The community meeting is designed to answer questions from members of the Audubon-Downriver Neighborhood and the Emerson-Garfield Neighborhood in regards to a potential housing project on the empty two acres located at the south side of the property at 3128 N Hemlock. It’s also intended for neighbors’ concerns to be heard and noted by Transitions.
The Office of Neighborhood Services will be moderating the meeting. They’re reserved roughly 15 minutes for background on the project and the progress thus far. The remaining 45 minutes will focus on input from members of the neighborhoods. As basic guidelines to ensure that everyone’s voice is heard, the organizers have suggested that no one speak twice before everyone has had a chance, and that no one speak longer than five minutes at any one time.
If you have any questions about the meeting please contact Melissa Wittstruck of the Office of Neighborhood Services at mwittstruck@spokanecity.org or 625-6087.
The Emerson-Garfield Neighborhood Council held a community planting on the morning of October 31 as part of our neighborhood’s successful round of Greening Grants. Its purpose was to remove the thatch and dead brush from the traffic triangles on Northwest Boulevard and to install new native, hardy plants like lilacs and echinacea.
Despite gray skies, about fifteen volunteers from Emerson-Garfield and beyond came out and spent their Halloween morning pulling up thick layers of dried grass, raking the debris, loading the trucks, tilling the soil, and finally (the fun bit) putting the new plants in the ground. The volunteers’ ages ranged from their twenties to their seventies.
Amy Dutton, a neighborhood resident and owner of Garden UP Landscaping, donated her time and skills to oversee the planting. She carefully selected the plants so that they’ll bloom in stages throughout the year. It should look really lovely come spring.
The slight letdown is that the number of volunteers (out of a neighborhood of more than 9,000 people) meant that there wasn’t enough time or manpower to tackle the planting of the second triangle to the south as originally planned. We’re trying to determine if a second volunteer planting event can be arranged this late in the year, or if additional funds will have to be used to hire a contractor.
The neighborhood council would like to offer a huge show of thanks to Alicia Powell at the City’s Office of Neighborhood Services. Under the Greening Grants program, she coordinated the planting, made arrangements for traffic safety, and also set up the installation of an irrigation system with the help of the City Water Dept.
Many thanks to Jonathan Martinez as well for bringing snacks and snapping the above photos during the event!
Emerson-Garfield Neighborhood Council is organizing a community planting as part of our successful round of Greening Grants this Saturday, October 31.
The planting will run from 9am to noon, rain or shine, and will beautify the unsightly traffic triangles on Northwest Boulevard. Volunteers will need to meet at Perfection Tire (1021 NW Blvd) at 8:45am.
We’re looking for folks of all ages and abilities to help us prepare the area for planting and then put in phlox, yucca, echinacea, and other plants that will bloom in stages throughout the year. Ideally we’d like to have 30+ participants.
Yes, we know it’s Halloween, but the planting will be over several hours before trick-or-treating starts.
Please bring any of the following items on the day:
Lawn rakes
Garbage bags
Wheelbarrows
Shovels
Garden fork and/or hand claws
Trowels
Gloves
Drinking water
We could also use a few volunteers with trucks for hauling. You’ll get a dump pass worth $20, or you can wait until our neighborhood’s Fall Cleanup on November 7 to offload.
This is a brief recap of the Emerson-Garfield Neighborhood Council meeting that took place on October 14, 2015.
There were several guest speakers. Greg Johnson from Cliff-Cannon Neighborhood spoke first to address the cell tower ordinance. He noted that there has been a clash between those who desire more cellular data coverage and those residents who are concerned with their proximity to a cell phone tower for health or aesthetic reasons. There are substitutes, he said, such as a larger number of smaller, shorter-range antennas that would not be as visible. AT&T has opposed using the smaller antennas, whereas Verizon has been supportive of them.
Greg said there is no protection for a historical property in this ordinance, and there is a very short (20 foot) setback from a residence. The tower can also be as tall as 60 feet with the current ordinance. The City cannot dictate technology, but it does have the power to regulate aesthetic guidelines.
From the October 2015 meeting of the Emerson-Garfield Neighborhood Council
He added that AT&T has had lawyers working on this issue who have significant financial leverage on their side. There are lawyers available to oppose AT&T, but Cliff-Cannon Neighborhood has exhausted its funding. Donations can be made to fund additional work by the neighborhood’s lawyers. Also, the City Council will be allowing people to speak on record regarding this issue. Councilwoman Candace Mumm confirmed some of that information, and clarified that e-mails can be sent to Plan Commission members in advance of a public meeting.
