Spokane Heritage Walk

As part of my "Advanced Community Development" class this year, I walked downtown Spokane with my classmates on a tour conducted by Dr. Dick Winchell. The tour was intended to have the students think about the elements of an urban community, but had the happy side effect of familiarizing out-of-town students with the environment within which they were going to spend the next two years.

Several of the handouts prior to the tour was a series of tour documents from the Spokane City/County Historic Preservation Office. In addition to historic property listings by name, address, neighborhood, and historic district and FAQ's, the site offers walking tour maps and history for self-guided tours. There are tours of both downtown Spokane and East Central.

One of the buildings on the East Central tour is Schade Tower (which, on the building itself, says "Schade Towers" which makes one wonder where those other towers are). Schade Tower is a former brewery which sits at the Riverpoint campus, and right outside the windows of the building in which the urban and regional planning department resides. Breweries and college students. It's as if it were planned.


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Calendar Page

There are so many events going on in the Spokane region, and we're all too busy to keep track of them all. Well, Here's Planning the Future to the rescue! On the right side of the blog you'll see a new section with "pages." You're currently looking at the home page. But, if you click on the Event Calendar page, you can see all the planning-related events of which I am personally aware.

Want your event listed? Easy! Just email me at planningspokane@gmail.com! Please try to follow the format as closely as you can so I can get it up quicker.

If you have suggestions to make it more useful for you, you can email me there, too. Have fun making yourself even busier!

Do It: history, economics, parks, and geology

Do it: October 10, 2010

This is the first post which consciously tells you about a "get out there and do it" event. These events will be opportunities to participate in an event which is not only related to the planning of the Spokane region, but also gives you a chance to appreciate the region we live in. In other words, something to do that's not a meeting!

The Ice Age Floods Institute (iafi.org) is sponsoring an 11-mile mountain bike ride along the former Milwaukee Road rail line near Rock Creek, south of Cheney. According to the web site:

Transportation routes across the Inland Empire were shaped by the flood formed geography. The Milwaukee Road was no different than other routes, but the advances in construction technology made the route feasible in a way that had not been possible when the first railroad crossed the Channeled Scablands. The now abandoned rail bed is mostly owned by Washington State Parks and will eventually be opened to the public.

They received a special permit to enter the park.

Here are your resources for this event:

• IAFI events listing
• Registration form

Four the Future - September 23

Today: Jefferson Elementary update, reducing energy costs, courthouse parking, and skateboarding!

• Board votes unanimously to move Jefferson Elementary
  Source: The Spokesman-Review; September 23, 2010
  See Also: Jefferson Elementary Public Forum
  Summary: The Spokane School Board unanimously voted to move Jefferson Elementary to the west, reducing impacts on the children and saving $4 million.
  Opinion: Unanimous. Apparently the board thought it was that clear. Of course, when public services are chronically underfunded, in this case they had no idea where more than half of the $4 million would come from, you don't even get to talk about the right and wrong of it. So is this right or wrong? Without the full public debate resulting in a neighborhood consensus, we'll never know.
  
• No heating necessary
  Source: The Olympian; September 22, 2010
  Summary: A house is being built in Olympia which is designed to use 75 less energy for heating by capturing sunlight, reducing heat loss from unintended ventilation, and extensive insulation. While it increased the construction cost by 7%, the savings from reductions in utility bills will pay off that difference in about 4-1/2 years.
  Opinion: The payoff time is less than the term of a standard mortgage so, in effect, if you were to do this you'd actually be making money on the larger loan.
  
• Parking garage planned near courthouse
  Source: Spokesman-Review; September 23, 2010
  Summary: As part of the development of Kendall Yards, the area near the Spokane County courthouse may get a new parking garage. While there are property ownership issues to be resolved, the construction might begin as early as 2011.
  Opinion: The only thing more legendary about the courthouse than the lack of fiscal responsibility by two of the county commissioners is the lack of parking in the area, the overdependence on surface parking lots, and the long walks through the adjacent neighborhoods associated with street parking. This is a wise move by Greenstone, who can tap an existing market for parking while creating an asset for bringing new businesses to the development.
  
