The gorge plan covers a lot - even many specifics - but some areas need area-specific planning and design consideration. The Peaceful Valley neighborhood is one such area.

So apologies to all, especially Peaceful Valley activists, for not posting more on their recent planning efforts for neighborhood shoreline areas. But since we’ve been helping organizers for some time now, and since former FOF Board member Mike Terrell is helping facilitate the process, we figure we’ll post more as things develop. And there’ll be a lot more to come, from the looks of things.

The next big step for this exciting process is a three-day design charrette, set for the evening of March 28th through Sunday, March 30. Lots happening, and a lot of details we could report here, but let’s just start by referring everyone to the neighborhood’s project-specific website, at http://www.reclaimpeacefulvalley.com

Check it out - even if you’re not a resident of PV, it’s worth a visit just to see a neighborhood as organized and fired up about improving their surroundings as this one is!

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!

The link below downloads a copy of the Strategic Master Plan’s Table of Contents and report cover. Prepared by planning consultant Moore Iacofano Goltsman of Berkeley, CA.

SMP Table of Contents (3.3 Mb, Acrobat® file)

The link below downloads a copy of the Strategic Master Plan’s Executive Summary chapter, providing a quick overview of the entire document. Prepared by planning consultant Moore Iacofano Goltsman of Berkeley, CA.

SMP Executive Summary (719 Kb, Acrobat® file)