Speak up now on one-way/two-way issue

A decision is about to be made by Spokane Valley City Council members to change the Appleway Couplet and Sprague Avenue east of University from one-way to two-way traffic.

Consultants from places other than our area, have recommended the change, and it appears the City Council has bought the recommendations hook, line and sinker.

For those of us who remember a two-way Sprague Avenue and no Appleway Couplet, we prefer the quicker travel on the one-way roads and want them to remain that way.

But even more important is what you think. If you have an opinion on whether the Appleway Couplet stays one-way or is changed to two-way, you need to express your views to Spokane Valley City Council members.

However, I am doubtful that your opinion will matter. At a City Council study session I recently attended, it seemed to me the majority of council members have decided to follow the consultants’ recommendations regardless of what the citizens want.

At that meeting, Councilman Mike DeVleming suggested a public hearing to get citizen input on the one-way/two-way issue. With the exception of Councilman Rich Munson and maybe Mayor Diana Wilhite, it seemed to me the other council members were opposed to the idea.

In my opinion, some of them are so fixated on the new city center, City Hall and library being located at a specific site near University and Sprague, their minds are resistant to other ideas and suggestions.

One councilman is reported to have said that the discussion of Sprague and Appleway has been going on for five years with the city receiving many citizens’ comments on record during that time. He was quoted in the newspaper as saying, “I don’t know how much deeper into the public process we could get.”

In reply, I say: at least as deep as it takes to fully understand the ramifications of this project today and tomorrow.

Another councilman reportedly has said: “It’s time we went out and got our feet wet.” My interpretation of that statement is: Forget the public’s opinion and let’s move forward.

We know there have been workshops and public informational meetings. At those meetings, however, the focus was on the future of Sprague Avenue and the possibility of locating a city center near the University City shopping center. At those meetings, the ideas presented pertained to a vision for the city of Spokane Valley and what it would take to implement that vision.

Now, the recommendations made as a result of those meetings need to be explained at a public hearing, and citizens must be given an opportunity to express their views.

Why Sprague and University for the proposed city center?

Well, it is my understanding that the council’s direction to the consultants was that it wanted the University City area to be the city center. Therefore, I think the consultants concentrated on making that happen and did not consider other options, such as making the Mirabeau area the city center.

Personally, I think the Mirabeau area would be an ideal location for City Hall and a library. After all, the Parks and Recreation Department already is located in the city-owned CenterPlace. It is the most aesthetically pleasing area in our city, and a lot of growth is happening there.

One thing on which I agree with the consultants is that the gateways to our city are “ugly.” One place where that is not true is Mirabeau. Why not capitalize on that beauty and economic activity?

The consultants’ recommendations for development of the University City area do look good as a vision. The devil, however, is in the details.

To make it happen, it appears the city of Spokane Valley will need to become involved in speculative real-estate transactions. Our tax money could be at risk if development does not pencil out as envisioned by the consultants. If that happens, they will be gone and we will be stuck with the bill.

Citizen input is important in these matters. If you sit on the sidelines and do not participate, your elected officials are going to make decisions for you. Some of those decisions may not be what you want.

Get involved!