Ruby River Hotel proposes building public dock on Spokane River near Division Street Bridge

The Ruby River Hotel wants to build a public dock on the Spokane River just outside of its property east of Division.

Property owner Jerry Dicker described the proposal as an investment in the community to improve safety and accessibility to this stretch of the river. The project, however, is not without its critics.

Paid for and maintained by Dicker’s company GVD Commercial, the dock could be the first public dock on this stretch of the river, providing a safer launching and take-out point for kayakers and canoers than the limited and more rustic amenities currently available. The dock would be 2,200 square feet and cost about $425,000, according to the permit application. It would stretch dozens of feet from the shore into the river with access from the Centennial Trail or from a few public parking spots provided at the Ruby River Hotel.

The city parks department has encouraged the project and plans to voice its support at a Feb. 26 public meeting, believing it could help fulfill the community’s desire for better access to the Spokane River, according to department Director Garrett Jones. If the plan moves forward, Spokane residents and visitors could launch nonmotorized watercraft from the floating dock as soon as this summer, said Hilary Hahn, an ecologist with Facet NW, the permit application agent for the project.

However, it has been a surprisingly frustrating path to get there, Dicker mused in an interview.

“If I knew it was going to be so difficult to do something so nice, I wouldn’t have done it,” he said.

Skeptics and concerned organizations, such as Avista, the Spokane Riverkeeper and the state Department of Ecology, have questioned the dock’s proximity to the Upper Falls Dams, the potential ecological impact during construction, and whether the public dock would be truly accessible to the public or primarily benefit guests of Dicker’s riverfront properties, among other concerns.

The dock would be located just east of the Division Street bridge. It is illegal for swimmers or watercraft to pass west of that point due to its proximity to the Upper Falls Dams. Representatives from Avista have raised concerns that the dock’s proximity could lead to additional violations of this law, creating more opportunities for injury or death, particularly when the spillgates are open during scheduled times or in response to emergencies.

Avista also raised concerns that the dock itself could pose a hazard if it failed, such as if it became detached and floated toward the dam during high-flow events, particularly if it acted as a log jam for debris, compromising its structural stability.

In response, hotel representatives wrote that signage would be provided outlining the risks and regulations for using the river, but argued that recreationists already use this stretch of the river and therefore the dock would not increase the risk of violations or injury. In addition, the hotel will not be responsible for water users once they leave the dock, nor for enforcement of the rules of the river.

As for concerns about the dock failing, representatives wrote that the safety of the structure would be addressed during the permitting process.

The Department of Ecology and the Spokane Riverkeeper have raised concerns about public access to the public dock.

“Without supporting infrastructure, signage, or dedicated public amenities, it is misleading to present this dock as a public benefit,” wrote Katelyn Scott, Water Protector for the Spokane Riverkeeper. “As designed, the project appears to primarily serve hotel and restaurant guests.”

In an interview, Scott clarified that her organization is not inherently opposed to building a dock in this location.

“There’s potential for them to make this a unique spot if they do it right,” she said. “I think a lot of people expect us to be just outright against this, but there is a way to do it right … but we are concerned that this could be privatizing a public asset.”

Current plans appear to show only one sign advertising that the dock is for public use, located inside the hotel’s courtyard parking lot. The hotel has offered the use of some free parking spots, including one American with Disabilities Act stall, but Scott worried recreationists would be expected to haul a watercraft down a narrow stairwell from the parking lot to the dock’s location – which may not be an option for someone using that ADA stall, particularly wheelchair users – unless they accessed it through the hotel’s private property.

Scott compared the Ruby River Dock to another proposal from the Spokane River Forum just north of Iron Bridge, which would block through traffic on Superior Street immediately to the west, create new green space, provide ample parking, and install a gently sloped boat launch near the street.

In an interview, Dicker emphasized that providing public parking was a “courtesy and gift to the community,” not a requirement of the project, arguing that the public could access the dock through the stairs, via the Centennial Trail, or by entering the hotel. City spokesperson Erin Hut noted that public access via a ramp on hotel property would be ensured as a condition of the project.

The city’s launch site under the Division Street Bridge on the river’s southern bank, meanwhile, is unquestionably inaccessible to the disabled, Hahn noted.

“This dock is a huge improvement,” she said.

Dicker also expressed frustration with the insinuation that he might be building this dock for selfish reasons.

“It’s not a financial benefit to us, just like other things we do in the downtown are not a financial benefit to us – we think it enhances the river, we think it enhances the community,” Dicker said. “Hopefully it will also work to the benefit of the hotel, but if it didn’t go through, that would be a mistake on the community’s part, but it really wouldn’t bother me.”

The parks department also wants to ensure public access to the dock is maintained, Jones said Thursday evening, but at this point, he’s encouraged.

“From what we heard loud and clear, not just our position but the community’s position … is continued improvements to access the Spokane River, starting from Boulder Beach all the way down to TJ Meenach, and this is a good example of providing that community access,” he said.

Scott raised other concerns, including the size of the dock and how far it stretches into the river, the visual impact it could have, its possible impacts on wildlife in the area, and the precedent it could set.

“Having one so visible like this might encourage others to want one as well,” she said. “The city’s shoreline code doesn’t allow (docks) in many places; this is a very small stretch that allows this, but it’s also a very privately owned stretch of river as well. If every hotel along the river built a dock, that’s a lot of docks.”

Hahn emphasized that the project was still in the early stages of the permitting process and that all necessary engineering and design elements – sufficient public signage, access, the safety and environmental aspects of the dock itself – will be sufficiently addressed at later stages. She stressed that the project will, ultimately, be a public good.

“This really is a unique situation where it’s a privately funded dock and a public use,” she said. “The fact that the city is getting this amenity and maintenance for free is a really unique situation. I think everyone is pleasantly surprised by this benefit.”

“We wouldn’t be doing this except the city said it was a good idea and the vast majority of everyone we talk to thinks it would be a good idea,” Dicker added. “I think even the Riverkeepers think it’s a good idea … I don’t think there’s anyone in the whole world who’s against this, really.”

Plans, public comments and Ruby River Hotel’s responses are publicly posted on the Ruby River Recreational Dock project page on the city’s website. There will be a public meeting about the proposal before the city Hearing Examiner on Feb. 26 at 9 a.m. in City Hall. Written comments may be submitted by 5 p.m. Feb. 23.