Airway Heights sprucing up

The Airway Heights business strip – long recognized for its piecemeal arrangement of buildings, driveways and parking lots – is going to get a face-lift.

The city is putting up $100,000 this year for the first phase of a revitalization and beautification project intended to bring some visual calm and urban cohesiveness to the aging business strip.

First-phase plans call for smaller trees, grass, irrigation and minor traffic improvements on the south side of U.S. Highway 2 between Lawton and Lundstrom streets.

City Council members are expected to get another look at the final plan on May 21, said Dave Tareski, a business owner who is serving on a planning committee for the projects.

“I’m in favor of anything that improves the aesthetics and vitality of the town,” said Tareski, owner of Blue Crick RV in Airway Heights.

The goal, officials said, is to eventually bring upgrades to the entire length of the city’s business strip from Hayford to Craig roads, which form the eastern and western boundaries of the city.

Alfred “Chip” Pilialoha, director of community development, said businesses in Airway Heights need to remain competitive with new businesses being located just outside the city limits, including a new Wal-Mart store northeast of the intersection of Highway 2 and Hayford Road.

Airway Heights and surrounding areas are in the midst of a building boom with nearly 1,200 new homes planned for the city alone. The city reported $20 million worth of construction last year.

“We want to try to make our city center relevant,” Pilialoha said. “We want to make sure the city center stays a vibrant place. We don’t want to be left behind.”

In addition to the beautification project, the city is expected to get three new bus shelters along Highway 2 as well as improvements to an important crosswalk at the heart of the business area. More traffic lights and overhead signs are planned for the crosswalk, Pilialoha said.

The project is being designed through ALSC Architects of Spokane and a landscape design subcontractor, he said.

Additional phases could include installation of a median to separate east and westbound traffic and to channel turn movements across the highway.

However, that would require careful planning with adjacent businesses since each of them has different needs for access and parking, Pilialoha said. Also, there is less room for parking in front of businesses on the north side of the highway, which makes it harder to add improvements there, he said.

Tareski said another problem is money. The city does not have the funding to finance improvements along the entire strip, he said. One option, he said, is a local improvement district, which would raise money through property tax assessments on adjacent properties.

Pilialoha said the first phase of beautification is important because it will show residents and property owners what can be done to make Airway Heights a nicer city.

“We want to get something in the ground and get people excited,” he said.