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Materials for the May 14 EGNC Meeting

Materials for the May 14 EGNC Meeting

The Emerson-Garfield Neighborhood Council meets this Wednesday, May 14 at 7pm in the Corbin Senior Center (827 W Cleveland). We met hundreds of new folks at the Spring Cleanup this past weekend, and we hope to see many of you there!

On the subject of Spring Cleanup, we’ll be hearing a quick recap of the event, including participation, hiccups (like broken dumpster hinges and dumpsters that came back full), and just how much trash was collected. The numbers are pretty impressive.

There will be a trio of guest speakers, including representatives of the Riverfront Park Master Plan, who’ll be explaining what’s in store downtown and who’s going to pay for it, plus Alicia Powell of the Office of Neighborhood Services (on potential stormwater improvements here in E-G) and Dave Braun on behalf of Summer Parkways — which is returning to our neighborhood this year!

And, of course, we’ll hear our final Neighborhood Planning update, how the Emerson-Garfield Farmers’ Market is shaping up, what’s in the works for this season’s Concerts in the Park, as well as some fun (no, really!) volunteer opportunities.

Save a tree and download the May 14 meeting materials as PDFs here:

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.

Open House Tonight on Changes Downtown

Open House Tonight on Changes Downtown

The City of Spokane is inviting citizens to an open house this evening (Monday, August 19) to learn about changes planned for Post Street near City Hall and related projects that are expected to transform that area in west downtown along the Spokane River.

The open house will be held in the Chase Gallery in the lower level of City Hall, 808 W. Spokane Falls Blvd [map] from 4:30 to 6pm. Staff also will brief the City Council on the projects during the council’s regular 6pm Monday night meeting in the adjacent Council Chambers.

The following projects and proposals will be discussed at the open house:

  • Post Street improvements. In the coming weeks, Post Street between Spokane Falls Boulevard and the Post Street Bridge will be converted to a one-way, northbound street. Additionally, North Lincoln Street from the Post Street Bridge north to Broadway Avenue will be converted to a three-lane street with parallel parking on both sides. The area will be more pedestrian friendly and provide a good link to a Centennial Trail extension through Veterans Park and Kendall Yards on the north side of the River. Parking in the area will increase through the addition of angled parking on Post and the changes on Lincoln Street. Post Street will be closed from Sept. 10 to Oct. 15 for work related to the changes.
  • Huntington Park and City Plaza improvements. Avista is working to upgrade its 3.8-acre Huntington Park area on the south side of the Spokane River between Post and Monroe streets and adjacent to the river’s lower falls. In addition, Avista is creating a new public plaza in what has been a small parking lot to the north of City Hall. The plaza will be gifted to the City of Spokane when complete as part of Avista’s 125th anniversary celebration in 2014. These projects are managed and paid for by Avista. The Post Street enhancement, which is a City project, will support this work, by increasing pedestrian access and calming traffic.
  • Riverfront Park Master Plan. The changes on Post and at Huntington Park will tie into work to create a new Master Plan for Riverfront Park. The Master Plan process is designed to guide plans for a major reinvestment in Riverfront Park as the 40th anniversary of Expo ’74 nears. More information on the master plan process can be found here.
  • Glover Field concept and Integrated Clean Water Plan. Additional investment also is being considered for this area. The City has developed conceptual plans for a tank in Glover Field in Peaceful Valley that would prevent flows from combined sewers from entering the Spokane River. The project would be part of a significant effort to improve the health of Spokane River and reduce stormwater and combined stormwater and wastewater from entering the River. The City’s goals for this work include gaining multiple public benefits when building infrastructure. For Glover Field, as a result, the City has developed a concept to improve the park and add a trail that would connect Huntington Park to Glover Field. Ultimately, this project could include a trail loop between Monroe Street and the Sandifur pedestrian bridge.

A fact sheet about the open house, the Post Street improvements, and the Avista work is available here.

Photos from the Aug 14 Potluck

Photos from the Aug 14 Potluck

Jay Cousins snapped some photos of the annual neighborhood picnic and potluck that took place on Wednesday, August 14. There was a great turnout — so great, in fact, that the free hot dogs and burgers ran out before we could blink.

Stan the Grillin' Man
Stan the Grillin’ Man
Families arriving, dish in hand
Families arriving, dish in hand
EGNC secretary Stan Burke lays out the hamburgers and hot dogs
EGNC secretary Stan Burke lays out the hamburgers and hot dogs
Jackie Caro speaks about upcoming traffic-calming projects.
Jackie Caro speaks about upcoming traffic-calming projects.
Neighbors gather in Corbin Park
Neighbors gather in Corbin Park
John Vlahovich talks to Corbin Center rep Laura Schlangen
John Vlahovich talks to Corbin Center rep Laura Schlangen
An informal neighborhood council meeting as the sun sets
An informal neighborhood council meeting as the sun sets
Neighbors waiting in line for food
Neighbors waiting in line for food
In the line for burgers and hot dogs
In the line for burgers and hot dogs
An informal neighborhood council meeting as the sun sets
An informal neighborhood council meeting as the sun sets
Kids chow down on burgers
Kids chow down on burgers

An informal Emerson-Garfield Neighborhood Council meeting took place following the food. Some of the highlights of that included:

  • As a result of our requests, two traffic circles (aka roundabouts) are being installed on W Montgomery between Monroe and Maple. The city is actively soliciting feedback from residents as to what that completed project will look like. For instance: Will the circles be landscaped? Will there be additional curb bump-outs? We encourage you to get in touch to offer your input.
  • The neighborhood council will be allocating more than $57,000 in Community Development Block Grant funds this autumn. This money will go to sidewalks, home rehabilitation, capital projects, and more.
  • The Neighborhood Planning group is on a roll and will be meeting frequently in anticipation of the neighborhood-wide workshops on October 10 and November 14.
  • The Emerson-Garfield Farmers’ Market is going strong, and people are encouraged to stop by as well as spread the word to ensure its continued success.
  • The first-ever Concert in the Park was a huge success. There is already $300 in the pot for next year’s more ambitious series.
  • Candace Mumm gave a brief talk about her District 3 candidacy and made herself available for questions about neighborhood councils, planning, and more.
  • Mayor David Condon will be hosting a city-wide budget presentation and Q&A at our September 11 neighborhood council meeting. As such, the “business” portion of the meeting will be abbreviated, and we’re to expect a turnout far beyond regular neighborhood council members.
Neighborhood-wide Picnic & Potluck Tomorrow, Aug 14

Neighborhood-wide Picnic & Potluck Tomorrow, Aug 14

The Emerson-Garfield Neighborhood Council is holding its annual Summer Picnic & Potluck in Corbin Park tomorrow (Wednesday, August 14) starting at 6pm.

Just to be clear: You don’t have to be involved in any way with the Emerson-Garfield Neighborhood Council to attend. This is open to everyone who lives, works, and plays in Emerson-Garfield. It’s a chance for everyone who’s even loosely associated with the neighborhood to come together and get to know one another.

August 2013 EGNC potluck flyer

There will be free hot dogs and soda as well as plates, napkins and utensils (all out-of-pocket donations from EGNC volunteers, by the way), but it is a potluck, so please remember to bring a chair and your favorite dish to share.

An informal, open-air neighborhood council meeting will take place at 7pm. If it’s your first encounter with the EGNC, feel free to eavesdrop and see what goes on.

We look forward to seeing you there!