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Category: Suggestion

601 W. Mansfield – Opposition Form Letter

601 W. Mansfield – Opposition Form Letter

Thank you for your willingness to share your feedback on the proposed “Grocery” store on 601 W. Mansfield. Below you will find a sample letter to help you in reaching out to elected officials and Spokane City Planning staff. Feel free to edit or adjust your letter to highlight your own concerns and align with your opinions on the matter. For a comprehensive list of concerns, please reference OPPOSITION: 601 W. Mansfield
PLEASE NOTE: Comments are DUE by 5/15/24 (This Wednesday).
Please send your personalized email to the following individuals:
Kitty Klitzke, District 3 City Council Member; Zack Zappone, District 3 City Council Member; Betsy Wilkerson, President of City Council; Spencer Gardner, Director of Planning Services; Steven Bafus, Project Planner

To: sbafus@spokanecity.org

Cc: bwilkerson@spokanecity.org, zzappone@spokanecity.org, kklitzke@spokanecity.org, sgardner@spokanecity.org 

Subject: Written Comment of Concerns Regarding Conditional Use Permit for 601 W Mansfield

Text: 

Mr. Steven Bafus,

My name is (insert name) and I am an owner/a resident of (insert address). I am reaching out to you  in regard to the proposed Mansfield “Grocery Store” project located at 601 W Mansfield Ave, as it pertains to the city’s conditional use permit application. 

[Location: 601 W Mansfield Ave. Parcel no. 35074.2512, SHANNONS 2ND L12 B6 File/Application Number: Z24-217CUP2]

I would like it to be recorded that I am opposed to this project for several reasons that stem from a list of concerns compiled by myself and other members of the Emerson-Garfield community who would be the most negatively impacted by the approval of this permit. 

This site is located along a primary walking thoroughfare for both children and families, it is predominantly a residential area, and is near multiple schools. The area has plenty of existing businesses within a brief walking distance that provide convenience food and beverages, such as Indiana Market and the 76 station. Unfortunately, the area also has struggles with crime and loitering being present. Based on the precedent set by this developer’s other businesses, Broadway Mini Mart and Amerimart, they are wholly misrepresenting their plans. The documentation calls this a “grocery store”, but would more accurately be described as a convenience store, not a neighborhood grocery store. An additional convenience store in the area would exacerbate the current challenges and is not likely to add value in a meaningful or beneficial way. A “neighborhood serving” business would not reduce property values or cause unnecessary stress upon a neighborhood and its neighbors. The most recent previous use onsite was a dental office, a business with far less impact (traffic, noise, light pollution, parking issues, etc.) to a residential or family oriented environment than a convenience storefront would have. 

There is also concern about improper filing of the land use application, as a grocery store must sell fresh produce and the owner has indicated that the intended store plans to only sell pre-packaged and processed foods, as well as tobacco products and alcoholic beverages. An additional concern is that local neighbors were not properly notified via mail as is the standard process for a land use adjustment. This was confirmed via verbal testimony from multiple residents during the Emerson-Garfield Neighborhood Council meeting held on 5/8/24, City Council Member Zach Zappone and ONS staff member Gabby Ryan were present. 

Lastly, this project has been processed as a type 2 Conditional Use Permit- a procedure that does not require public hearing. Type 2 CUPS are appropriate for buildings smaller than 3000 square feet. However, according to the submitted site plans, the build sq ft exceeds 3000 sq. ft. (3480 sq ft.). WIth this discrepancy, we request that the project follow type 3 conditional use permit procedures: requiring a community meeting hosted by the application and a public hearing. This misstep significantly limits the options and opportunity for the neighborhood to speak out about this application. 

If you choose to allow this adjusted use to proceed, I would request that you consider a few contingencies to be put into place, perhaps via a legal covenant between the owner and the City:

  • Require the store to close at 9pm. If it is truly meant to be a neighborhood grocery store, most people have done their grocery shopping by that hour and it will be closed in time for Spokane residential noise ordinance.
  • Require the site to use/ install “dark sky” compliant exterior lighting, to the benefit of local wildlife and the neighbors. 
  • Prohibit the property from receiving permits for the sale of hard alcohol, lottery tickets, and tobacco products. Again in support of a “neighborhood serving” grocery store.
  • Do not permit extensive change of the building’s facade, in keeping with the existing design precedence, and in an effort to maintain the look and feel of the residential area. 

My opposition to this project comes from the fact that it is operating in bad faith, which implies knowledge of the negative impact it will likely cause. I would gladly advocate for a community-oriented project that enhances the neighborhood’s quality of life. However, this proposed project does not meet those requirements. 

I kindly request that you carefully consider these points of concern raised by the Emerson-Garfield community when evaluating the permit application for the Mansfield “Grocery Store” project.

Thank you for your attention to this matter.

