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Montgomery Ave Traffic-Circle Landscaping & MoU

Montgomery Ave Traffic-Circle Landscaping & MoU

The traffic circles (aka roundabouts) on Montgomery Ave that are slated to be installed this year between the 1100 and 1400 blocks of Montgomery Ave require a memorandum of understanding (MoU) if they are to be landscaped and not drab concrete slabs.

A memorandum of understanding is a non-legal document that lays out the terms of a common course of action. In this case, the parties involved are the City of Spokane and the residents and organizations on Montgomery Ave. The agreement is that the residents and organizations will maintain the landscaping (i.e., occasional weeding, watering, pruning.)

A Landscaped Roundabout
An example of a landscaped roundabout

As part of the MoU, the Montgomery Ave residents will be able to decide which plants, flowers and grasses are installed by the city in the course of landscaping.

Some of the ground cover options include wild ginger, Scotch heather, sunrose and sticky geranium. Native perennials include wildflowers such as common yarrow, aquilegia and coral bells. Ornamental grasses are also an option. See the slideshow below.

Download this PDF for a recap of images and suggestions of landscaping possibilities. The city asks to keep the following in mind when choosing:

  • Any treatment that is installed needs to be kept within 36″ so that it doesn’t obstruct the site
  • A mix of plants would be the best option to make the traffic circles esthetically pleasing all year
  • Plants chosen should be drought resistant to limit the water that is needed

As of this writing, Trinity Catholic School and three families have agreed to sign the MoU. We would like more to join them in this very minimal commitment of time and effort, as many hands make light work. If you live near the site and are interested in adding your name to the MoU, please get in touch.

It’s worth reiterating here that this is one of Spokane’s most forward-thinking residential traffic-calming initiatives, and it’s a compliment that Emerson-Garfield was chosen to be the neighborhood that will benefit.

Spokane Public Montessori Will Unify in Emerson-Garfield

Spokane Public Montessori Will Unify in Emerson-Garfield

The Spokane Public School Board voted last night to unify the Spokane Public Montessori program at the Community School (aka Havermale; 1300 W Knox) here in Emerson-Garfield. It goes into effect for the upcoming 2014-15 school year.

For the past 26 years, Spokane’s public Montessori programs — public, not private, being fairly unique in and of itself — have been housed within Balboa Elementary to the north (just above Francis) and Jefferson Elementary to the south (on 37th). Unification at this single central location will allow those two previously separate programs to pool their staff, resources, and enjoy a dedicated facility that is better equipped for the Montessori educational method.

The Spokesman-Review has a typically bitty story on the vote and some of the responses to unification. An info sheet and FAQ (PDF file) on enrolling in the Montessori program and the logistics of unification was also issued prior to the school board’s vote.

Havermale 2012

From a neighborhood standpoint, the even better news is that the Medicine Wheel Academy will remain in the building and the Community School will move just down the road to Bancroft (1025 W Spofford), so Emerson-Garfield does not end up losing these valuable learning programs altogether. (Although, if you’re being pedantic, the move does put the Community School just within the West Central border.)

Representatives from the Emerson-Garfield Neighborhood Council have already sat down with city traffic engineers to see how this new primary school might be a candidate for Safe Routes to School improvements, and they will be pursuing that goal in the coming months. The larger plan is to create a safe, ideally pedestrian-oriented network that will benefit all the schools that are clustered in or near Emerson-Garfield, including Garfield Elementary, North Central, Trinity Catholic and Audubon. If you’re interested in joining that effort, please get in touch.

The increased space that Havermale offers also means that the public Montessori program, which will continue to admit new students by a lottery system, will likely have more spots available for new students.

If you would like to enroll your child in the Montessori program for the 2014-15 school year, you must attend the orientation and registration meeting on either Thursday, February 20 (5:30-7:30pm) or Saturday, February 22 (10am-12pm). Both will be held at Havermale.

So: Welcome to Emerson-Garfield, current and future Montessori parents and students! We look forward to collaborating with you in cool and creative ways to build stronger neighborhood and school communities.

Law Enforcement Partnership to Reduce Underage Drinking

Law Enforcement Partnership to Reduce Underage Drinking

From a press release from the West Central Community Coalition regarding a proposed law enforcement partnership to reduce underage drinking:

Data shows that in a large portion of the Spokane Community arrest of youth is nearly twice that of the state average with alcohol being a contributing factor.

The West Central Community Coalition in partnership with the Spokane County Sheriff’s Department, in collaboration with Spokane Police Department and Spokane School District 81 have received a grant to reduce and bring awareness of underage drinking in the community.

Data contained in the What’s Happening in West Central — A Community Needs Assessment Book shows that arrest of youth (10- 17) is nearly twice that of the state average with alcohol being a contributing factor.

The West Central Community Coalition is partnering with local law enforcement, Spokane County Community Services, and Whitworth University to reduce underage drinking thru the use of alcohol purchase surveys and compliance checks of local liquor retailers.

Additionally the coalition will be partnering with School District 81 to conduct student surveys in order to assess youth perception of alcohol consumption.

The geographic area for these efforts will be from the Spokane River north to Wellesley and from Division west to the Spokane River (see attached map).

In an effort to bring awareness of the impacts and costs associated with underage drinking, the Coalition [gave] a presentation to the Spokane City Council at its December 16th, 2013 meeting at 6 pm.

The West Central Community Coalition is comprised of local non-profits, social service agencies, and government entities and has been in existence since 1994.

Law enforcement partnership

As you’ll note from the map to the left, Emerson-Garfield neighborhood is part of the geographic area that falls under the remit of this law enforcement partnership. Portions of the North Hill and Northwest neighborhoods are part of it as well.