• LL teen skates for record
  Source: Liberty Lake Splash; September 22, 2010
  Summary: Last weekend, Cohl Orebaugh skateboarded the most blunt-to-fakies in an hour to create a new category in Guinness Book of World Records.
  
  
  
  Opinion: This is not even something the council remotely contemplated when we approved the construction of the skate park in Pavillion Park. No, this is unlikely to change the world, although, it is always nice to hear of someone setting a goal then achieving it. What's more important to realize is that human behavior is not linear. The council was just trying to create a safe place where local kids could enjoy themselves. Whatever people do when they plan for the future, they must also accept that things will not turn out as planned. They might, indeed, turn out better. Besides, this is your chance to find out what a blunt-to-fakie is. You should look just to know what it means that Cohl averaged one every 4.5 seconds for a full hour.
  

Washington Transportation Plan Listening Session

The Washington State Transportation Commission (WSTC) issues a 20-year transportation plan, and they are conducting regional listening sessions to receive comments on the 2010-2030 plan. They have established a blog to explain the concepts that they're working on, and the draft plan, designed for public comment, is available.

The plan is not a list of projects to be constructed, but an overarching policy statement about what transportation should look like in 20 years.

The Spokane regional listening session will be conducted tomorrow, Thursday, September 23, 2010, from 1-4 PM, at the downtown Spokane library.

Four the Future - September 20

Today, the Great White Way becomes more lively, speed bump woes, studded tire destruction, and preparing for EV's.

• Not So Broadway
  Source: New York Times; September 3, 2010
  Summary: Broadway in Manhattan has been narrowed over the last few years by adding pedestrian and bike lanes. From 59th to 42nd, three quarters of the sidewalk chairs which used to be part of the road were occupied between 2 and 2:30 PM. In Herald Square, 93 of 111 chairs were occupied.
  Opinion: Broadway has become a place for people rather than just cars. Turns out, retail is benefited by pedestrians. Very few businesses get a buck out of a car that just drives by. Where is your neighborhood people place?
  
• Speed bump bothering South Burlingame residents
  Source: The Oregonian; September 10, 2010
  Summary: A speed bump the width of a crosswalk was installed adjacent to an elementary school. It is marked only as a sidewalk, however, and people are slamming into the bump, disturbing the neighbors with the noise.
  
  
  View Larger Map
  Opinion: Speed bumps a troublesome for multiple reasons. First, public safety personnel hate them. Here, there is also the concern that they hamper snow removal. But, it seems to me that if there are so many people speeding along this road, the drivers are getting some feeling that it should be faster. Other traffic calming options may be in order, such as narrowing the street at this intersection, as in actually widening the sidewalk so that
  1. there is a visual cue that there's a tight spot ahead
  2. the distance the children must cross is shortened, and
  3. it will encourage children to cross at the proper location
  By the way, if you read the comments on that story, you’ll see just how passionate people can be about these things. It degenerates into name calling pretty quickly.
  
• Editorial: Driving on studded tires taxes roads and budgets
  Source: Spokesman-Review; September 15, 2010
  Summary: The Spokesman-Review editorial board urges you not use studded tires. They're not as safe as snow tires, and the money used to repair the roads of the damage they cause would be better used for other road projects.
  Opinion: I mentioned this a couple days ago. Not only do they give a false sense of security, they cost tax dollars for the repair of the roads, and make the roads more dangerous because the ruts can force a car to move unpredictably and water in the grooves can cause a car to hydroplane.
  
• Buzz Kill? Running electric vehicles not as simple as plug and go
  Source: Spokesman-Review; September 19, 2010
  Local companies getting prepared for electric cars
  Source: Spokesman-Review; September 19, 2010
  Summary: While plug-in electric vehicles may be capable of being recharged at normal household voltage (120V), it's faster if you use a charging station running at 240 volts, which requires a licensed electrician to install. The cost of the dock and labor is around $2,200. Adding a second meter may require up to a 45-day delay for installation. People who do not have garages also have other concerns. Avista says it has available capacity for the vehicles, predicting that nearly 20% of all electrical use will be for this purpose by 2035.
  Opinion: Running an EV in the northwest will be less expensive than in other areas of the country due to lower dependence on fossil fuel fired plants. But, if electrical demand goes up, that advantage will go away. So, to switch from gasoline to electrical vehicles will require that we reduce power usage for our homes and businesses through higher efficiencies.
  

