Arrow-right Camera
The Spokesman-Review Newspaper
Spokane, Washington  Est. May 19, 1883

New master plan for Lincoln Heights will be topic of meeting

Lincoln Heights residents and business people are invited to a public meeting on Tuesday to look over ideas for a new master plan for the main commercial area of the neighborhood.

An open-house-style meeting is set for 5:30 to 8 p.m. Tuesday at Southside Christian Church, 2934 E. 27th Ave.

People who attend can review the latest ideas for revitalizing the aging commercial area and making it more friendly to pedestrians and shoppers.

“The idea is to enhance pedestrian environments,” JoAnne Wright, city planner, said during a meeting of the Spokane Plan Commission last week.

The planning work is endorsed by the South Hill Coalition of neighborhoods.

Enhancing transit and bicycle travel is also in the plan, she said.

Some of the ideas came from a visit by experts with the Seattle-based Urban Land Institute Northwest in 2015.

Among the chief recommendations is to encourage multifamily housing and bring new residents out of their homes and into parks, cafes, shops and walkways to create a sense of community and connection.

A multifamily property tax exemption could be extended as an incentive for residential investment.

Jon Rose, a member of the institute and private real estate planner, said last year that pedestrian connections, particularly from north to south, are a key.

Also, 27th Avenue could be turned into a tree-lined parkway with bicycle and walking areas.

The land institute’s work was turned over to planning consultant, Studio Cascade Inc. of Spokane, for refinement.

The area under study is generally bordered by Thor and Regal streets, 27th Avenue and Southeast Boulevard.

“This is still a conceptual document,” Wright said.

Wright said major retailers such as Trader Joe’s and grocery chains are a mainstay of the commercial area.

There are three scenarios under consideration.

They are called “Baby Steps” for a smaller number of changes; “Going Thru” to tame traffic; and “Coming To” to make Lincoln Heights a destination.

So far, the majority of people who have looked at the ideas preferred a combination of Going Thru and Coming To.

Ideas involve establishing gathering places; making Thornton Murphy Park more active, possibly with a YMCA-type facility; creating protected pedestrian crossings on 29th; providing district branding; installing wayfinding signs; reducing asphalt surface parking; building more housing; and bringing more neighborhood businesses like coffee shops to the edges of the main commercial area.