But a State deadline approaches, and it’s time for another City-sponsored open house to allow for community feedback on progress. It’s set for Wednesday, May 14, from 5:30 to 7:30 pm in Mason Auditorium at the West Central Community Center, 1603 N. Belt. (GMap)

The Shoreline Master Program (SMP) was first drafted 30 years ago and addresses such issues as environmental protection and restoration of shoreline areas, economic development, shorelines uses and access to waterways. For more on the document, see the City’s project-specific website, accessible here.

Board Vice-Chair Travis Nichols reports there are some compelling issues being discussed and in need community input, including the current debate on high-rise towers versus medium-height, mixed-use development along shorelines, designations for key sites in the Gorge, and more.

Want to provide input on how the City should manage development along the shorelines of the Spokane River and Hangman (Latah) Creek? Want to review existing or proposed environmental designations for shorelines, or help shape the goals, policies, and regulations that’ll go along with those designations? Show up and voice your thoughts!

Even if you can’t make Wednesday’s meeting, be sure to check out the City’s progress at spokaneplanning.org, then email your comments to shorelines@spokanecity.org - or give project manager Jo Anne Wright a call, at 509-625-6017.

Missed us at Bloomsday? Here’s a link to a downloadable version of the flyer - including a summary of our work, the river’s history, and the Olmsted-inspired Gorge Master Plan. A membership form is included, too!

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!

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!

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. 

In any case, our contacts at Washington State’s office of Community, Trade and Economic Development (CTED) sent this item recently, and we thought we’d spread the word to our bike/ped friends at the City and of course to Friends of the Centennial Trail.

It’s an $11-million dollar pot of money now available from the Washington State Department of Transportation (WSDOT), to be distributed through two grant programs related to non-auto transportation. One’s about safe routes to school, but the other program could have implications for area-wide trails and bike lanes, maybe even in the Spokane River Gorge. Called the “Pedestrian and Bicycle Safety Grant Program,” the source is all about “...funding projects that improve pedestrian and bicycle safety, and may include “engineering solutions and educational programs.”

It seems the grants have to be issued through a public agency like the City of Spokane, but efforts - especially from groups - that help identify and assist with grant applications are usually welcome at the City.

Design work for the trail through the Kendall Yards area? Work to improve safety along that nasty stretch of the Centennial Trail running along the Government Way and Fort George Wright zoom-ways? Maybe so.

Check out the press release for the grants, downloadable below.

Most recently, we were honored to learn that Interim Parks Director Roger Crum will begin attending FOF monthly Board meetings on behalf of the Mayor and the department.

Mr. Crum is expected to continue his position through the selection process of the City’s new Parks & Recreation Director. The applications deadline for the position closed on Friday, January 18, and a selection committee is now being formed to interview the candidates. Mr. Crum has not applied for the position.

Friends of the Falls has maintained a good working relationship with the Parks Department and the Parks Board over the years. Thanks to the Mayor and Mr. Crum for helping set the stage for even more effective collaboration in the future.

For more on Mr. Crum’s appointment, see the links below including a release issued by the City of Spokane, and an article appearing in the Spokesman-Review on December 20, 2007.

But our friends at the Northwest Whitewater Rafting Association take it a bit further each New Year’s Day with their annual “Fools Float on the First” run through the Bowl and Pitcher Rapids.

NWRA President and long-time supporter Paul Delaney sent us a few snapshots of this year’s event, which frankly, looked like a lot of fun and a great way to begin the new year.

Paul mentioned that turnout was a bit low this year, given that float-time temperatures were a little low as well - about 20 degrees.

But with dozens actually diving into the icy waters upstream at Lake Coeur d’Alene, we’re thinking Paul’s group will have to come up with a better excuse to miss next year’s event.

P.S.: Haven’t seen the NWRA website? Interested in additional information on whitewater parks around the country? Check out the group’s webpage on the proposed Spokane whitewater park here or at the link below.

Right up front (it’s the title of the post) moderators Bart Mihailovich and Paul Dillon admit it’s no Michael Moore production, but the images and narration they’ve put together covers some of the key attributes of the proposal - and if you haven’t visited the confluence area yourself, offers some great shots of conditions where the park is to be located.

Check it out at Down to Earth, and thanks, guys!

In “New building begins new look,” published on December 27, 2007, Livingston noted that the new SFCC business and social science building is intended to begin a campus-wide planning shift towards the nearby Spokane River Gorge, something initial campus plans ignored. “We’re turning all of the campus back toward the river more,” Livingston said. “We really want to accentuate the location, which wasn’t done when the campus was built.”

Even though the building has no direct view of the river, the idea that SFCC will begin to embrace its prime location is exciting. With acres of undeveloped, forested shoreline area just a stone’s throw from campus, highlighting the river makes great sense - especially since it helps position SFCC with youth activities and curricula that could capitalize on the river’s proximity. Long-term, housing could begin to replace the acres of asphalt that currently dominate the area, and help draw more full-time students. More two and three-story buildings like this one could help the school grow in size without increasing the overall footprint of the campus.

Though SFCC lies outside of the River Gorge Master Plan, the overall scope envisions linking Riverfront Park with Riverside State Park. Such future planning work would almost certainly include SFCC as an important partner.

Kudos to Mr. Livingston, and to SFCC for recognizing the opportunity, and for beginning an important transition!

Ted’s editorials are almost always worth reading, but this one was all about “what ought to be next” in Spokane.

Including this line: “Finally, and most obviously, there’s the Spokane River, and the Gorge Park is a great idea we should all get behind.”

Darn right, Ted!