Kelly Cruz, who is helping to spearhead this effort on behalf of the West Central Community Coalition, will be presenting additional information on the initiative and answering questions about its scope, implementation, and ramifications at the upcoming Emerson-Garfield Neighborhood Council meeting on Wednesday, February 12.

Status on Traffic-Calming Applications

Status on Traffic-Calming Applications

First post of 2014, and we’ve got both good and bad news on previous traffic-calming applications made by the Emerson-Garfield Neighborhood Council.

Let’s start with the good, taken straight from the e-mail we just received from the city:

The Emerson Garfield Traffic Calming Application from 2012 for infill sidewalks on the East Side of Adams from Mansfield to Alleyway and on Madison between Mansfield and Alleyway have been chosen by the City Council to be implemented.

The project is being moved to the final design phase and then into implementation. The build year for the project will depend on the complexity of the project and the design needed; some projects fall into a two year cycle for design and build.

Just to reiterate, that’s a request from 2012. The images below give a rough idea where the sidewalks are to be installed.

And the bad:

The applications from 2013 were not chosen for implementation, the crosswalk at Jackson and Maple St. and the Signage at Cora and Euclid. The crosswalk at Jackson was not chosen due to its close proximity to a school crossing one block north of this location. The Signage at Cora and Euclid did not meet the signatures that were needed to move the project forward.

That crosswalk on Maple was requested on account of the busy intersection there, which sees a lot of foot traffic (in addition to automobile traffic) from Safeway. While it’s true that there are two pedestrian crossings a few blocks to the north and south, traffic of any kind naturally tends to follow the shortest and most direct route. There’s a case to be made either way. The signage was a good idea but, as the e-mail indicates, saw no follow-through.

If you have traffic-calming or sidewalk suggestions for application in 2014, please submit them to the EGNC for consideration. But in the case of traffic-calming, also be prepared to gather the necessary signatures.

October Neighborhood Council Meeting Recap

October Neighborhood Council Meeting Recap

Mere days before the Emerson-Garfield Neighborhood Council convenes for its meeting on Wednesday, November 13 at 7pm in the Corbin Senior Center, we thought it a good time to bring everyone up to speed on what the EGNC did last month.

After the meeting kicked off in the usual manner shortly after 7pm, Matt West of the Lands Council gave a presentation about Spokane River toxins and eating fish caught there. One of the two more common toxins is PCBs/PBDEs (flame retardants). Exposure to these chemicals comes from eating fish caught in the river. The other toxin is heavy metals, which are remnants of a century of mining upstream. Exposure to heavy metals comes from ingesting dirt or contact with broken skin. More information is available through the Lands Council.

Garbage Czar Karl Boldt noted that dump passes would be available after the meeting and on October 26 at the Corbin Senior Center.

Information concerning Photo Red funds was discussed next. Up until a recent decision by the City Council, all profits derived from red light fines — for context, $437,000 was raised in 2012 — were used to fund traffic-calming improvements like traffic circles and curb bump-outs. The recent vote by the City Council changed this allocation so that in the future, $100,000 of the total funds will go to the Spokane Police, $50,000 will go to the COPS program, and $20,000 will go to graffiti abatement. The rest will go for traffic calming. It should be noted that the EGNC, along with the Community Assembly and many other neighborhood councils voted (in an advisory capacity) to keep all funds collected through the Photo Red program strictly for traffic calming projects.

It was announced that Christ Clinic had successfully applied for a permit to allow them to use a house adjacent to their property for commercial use. It was previously zoned residential and a minor zone change was allowed.

Corbin Senior Center reported a successful Walk-Along at Corbin Park, which brought out more people than last year and raised $1,000. Harvard Park sponsored a Spaghetti Fundraiser, which brought in another $1,000. The Munch and Mingle Auction sold out the day before the event. Unfortunately, the Parks Department did not increase the contract funding amount for Corbin, even though a number of people (including representatives of the EGNC) wrote letters. Senator Andy Billig has offered to guide Corbin towards the possibility of maybe getting a grant for a new elevator. Corbin’s name will appear next month as we dole out Community Development Block Grant funds with a request for funds for a variety of needs.

The Emerson Community Garden is wrapping up its season, and there is a cleanup day scheduled for Sunday, October 20. Membership is just $20 a season and everyone shares in the harvest.

As of this meeting, there were two remaining Emerson-Garfield Farmers’ Markets for the season. Four raffles are set for the final gathering on Friday, October 18, and you must be present to win.

Megan Kennedy, who heads the Neighborhood Planning Committee, announced there is a big planning workshop meeting scheduled for the next evening (Thursday, October 10) from 6:30 to 8:30pm. Another meeting is scheduled for Thursday, November 14 at the same place and time. The more people who attend, the better and more inclusive the planning effort will be.

Lt. Dean Sprague gave the monthly crime report. Statistics show that neighborhood crime rates are down. Starting on the first of the year, the Spokane Police Department will be surveying itself regarding racial profiling. Currently, 88% of those arrested are white males. Officers will be filling out information detailing demographics after every arrest that will then a collated, synthesized and processed to see how they are doing.

The Community Assembly has a retreat scheduled for Saturday, October 12 where the focus will be reinventing Community Assembly and Neighborhood Councils. Sheriff Ozzie Knezovich will be the keynote speaker.

New playground equipment for Emerson Park was installed in July. Sidewalks are also complete for this year and many of the projects are just now being wrapped up.

Training seminars for Building Stronger Neighborhoods have been going on, and the next one will be on October 21 at Corbin Senior Center. It will address the pros, cons and how-tos of neighborhood councils forming nonprofit organizations

The meeting was adjourned at 8:12pm.