Four the Future - September 17

Today, all about making better buildings: healthier, cooler, warmer, and efficient.

• Green buildings may make employees feel better, a study finds
  Source: Los Angeles Times; September 8, 2010
  Summary: Green building isn't merely about environmental concerns, but also with the productivity and well-being of building occupants. The University of Michigan studies two groups of workers who moved into a green office building. It was found that absenteeism due to "asthma, allergies, depression and stress" decreased. Productivity increased. The study appears in the September edition of the American Journal of Public Health.
  Opinion: Green building reduces operating costs, reduces the burden on the environment, and improves worker productivity. More study will have to be done to quantify the effect, but it was already a valuable thing even if you don't care about the quantified increase in worker well-being.
  
• Air Conditioning Using 90 Percent Less Power
  Source: Miller-McCune; September 9, 2010
  Summary: Researchers at the National Renewable Energy Laboratory have invented a swamp cooler which uses a desiccant (like the little packets found in consumer electronics and some pharmaceuticals that say "do not eat") to reduce the amount of energy necessary to cool a building. In dry climates, the newly developed cooler uses only 10% of the energy of high efficiency compressor systems. In wetter climates, it uses 50% less. Power consumption can be reduced more by using solar heating to drive off the absorbed water. Cooling systems currently use 14% of all energy in the United States. Commercially available units could be on the market in two or three years.
  Opinion: New technologies could make great strides. If this research pans out, this is one solution could vastly reduce the amount of energy a building uses. And, because air conditioners are used during peak energy time of day, it will disproportionately reduce our dependence on carbon emitting energy production from gas and coal.
• Body Heat to Warm Up French Apartments
  Source: TriplePundit; September 10, 2010
  Summary: Subways get hot due, in part, to all the people in them. On average, each passenger generates approximately 100 watts of energy per ride. So, French engineers in Paris are using the principles of geothermal, 17 apartments will be heated using a heat exchange. A link already exists between the subway and the apartment, so it's feasible in this situation, but it’s currently too expensive to retrofit it in other locations. But, other cities are looking at the concept for their systems.
  
  
  
  Opinion: Using cold air from an apartment to cool passengers while using warm air to heat the apartments. Imagine that. Two problems, when seen as part of a system, can become its own solution. This type of systems thinking is what is driving the sustainability movement. Nothing exists isolated from everything else.
  
• Climate-change study: Today's power plants aren't the problem
  Source: Christian Science Monitor; September 9, 2010
  Summary: Current sources of greenhouse gases are bad enough, but pale in comparison to the carbon emitters of the future. Creating sources of energy which prevent the creation of new carbon-emitting plants must be emphasized. We’re not going to start switching out the emitters we already have. Technological innovation is necessary to prevent their spread. If the each plant in the current inventory of emitters is allowed to operate for its full design life, global average temperatures would remain below the 2 C (3.6 F) threshold.
  Opinion: Creating more efficient buildings, and retrofitting current ones with advanced technologies, is necessary to prevent the construction of many more emitting plants when new buildings are being constructed all the time. The new buildings may be necessary, but the emissions from their energy use must be avoided.
  

A personal moment

If you're ever wondering why I do all this planning stuff, this photo of a brick on the campus of Eastern Washington University should be all you'll ever need to know.

Four the Future - September 15

No food shortage (yet), more grass-waste-to-energy, preserving habitat, and southern new urbanism.

