In May, the council approved a motion to write and submit a letter of opposition from the EGNC to the Spokane City Planning staff regarding the 601 W. Mansfield Conditional Use Permit. This permit would allow a new convenience store in the interior of the Emerson Garfield neighborhood. Many neighbors also submitted comments indicating opposition independently. City staff provided notice of approval of the Conditional Use Permit on 7/9/24. In part, the decision stated: “Staff received 76 public comments on the proposal: six during the agency review period and 70 during the public comment period. One comment was in favor of the proposed use. The remaining comments expressed apprehensions or opposition to the proposed use.”

At the EGNC July meeting, held 7/10/24, the council approved a motion to write an additional letter of objection in support of appealing the decision. A neighborhood member, of their own accord and not as a representative of the council, has been reaching out to lawyers and looking into the potential costs of the decision appeal process. This neighbor has set up a GoFundMe account to cover the anticipated fees for these efforts, including lawyer fees and the $250 appeal filing fee. Due to the consistently high level of engagement on this matter, we are sharing that information here so that those who are interested may choose to participate.