(Your Name)
[Your Position]
Emerson-Garfield Neighborhood resident

Emerson-Garfield Upcoming Events

Emerson-Garfield Upcoming Events

Did you know that there are SO many opportunities to join Emerson-Garfield Neighborhood throughout the year?

Community members can take part in the Spring Clean Up event, pick up some tasty, locally-grown produce at the Emerson-Garfield Farmers’ Market, or join us at any of our monthly council meetings.
A lot of information is available here on our website, so please take a look around! You can even sign up and subscribe to receive updates for easy delivery of new information from emersongarfield.org

Call for ideas on a neighborhood mural

Call for ideas on a neighborhood mural

There is an exciting annoucement from one of our neighborhood’s community resources, Fulcrum’s Ash Street Station. They will be the proud recipients of a mural to be painted on the north facing exterior wall. The Ash Street Station was selected by Gonzaga University’s Art Department, and the mural will be done in cooperation with Spokane Arts. Spokane Arts Supply will be donating art supplies and paint is being contributed via another project donor. What a great line-up of community partners coming together for a worthy project!art easel

Fulcrum’s Ash Street Station is offering the Emerson-Garfield neighborhood the opportunity to submit ideas for topics/themes that could be a part of the final design.

Anyone who wishes more information or who would like to submit any theme ideas for this mural, please contact:

Matt Hutchinson, Operations Administrator, Fulcrum Institute/Dispute Resolution Clinic
mhutchinson@fulcrumdispute.com 509-598-8983

Judith Gilmore, Community Resource Analyst, Fulcrum Institute/Dispute Resolution Clinic
Judithg721@comcast.net 509-327-5041

Join (or Start) Your Nextdoor Neighborhood

Join (or Start) Your Nextdoor Neighborhood

Even with this blog, a Twitter feed, a city-hosted website, and a Facebook page, it’s not always easy for our neighborhood to come together and interact online.

A new social media website called Nextdoor is changing that. Think of it as a cross between Craigslist, Facebook, a classic Internet forum, and a community bulletin board. It’s geared exclusively to neighborhood needs such as broadcasting community events, posting items for sale (or free), addressing crime/safety concerns, soliciting ideas about how to make our neighborhood better, and more.

Nextdoor image

Two Nextdoor neighborhoods have already sprung up here in Emerson-Garfield.

If you live near Corbin Park, you can join the active Corbin Park Spokane neighborhood here on Nextdoor.

And if you live in Emerson-Garfield on the west side of Monroe, you can join the new Emerson-Gafield West neighborhood here on Nextdoor.

Some of the great things Nextdoor enables you to do:

  • Get to know your neighbors
  • Get local recommendations for a great babysitter, plumber or handyman
  • Look out for each other by sharing advice and reporting suspicious activity
  • Buy, sell, trade or give away items within your neighborhood
  • Get updates on community issues, plan neighborhood events

And if a Nextdoor neighborhood doesn’t exist for your immediate area, feel free to start one. By breaking our larger neighborhood down into smaller, more localized areas, we can help make the whole of Emerson-Garfield even better.

Now, Where Do We Go from Here?

Now, Where Do We Go from Here?

Thanks to everyone who took the time to follow the story about The Hoods and our response to it, we’ve had hundreds of new visitors to this site over the past 48 hours. We hope that it won’t be a one-off and that many of you will return to stay abreast of much less incendiary news about neighborhood developments and events.

Whether you agree with our point about The Hoods or not, we want to invite everyone with a stake in Emerson-Garfield to participate in our ongoing efforts to improve the neighborhood from the bottom up. Contrary to stereotype, Emerson-Garfield’s neighborhood council and planning committee aren’t a cabal of grumpy old men griping about kids on their lawn — the groups are diverse, they’re vibrant, they’re active, and they’re always looking for ways to become more of all those things.

Some of the biggest challenges we’ve historically faced are ignorance and apathy, but The Hoods has shown that people can become informed very quickly if the incentive is there, and that those people are anything but apathetic about their neighborhood.

So, where do we go from here?

Don’t limit your concern to a single of outburst of controversy. Don’t limit your comments to a single blog post. Don’t sour on an issue because of criticism. Instead, show up to neighborhood council and planning meetings. Speak your mind. Offer your input. Make suggestions for improvement. Help with the legwork. Because neither the individual councils nor The Hoods are the sole arbiters of what our neighborhoods are or what they can be. That takes all of us working in concert.

Here in Emerson-Garfield, there are two meetings this week that would welcome new faces, new voices, and new ideas:

  • Neighborhood Planning, 6pm on Wednesday at Corbin Senior Center. This is an initiative that is working toward a documented vision that could guide the neighborhood for the next decade and beyond.
  • Emerson-Garfield Neighborhood Council, 7pm on Wednesday at Corbin Senior Center. This focuses on practical issues and improvements such as crime updates, new playground equipment in the parks, and event planning.

If you’re fired up and live, work, or own property anywhere in Emerson-Garfield, we hope to see you at one or both of these meetings.