• Not a Food Crisis
  Source: New York Times; September 12, 2010
  Summary: In this editorial, the New York Times worries about the effects of a Russian ban on wheat exports. They argue that countries should not overreact and cause food crises by preventing the free flow of foodstuff across borders. India has had a ban in place, and it has resulted in rotting food stores. Large exporters should all agree to not impose controls.
  Opinion: Expect more of this. This year, one quarter of the sown wheat in Russia has been destroyed by fires fueled by drought. As climate change alters the food crops which can be grown in their traditional places, there will be upheavals. This is beginning to impose itself upon the consciousness of strategic thinkers. Source Integral has advised middle eastern nations that they should stop their strategy of outsourcing food (Part One) (Part Two) because there will be no place which will sell them food without a close, supportive relationship. We do not do food planning well in this nation. We depend, primarily, on abundance. But with our current reliance on international food trade, food prices intimately linked to oil prices, and regional responses to climate change, depending on hopes of abundance will not be a safe strategy in the future.
  
• Ban on field burning prompts plan to convert straw to energy
  Source: The Oregonian; September 12, 2010
  Summary: Oregon had the same kind of grass smoke problems that other grass-burning areas have had. The problem got so bad that in 1988, intentional grass fires caused a 21-vehicle pileup on Interstate 5 killing seven and injuring a number of others. In 2007, Eugene-area legislators proposed to ban all burning. Consequently, several sites are now being considered to turn grass straw into "electricity, compost, fertilizer and compacted wood products."
  Opinion: This is a different approach to the grass-waste-to-energy concept presented before. Whereas the other project is being funded to make generators which operate on each farm, this concept brings it all together onto a larger site. While the previous concept has the benefit of providing distributed energy to independent farmers, the latter uses more of the plant for beneficial use, and could be base load bearing. It will be interesting to see which concept wins out, or if they can coexist side-by-side.
  
• Bonneville Power Administration releases plan to protect 16,880 acres of Willamette Valley habitat
  Source: The Oregonian; September 11, 2010
  Summary: The Bonneville Power Administration is dedicating $125 million over the course of 15 years to preserve habitats due to the construction of dams in the Willamette Valley. The total area to be preserved is 16,880 acres. The State of Oregon, tribes, and nonprofits will be able to purchase conservation easements to protect diminished habitats. 9657 acres were preserved earlier. Rates will not rise, as it has already been taken into account. The draft is open to public comment until October 12.
  Opinion: The area to be preserved is about 2/3rds the side of the City of Spokane Valley. From these links, you can read the agreement and comment (scroll down to the “Willamette Mitigation Settlement Agreement” section). Not only do you live on this same earth as the fish that were affected by these dams, local power companies are BPA customers so you’re paying for these lands to be purchased and rehabilitated. If you have a comment to make, you certainly have a right to do so. I wonder...has anything like this happened in Washington?
  
• Waco, Texas embraces growth and 'new urbanism'
  Source: USA Today; September 13, 2010
  Summary: Waco, Texas, used to be deserted when people went home from work. Now, there are people and cars and activity downtown because the city has embraced a mixed use plan for downtown. The market is moving toward walkability. They’re developing along the banks of the Brazos River. They’re leaving behind the sprawl and the high cost of "roads, utility lines, and services to remote areas." Tulsa and Baton Rouge are also focusing on this kind of development.
  Opinion: Light rail in Salt Lake City, new urbanism in Waco. Clearly, resisting these movements is not conservative, so what's the new excuse going to be?
  

Four the Future - September 14

Transportation! Light Rail legal challenge, expanding valley highway, fewer youthful drivers, and transit cutbacks.

• State Supreme Court to hear fight to ban light rail from I-90
  Source: The Seattle Times; September 12, 2010
  Summary: The state Supreme Court has agreed to hear a case alleging that building light rail on I-90 would be a violation of the state constitution. Light rail opponent Kemper Freeman argues that using that the gas tax which built the freeway limits it to "highway purposes" and that using it for transit is a violation of the state's 18th amendment. The state argues that the lanes will be replaced by new ones, and that the lease of the property to the transit system is mere administration of the system. Transit has always had priority use on the inside lanes of highways.
  Opinion: First, as I've stated before, the 18th amendment is legislation posing as fundamental law of the land. It needs to be rescinded. Second, watch out: the North Spokane Corridor has a space allocation for dedicated transit lines. Third, next we'll hear that rail can't cross roads because that space is only to be used for "highway purposes." That's ridiculous, of course, but where's the line drawn? Transit uses the road space on a daily basis. Here in Spokane, it even upgrades major intersections to concrete. There’s space for everyone on the travelways. Let's hope the supreme court is rational about this.
  
