Old Pit In West Spokane Approved For Development Decision Includes Protection Of Shoreline, Space For Public Trail

Thu., Nov. 9, 2000

By Mike Prager mikeprager15@gmail.com (509) 459-5454

A plan to reclaim an old sand-and-gravel mine along the Bloomsday route in west Spokane cleared a regulatory hurdle last week.

The Spokane County hearing examiner approved a zone change and planned-unit development needed for converting the pit to homes and businesses.

The development would be known as River Run. It was formerly operated by Central Pre-Mix Concrete Co. of Spokane.

In his decision last Friday, Hearing Examiner Greg Smith required protection of a 100-foot-wide swath of Spokane River shoreline on the eastern border of the property.

Home sites on the river must have a 100-foot protected zone along the shore. The decision requires the developers to grant an easement for a public trail through the zone, but it does not force them to build the trail.

“We can’t ask any more than that,” said Mike Gifford, head of the West Spokane Neighborhood Council. “They (the developers) are giving a lot there.”

He said the neighborhood council is pleased the old pit is being reclaimed, especially since it will bring needed street improvements along Government Way on the west side of the property.

The plan calls for installing a sidewalk and a tree-lined zone next to Government Way. That would become a better training route for Bloomsday runners than the roadway currently has, he said.

The 153-acre site is south of Fort Wright Drive and east of Government Way. It is owned by the Murphy family of Spokane, which kept the property when it sold Central Pre-Mix several years ago.

Nearly 700 housing units plus some adjacent commercial sites are proposed. The property was annexed to the city three years ago. The developers must still obtain a shoreline permit.

Developers earlier said the site makes sense for residential and commercial development because of its proximity to downtown and its location along main urban arterials.

The plan calls for a park, open spaces and trails within the development.

Developers said it will take at least a decade to complete the project, and changes to the current concepts may be needed as time passes.

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