatives but there is a stronghold of people who prefer the current patterns,” Croft said.

There will be a PowerPoint discussion, time for questions, refreshments and childcare available at the meeting. This is one of many public meetings that will take place throughout the summer, Croft said.