Officer Doug Strosahl from the Spokane Police Department reported on crime in our neighborhood. As was the case last month, crime is down overall, but there are reasons for concern. Out of other neighborhoods in SPD’s “P2” area, which includes portions of West Central and North Hill, Emerson-Garfield has had the highest reporting of crimes in the past month. You can research crime prevention through environmental design (aka CPTED) to get some ideas regarding how to reduce crime around your property.
A question was raised about cars on the street with expired tags. Officer Strosahl said that you can report the car to 755-CITY. The compliance time between report and towing is as little as 2 to 3 weeks. If you do call the report in, your name will be on the report, but if you mail in a report requesting non-disclosure, your name will not be visible to the vehicle owner. Cars are not supposed to be rebuilt or repaired on public streets, so this can be reported as well. Parking enforcement can ticket a reported car that has half of its tires on the street and half on the sidewalk.
Councilwoman Candace Mumm spoke next and gave a quick City Council update. The City’s expenses and revenue are both going up. A new police chief will need to be hired, although she said the acting chief is doing a good job. The City has been without a planning director for over a year now, and that slows down improvements around the city. There are openings on the Plan Commission for residents to advise the City regarding various matters, and residents with interest and skill are encouraged to fill out the two-page application.
Max Benson from the non-profit Community Frameworks reported that their old office is being torn down to build 32 low-income housing units with one unit for a property manager. This property will be called West 315. Demolition will begin after October 26, and the project should be completed roughly one year from now. Spokane Housing Ventures will be managing the property. There will also be a bus shelter on the corner of Washington and Mission. The sidewalks surrounding the building will be wider than before. Over $100,000 of solar panels will be on the roof. Community Frameworks has also applied for Community Development Block Grants (CDBG) funds for the North Calispel Improvement Project to pave a portion of Calispel between Sinto and Mission.
It was noted that Community Frameworks has been very proactive in its dealings with the EGNC and has requested the neighborhood council’s input during many of the phases of their development to make sure that the result will be in accordance with our neighborhood’s plan.
Director of Neighborhood Services Jonathan Mallahan spoke last regarding Mayor Condon’s 2016 proposed budget. He said there has already been a great deal of collaboration between the City Council and the Mayor prior to publication of the proposed budget, which will total $810 million. He pointed out some of the anomalies, such as the wastewater management initiative that accounts for over 45% of the total budget. It is a one-time investment because of federal requirements. Jonathan encouraged citizens to contact him directly with questions at (509) 625-6734.
Next came voting issues. The neighborhood council members voted unanimously to assign $11,290.96 from the CDBG street tree account toward tree plantings within the neighborhood, as the funds can no longer be held in that account. A portion of the money could be used to fund irrigation on the NW Boulevard traffic islands that are being planted as part of the 2015 Greening Grant cycle. That community planting, incidentally, will be held on Saturday, October 31. Volunteers are encouraged to help. Anyone on Facebook is welcome to RSVP to the event.
The neighborhood gateway project in partnership with North Hill Neighborhood near Cora and Monroe has made significant progress. It will have trees and irrigation, along with signs welcoming travelers to both neighborhoods. A total of $128,000 in CDBG funds—$64,000 from each neighborhood over two years—will be allocated to the project. Construction will take place in 2018 along with North Monroe Street revitalization. The measure was passed unanimously by voting members, each of whom signed a CDBG conflict of interest statement.
On Saturday, November 7, Faith Bible Church (600 W Cora) will be holding a free Fall Cleanup event. They will have two dumpsters onsite for green yard waste (residents are encouraged to bring their leaves), and they will also be going out into Emerson-Garfield to do some roving cleanup. The church is looking for volunteers from the neighborhood to spread the word and assist on the day. Contact Nathan for more info.
Laura Schlangen reported on the Corbin Senior Activity Center. Their Munch and Mingle Auction sold out and netted almost $18,000.
Community Assembly (CA) meetings will be changing to the first Thursday of each month, starting at 5:30, in the new year. The importance of having a representative who can consistently attend both EGNC and CA meetings was stressed. Four neighborhood council members expressed interest in being a CA or co-CA representative.
Knox Presbyterian Church (806 W Knox) is holding a free special dramatic presentation tomorrow (Thursday, October 15) at 7pm when the Knox Presbyterian Drama Group presents Beyond the Shadow Lands, an adaptation of the play Strangers and Other Angels conceived by Karin Coonrod.
The play contains direct transcriptions of medieval drama, modern translations, scripture, and even Italian dialogue. It offers insight into the Biblical themes of sinfulness, mercy, and God’s restoration.
The Knox Presbyterian Drama Group says that those who’ve seen it have described it as “powerful.” They’re encouraging individuals, youth groups, book groups, and other people to attend together and then discuss common experience and individual impressions after seeing the play.