• Third lane planned for I-90 from Sullivan to Barker
  Source: Spokesman-Review; September 13, 2010
  Summary: $25 million in construction bid savings is allowing WSDOT to expand I-90 from Sullivan to Barker to six lanes. Additionally, ruts from downtown Spokane to the Geiger exit will be repaired for $15.5 million. Construction will begin in the spring.
  Opinion: The ruts are caused by studded tires. The purchase of those tires should include a fee based on the expected amount it will cost to repair its share of the damage. That way those who think they improve driving can have them, and those who don’t do not have to pay for the inordinate amount of damage they cause. And with the widening project, now I-90 won’t be congested at the Sullivan exit. It will be congested at Barker, instead. Was ramp metering even in the alternatives analysis? (Was there an alternatives analysis at all?)
  
• Sweet 16 can be sweeter without driver's license
  Source: USA Today; September 13, 2010
  Summary: There are more and more 16 year olds who do not have a driver’s license. This bodes well for traffic safety. Some credit less mobile children, protective parents, and the poor economy, but graduated drivers’ licensing is to be credited.
  Opinion: Whatever the cause, one must consider what kind of society begins to form when 16 year olds cannot be assumed to have a license, let alone a car. Musing with my friend, KC Traver, I wondered out loud what would happen if the Eagle Pass program (which gives all Eastern Washington University students, staff, and faculty use of the bus system without payment at the bus) were extended to all high school students. We would have the opportunity to help teach students before that magical driving age how to get around without a car. And, in this economy, who wouldn't want to reduce the household transportation cost? In the long term, it would be better to have a community built in such a way that the need for transportation is reduced, such as mixed use neighborhoods. These are strategies which can be used to make ourselves more resilient in the face of a changing world. But, as the next story shows us, we're not always making progress in that direction....
  
• Riders sad for WTA's last day of Sunday bus service
  Source: The Bellingham Herald; September 12, 2010
  Summary: Whatcom Transportation Authority shut down its Sunday service to both regular route and paratransit riders after voters turned down a tax increase. Many riders were unsure how they'll get to church next week.
  Opinion: Whatcom is suffering the losses Spokane Transit managed to avoid. Still, STA is in route-cutting mode as well.
  

Jefferson Elementary Public Forum

Tonight at 7 PM, Spokane Public Schools is holding a public forum regarding the renovation/reconstruction of Jefferson Elementary, currently at the corner of 37th and Grand. There are two options remaining, the "east" and "west" locations. Moving the school between 37th and Manito Blvd would save $4 million, but neighbors have delivered 900 signatures against it over concerns about traffic and property values. The east option would require the purchase of more property and the displacement of the children during construction, but hundreds of returned surveys opposed that option. So, this is your chance to weigh in.

On the school district web site, you can find the project page and a presentation on the site options.

Comprehensive Plan Amendment Hearing

The Spokane County Planning Commission will be meeting at 9 AM, Thursday, September 16, 2010, to hear public testimony on seven proposed amendments to the Spokane County Comprehensive Plan. The county's web page for these amendments is here.

The amendments include increasing the allowed densities in various locations around the county including Deer Park (10-CPA-02) and Garden Springs (10-CPA-06). There areas of proposed urban growth area expansion on the southeast side of the I-90 Geiger Field (10-CPA-04) and Medical Lake (10-CPA-05) exits. There is a commendable proposal to include the Spokane River as a water trail as part of the county's trail system (10-CPA-07). Additionally, a member of the well-known Douglass family is proposing a conversion of conservation lands into a mine (10-CPA-01).

Disturbingly, there is also a proposed amendment (10-CPA-03) which would bring the western half of the Saltese Flats into the urban growth area, even though it has already been established as a conservation area. At first blush, it seems apparent that this is just a cash grab as the county is investigating the possibility of turning the Saltese Flats back into Saltese Lake as a wetland to help deal with phosphorus problems in the Spokane River. If this property goes into the UGA, then the county would have to pay much more to acquire it. An alternative theory I've heard is that raising it to a higher level allows a greater amount of money to go to the owners in a transfer of development rights (TDR) scheme.

