Vocal Point : Creating a community is serious business

I’ve no doubt U-City and the surrounding area needs help.

For some time now I’ve been hearing about Spokane Valley City Council’s desire to build a city center at or near University and Sprague. I’ve heard about the possibilities of upscale retail, big box retail, a library, offices, high-density housing and, of course, a shiny-new City Hall.

There has never been a question in my mind that the couplet impacted businesses along the Sprague corridor west of University, but the area struggled for years even before the couplet as population growth accelerated east toward the Valley Mall and beyond. Building a city center near U-City just might swing the pendulum back a bit and revitalize the area.

I’ve no doubt we need a City Hall, too.

The city won’t be able to stay in its leased quarters indefinitely. Staff has slowly grown and will continue to grow. Eventually the city has to move if for no other reason than a need for more space.

Tax dollars beyond the $650,000 already spent for consultants will be required, but that’s the price of civic independence. Imagine a young couple living in an apartment. They’re out on their own and renting makes it affordable, but it’s just not the same as owning their own place. Our young city – like a young family – needs an anchor, a sense of permanence, and leased quarters just don’t cut it.

So I have no beef about the concept of a city center. But building City Hall near U-City won’t automatically create healthy families or a vibrant community.

A well-planned facility may reflect the city’s character and style, and it may even inspire admiration and respect for its architectural beauty, grace and character. Nevertheless, a gorgeous new building with landscaped grounds won’t bind us together.

I believe community is our defining challenge. I’ve written about this before from a humorous point of view, but creating a community really is a serious business.

And it’s not easy. It takes a clear vision based on common goals and leaders with the guts to make the tough decisions to get us there. Just don’t assume I mean elected officials when I use the term “leader.”

Don’t think the Valley has citizen leaders? Think again!

When the council talked about outsourcing library services several years ago, dozens of families and individuals who had never known each other coalesced into a highly focused and effective activist group that incorporated picketing, e-mail lists, guest columns and well-attended city council meetings in a campaign to leave the library alone – and they won.

It was an inspiring example of grass-roots activism, and it was a privilege to watch it unfold.

A more recent example would be the hard work of Mary Pollard and her Greenacres neighbors, who banded together to battle with the council for a local park. They won, too.

These folks exhibited the kind of energy and enthusiasm that builds true community, growing roots that reach across a broad spectrum of citizens, creating a more powerful and lasting sense of identity then any building program ever could.

And there are many more things we could use that kind of fabulous energy to address.

Despite the prosperity evidenced by the spectacular homes dotting our hillsides, many, many of our neighbors are hurting and in need.

There are people sleeping in our parks and behind our Dumpsters. There are meth labs tucked within our neighborhoods. We have domestic violence, drug dealing, vehicle prowling, break-ins, arson, shootings and stolen cars, just like any other city in America.

Ever since we became a city those problems became all ours, and they’re not going away, no matter how many houses we build on an acre, no matter how green we keep our lawns. In fact, they are more than likely to increase.

If we are going to be a city, we need to face the challenges all cities face.

So, for Pete’s sake, let’s get the job done, but let’s do it right.

Let’s build ourselves a real community and a city center.