Developers to redesign road near Northwood neighborhood

Developers of a 396-home project just west of Northwood subdivision, have redesigned their roads to appease neighbors angered by potential traffic problems.

Neighbors feared the proposed Valley Springs subdivision would result in a thoroughfare running through Northwood, an upscale community on the hills north of Millwood. The existing community is serviced by a dead end street, Columbia Drive, which drains onto Argonne Road. Valley Springs would punch Columbia through westward to Valley Springs Road connecting the Spokane Valley to Hillyard and Spokane’s North Side.

Because only two roads north of the Spokane River currently connect Spokane and Spokane Valley, neighbors expected Columbia Drive to become a busy shortcut. But Valley Springs engineers added a crazy straw configuration to their extension of Columbia to discourage side street travelers.

“We’ve been meeting with the neighbors for about a year now. We actually felt pretty positive with the input,” Andrew Warlock said. “The changes discourage traffic, that’s about it.”

Instead of having a straight shot at Valley Springs Road from Columbia Drive, commuters would actually have to drive several blocks out of their way, negotiating several kinks and traffic circles along the way. From the edges of Valley Springs, it wouldn’t be obvious a connecting road existed.

Those road changes are what Alan Harbine and other members of the Northwood Neighbors association were after when they started negotiating with Valley Springs developer Brian Walker last year. The group incorporated, hired a traffic engineer and a land use attorney and began suggesting traffic alternatives.

“The advice given to us was we were best off working with the developer before anything went to county” for approval, Harbine said.

Neighbors are still concerned about the 4,200 car trips per day Valley Springs residents are expected to generate, but they say at least the traffic from outside the area should be reduced. The group is still cold toward the density of the Valley Springs development, which is closer to six homes an acre than the three homes or fewer in nearby Northwood. The neighbors are meeting to discuss the road changes in the Valley Springs plat Feb. 22, at 7 p.m. at the Spokane Christian Center, 8909 E. Bigelow Gulch Road.

With neighborhood traffic concerns somewhat placated, Valley Springs subdivision has now officially started the county approval process. Project plans were formally filed at the end of January and written public comment is being accepted.

A review hearing with Hearings Examiner Michael Dempsey has not been scheduled.