There's an interesting document provided by the folks who are proposing the urban growth area expansions. It is a land quantity analysis which states, in effect, that because the county has violated a COUNTY goal of having 4 units per acre within the urban growth area, it should violate a STATE goal by embracing sprawl.

Imagine that, a local appraiser laying bare Spokane County's violation of the intent of the Growth Management Act.

Four the Future - September 12

Today: Grass-waste-to-energy plant, energy audits, historical preservation, and an environmental public survey.

• Biofuel project in Spokane County wins $90,000 grant
  Source: Spokesman-Review; September 9, 2010
  Summary: A local company was provided a $90,000 USDA grant to automate the conversion of bluegrass straw into fuel. A 2,000 acre farm could produce enough fuel to recoup the cost of the system in 3-4 years. These electrical generators will become available in about 18 months.
  Opinion: That's a 25% return on investment. You tell me an industry, other than private medical insurance companies and other financial scams, that can do better than that! And now you don't have to burn the straw in the fields. Sounds like an excellent investment in grant monies.
  
• Energy audit can lead to big savings
  Source: Spokesman-Review; September 12, 2010
  Summary: Energy audits can save a great deal of money by reducing your need energy without sacrificing comfort. Audits can cause several thousand dollars, and retrofits can cost several thousand more. However, the return on investment can be high, paying off in just a few years. Grants are available to help reduce the cost. You can reduce that cost by reading up.
  Opinion: There are links to other web sites and a book suggestion on the Spokesman site. I know it's hard to contemplate investing thousands of dollars in your home during a recession, especially in a recession focused on the value of your home. But if you still have some equity in your house, this is a good investment to make, since it could potentially save you money each month, and it should only take a few years to pay it off. And it's all money in your pocket after that. You can learn more about starting your own home assessment at the Energy Star web site.
  
• Historic preservation chapter will be added to city's plan
  Source: Spokesman-Review; September 11, 2010
  Summary: The City of Millwood has added a historic preservation chapter to its comprehensive plan. Greg Mott said, "We are helping to preserve our community."
  Opinion: Millwood is known for its neighborhood-style physical environment. If the city were to ignore it, nothing in the resulting rules would support it. Soon, main street would be torn down and replaced by a Wal*Mart, simply because the community had failed to say it was important to prevent it. They could make that choice, of course, but it should be a choice, not an oversight. Simply failing to have a historical preservation element in your comprehensive plan is just the same as having one that says, "Tear it down, boys!"
  
• State, tribe conducting survey on lake water
  Source: Spokesman-Review; September 12, 2010
  Summary: The State of Idaho and the Coeur d'Alene Tribe are conducting an online survey to see how knowledgeable residents are on water quality and permitting processes. The survey might result in a public education effort.
  Opinion: I know you're all responsible, but merely as a public service announcement, please don't go answer the questions unless you actually live there. Here are some sample questions:
  • What agencies or entities can you think of that have some kind of jurisdiction over activities that affect lake water quality? (multiple choice)
  • What do you know about the Idaho Department of Environmental Quality’s efforts regarding Coeur d’Alene Lake? (essay question)
  • Excess phosphorus and nitrogen flowing into the lake from rivers and streams are a water quality concern (rate 1 to 5)
  Generally, this is the appropriate use of surveys. Personally, I think it's wrong to govern based on opinion polls, but they can be useful to gauge the public's perception of issues.

Four the Future - September 10

For your Friday pleasure: planned demolitions, green building, college traffic, and housing policy.

• City may tear down part of former dairy
  Source: Spokesman-Review; September 3, 2010
  Summary: The city purchased a couple of buildings that were part of the old Carnation Dairy as part of the proceeds of a 1999 bond. (This is at the location of the Caterina Winery, but that is not part of the city’s property.) The parks department doesn’t seem to have a use for the buildings, so, since they are currently presenting a hazard, they are considering demolishing them, potentially at the same time as the demolition of the YMCA.
  
