The long (LONG) overdue update to the City of Spokane’s Shoreline Master Program continues to progress, which is great news.

What’s the Shoreline Master Program, you ask? Think of it as a shoreline-specific policy overlay, guiding the type, placement and characteristics of development within areas abutting the Spokane River or Hangman (Latah) Creek. It’s a critical document for places like Spokane, where the river and shoreline play such an important role in our civic health, quality of life and well-being. We’re proud to say Friends of the Falls has played a role in the process thus far, including representation on the plan’s Stakeholder and Policy Committees.

But things are still in-process, which brings us to the announcement that the next significant milestone will take place Tuesday, December 11, when the update team will host a public “Open House” at the West Central Community Center, 1603 N. Belt Street, starting at 5:30 pm.

Check out the work produced thus far, including a full mapping and inventory of our shorelines, including existing built and ecological conditions, and - we really love this part - draft restoration plans for impacted areas.

Show up to pose questions, express concerns, and basically make sure City staff and consultants know you care about Spokane’s shorelines.

For more, visit the Shoreline Master Program webpage at the link below, or get in touch with the City’s lead planner for the project, JoAnne Wright at 625-6017 or at the e-mail link below. We’ve included the City’s event flyer and an invitation letter from planning director Leroy Eadie, too.

Event Flyer (720 Kb, Acrobat® file)
Eadie Letter (48 Kb, Acrobat® file)
Shoreline Master Program Webpage (City of Spokane)
, Lead Planner (E-mail link)

Even though funds came through a little late to see the proposed whitewater park completed in 2007, your membership and a really active Board of Directors helped make this year a productive one for Friends of the Falls.

Many of our group’s accomplishments have been spotlighted on these pages. Many received coverage in the local media, or represented work in which FOF leant a hand, or were accomplishments of neighborhoods or other groups who used the Gorge Master Plan as a tool or template for their work.

This is a bit more front-of-mind today for two reasons: 1) on November 20, FOF’s Board of Directors met for their annual retreat, at which the group recounted its 2007 goals, and drafted a new set for 2008, and 2) FOF’s year-in-review for its members is being developed for distribution.

A preview?

• Looking back - major kudos to Executive Director Steve Faust for fronting many of the group’s activities, and to President Barb Chamberlain for helping focus a busy year on our 2007 goal set.
• Looking forward - 2008 should see a renewed focus on involving FOF’s membership, allied and community groups in working on Gorge Plan projects; a bigger, better River Cleanup event, and of course, the permitting, design and - with hard work and another dose of good luck - the construction of the long-awaited whitewater park near the Hangman confluence.

Members, look for our year-end report soon. We’ll post details and a summary overview here, too.

In the meantime, please check your FOF membership status. If it’s been more than a year since you last provided your support, it’s time to renew. If you’ve never helped FOF’s work as a member, we’d love to have your support - it’s what keeps us going!

Join FOF (Site link)

As often as some FOF members cycle and run along Aubrey L. White Boulevard, the construction was noticed almost immediately. But the reason for the closure of a portion of that popular roadway - and so much earthmoving that some began referring to the project as the “Big Dig” - was a mystery.

Calls by Board member Travis Nichols to the Washington State Department of Ecology and later, to the City of Spokane, answered most of our questions.

Turns out Northwest Pipeline Company owns and maintains a natural gas pipeline that crosses under the river in that location, which needed improvements in order for automated leak-detection devices known as “PIGs” to operate properly. These improvements, primarily radius reductions where the pipeline made sharp bends following shoreline contours, were reportedly mandated by Federal safety inspection requirements.

The work was pretty extensive, and normally would require a shoreline permit to execute, but in this case, an exception was granted by the City (as Lead Agency) due to the fact that the work is being performed on infrastructure put in place prior to the Shoreline Management Act. The exception form, for those interested, was issued as Z2007-35-SL, with copies sent to the Department of Fish and Wildlife and the Department of Ecology.

Signs originally posted at the job site indicated the work would be completed by October 1, but now say December 1.

Concerned about the restoration and cleanup of the site after the digging is finished? Many, including Friends of the Falls, are. Call the City of Spokane Planning Department for more information on work Northwest Pipeline is required to complete, and like us, follow along.

Dig Photo (Pop-up image)

As a 501 (c) 3 nonprofit group, Friends of the Falls doesn’t endorse or engage in political campaigning, but where campaigns end and policy work begins, FOF is there to promote our mission, including the goals of the Gorge Strategic Master Plan (SMP).

So we were gratified to see formal adoption of the Gorge Master Plan included among incoming Mayor Mary Verner’s list of priorities for the City, along with a host of issues important to the river and Spokane’s environmental future, including:

• The promotion and recognition that what’s good for the environment is good for business
• Resolution for meaningful clean-up plan for the Spokane River
• Legislative agenda to fund study of watershed pollution
• Legislative agenda to support statewide ban on dishwashing detergents with phosphates
• Aquifer protection
• Support for water stewardship plan
• Protection of view corridors

And of course, her campaign pledge to “Move the Great Gorge Plan into formal adoption.”

Mary has joined us on float trips (see inset photo), provided input into the Gorge Master Plan, and in her role as Executive Director of the Upper Columbia United Tribes, she has worked to promote the creation of a cultural center for the tribes, as envisioned in the plan.

FOF wishes to thank outgoing Mayor Dennis Hession for his support and hard work on many of the same issues and goals, including the annual river cleanup and the proposed whitewater park. We look forward to his continued support, knowledge and insight.

We’re excited about the prospect of continuing our work with Mary Verner, now Mayor-Elect!