Major event number two scheduled this week is the next Downtown plan meeting, set for Thursday, March 6, from 6:00 to 9:00 pm at the Academic Center Auditorium, Room 20, 600 N. Riverpoint Blvd. in the University District.

Our last post on the process was pretty positive, since the first round of work included plenty of affirmation on the importance of the river to Downtown, and seemed to fully reference and draw from the Gorge Master Plan.

But since that time, the plan’s steering committee has re-focused the Downtown plan’s scope a bit, recognizing that the overall vision and broader goals and policies of the plan are already in good shape. What’s needed, they feel, are more specifics to support the downtown vision - things like building height maximums, streetscape design requirements, and refinements to existing development code. All well and good, since many feel those type of details are necessary to address failings of the previous plan and set the stage for even more success.

So here’s a starter: regarding our riverfront areas within Downtown; regarding connecting trail networks, “green streets” and other amenities to tie the center of Spokane to shoreline parks; regarding the preservation of view-sheds from Downtown areas to and from the riverfront; regarding the opportunity to incorporate some of the project improvements envisioned in the first plan into Riverfront Park - what specifics do you think the plan should include?

Show up Thursday night and speak up!

Downtown Plan Update Website (weblink)

There are big goings-on this week, with at least two must-attend events happening of interest to FOF and river supporters.

One - which we’ve been tracking for quite awhile now - is a “meet and greet” session for the community to get to know each of the two candidates being considered for Spokane’s Parks & Recreation Director position. The finalists, Mr. Barry Russell of El Paso, Texas, and Mr. Roger Thomas of Provo, Utah, will be on-hand in the Chase Gallery (outside Council Chambers) from 5:30 to 7:00 the evening of Thursday, March 6. A short, formal presentation from the candidates is scheduled for 6:00 pm.

If you, like us, recognize the critical importance of parks, greenbelts and open space in civic life - especially in Spokane’s Olmsted-enriched context - you’ll really want to visit with these two gentlemen, and add your thoughts to the review process now being carried out by the Parks Board. Mayor Verner, who by charter makes the selection, says she’s hopeful to have a new director in place by April. After appointment by the Mayor, City Council must confirm the appointment. Former Spokane City Manager Roger Crum has been serving as the interim Parks Director since December.

Folks, this opportunity can’t be overestimated and shouldn’t be missed. To get you started, we’ve acquired a copy of the City-issued candidate profiles and have them available for download below. (We’ve even added links to their respective websites - just click on each candidate’s name.) Check them out, do some research, visit with the finalists on Thursday, and be sure to pass your thoughts along to Mayor Verner!

Candidate Profiles (28 Kb, Acrobat® file)

If you’re a Friends of the Falls supporter, it’s likely that you recognize that the beauty and health of our river and that of our city go hand-in-hand, you appreciate the power of setting goals that inspire, and really enjoy discussions about our City’s future.

If so, you may be interested in “Green Drinks Spokane,” an evening billed as “social networking for eco-professionals and others interested in conservation, conversation and/or cocktails” at Downtown’s Brooklyn Nights Pub (GMAP). The next event is set for Tuesday, March 11, and is supposed to continue each second Tuesday of each month through June. (That’s April 8, May 13, and June 10). Drinks and conversations start flowing around 5:30 pm.

Of course it’s a new take on an old idea, but Green Drinks is a bit unique in that no particular group or organization acts as sponsor. Instead, the concept and informal framework is web-based, and is becoming something of a world-wide phenomena - more than 300 communities now host Green Drinks events, and one meeting in Melbourne, Australia reportedly drew 1,500 participants!

Sounds like fun, and since we first heard about it from folks in our City’s planning department, we can only assume we’ll have a few there with direct views on what’s working - and what can be improved - regarding “green” subjects in Spokane!

Green Drinks website (Weblink)
Green Drinks Spokane flyer (232 Kb, Acrobat® file)

Friends of the Falls subscribes to several news listings with local and State agencies, and when the news seems especially well-suited to our group’s mission, we pass it along. The following post from Washington State’s Recreation and Conservation Office (RCO, formerly IAC) is one such item:

Seems the RCO is currently looking for volunteers to serve on the Aquatic Lands Enhancement Account (ALEA) committee, which evaluates grant proposals for parks and habitat areas along waterfront areas. More specifically, the committee reviews applications from agencies seeking to acquire, develop, and restore lands adjacent to navigable water bodies for public purposes, including access to such lands. The committee also assists policy development for the program.

Sound interesting? According to the release, the RCO is looking for five volunteers who represent the points of view of:

• Local agency, recreation interest
• Local agency, habitat interest
• Citizen at large, recreation interest
• Citizen at large, habitat interest (2 positions)

According to the release, it’s OK for committee members to also be members of organizations that apply for ALEA grants.

Terms are for two years, and travel expenses are typically provided for the (up to) six days’ worth of meetings in even-numbered years required of members.

To apply for membership on the committee, send your form and support materials to RCO no later than April 15th. (We’ve linked a copy of the application below). More information is available online on the RCO website, or by contacting Lorinda Anderson at 360-902-3009. 

RCO ALEA application (124 Kb, MS Word® file)