  
  
  Opinion: This is where the Mobius science center will not be. What will be there? Make your voice heard by contacting the board! According to the environmental survey for these buildings, it appears that extensive asbestos mitigation will be necessary prior to demolition. After that mitigation, I wonder how much of the building materials can be reused, and whether the City requires that on their own demolition projects. Reusing the bricks, for instance, would be an environmentally supportive way of improving a new building.
  
• Green Building: A Real Estate Revolution? (Part One) (Part Two)
  Source: All Things Considered, National Public Radio; September 7-8, 2010
  Summary: Audio! There is a boom of green building underway in America. A decade ago, virtually no one knew what LEED was, but now it (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) is credited with bringing green building to the attention of builders across the country. Each building seeking LEED Certification receives points for improving the performance of a building; the more points, the higher the rating. Using less water, less energy, or improving the space for its occupants can be used to gain a high rating. Many professionals are receiving accreditation. But some critics of the system find it lacking.
  
  
  
  Opinion: While I have heard that the certification process isn't for every project, even when the developer is consciously attempting to achieve a high-performance building, I support its existence. Perhaps over time, there will be widely available competing certification programs, such as Built Green, provided there's some way for the consumer to know it's not merely marketing or greenwashing
  
• Traffic changes proposed near NIC for education corridor
  Source: Spokesman-Review; September 7, 2010
  Summary: A proposal would change traffic patterns on Northwest Boulevard in Coeur d’Alene to provide more access to North Idaho College. It is intended to expand an "education corridor" and the integration of several schools of higher education to share resources and expand opportunities.
  Opinion: Planning often integrates the needs of various concepts which are usually thought of separately. Hence the need for strong, integrated comprehensive plans linked to the mission and values of the community.
  
• Housing Woes Bring New Cry: Let Market Fall
  Source: New York Times; September 5, 2010
  Summary: The housing market is on the verge of a crash. Prices are going down, and now that the tax credits, mortgage modification programs, low interest rates, government insured loans and other assistance, are coming to an end they're poised to go down more. The administration now has to choose between current homeowners and future homeowners.
  Opinion:Traditionally, government's role has been to ensure adequate supply of affordable housing. What is the government interest in artificially boosting housing costs? Shouldn't homes be less expensive, not more expensive? If the housing bubble was a bad thing, why are we as taxpayers maintaining it? Government has a role in subsidizing public services and encouraging developing technologies. Home ownership is a private activity in a mature industry. Let the market correct itself.

Neighborhoods for People

Scan | Design Foundation, University of Washington’s Green Futures Research & Design Lab, International Sustainability Institute, and Gehl Architects have produced a guide to how to conceptualize livable communities for Seattle, Washington entitled Neighborhoods for People.

It's intended to guide neighborhoods, non-profits, professionals, and students when they’re thinking about what kind of communities in which they wish to live, work, and play. This richly illustrated document (it's almost entirely photography) urges people to look around and see the public spaces they live in. It all around us: in Seattle, 46% of the land is owned by the public. The document provides methods and processes to make your neighborhood yours.

And, yes, much of the land in a city is publicly owned because of the roads, trails and sidewalks! What does traveling (by car, bike, foot, bus, rail, etc.) tell you about the neighborhoods you travel to? What are you sensing about neighborhoods that you’d rather just pass through without stopping? You and I, we’re students in this world of planning, and this document is, in part, talking directly to us. Go take a look!

Designing a Future Inland NW Eco-nomy

Got a note from Friend of the Blog, Sam Mace of Save Our Wild Salmon. I'll let her tell it:

Designing a Future Inland Northwest Eco-nomy: Visions for Rail Transportation and Restoring City Waterfronts in Clarkston, WA and Lewiston, ID

Where: Interdisciplinary Design Institute, Main Hall, Phase 1 Building, WSU Riverpoint Campus, 668 N. Riverpoint Blvd. Spokane, 99202

Reception at 6pm, Presentation at 6:30pm

Host: Sam Mace, Save our Wild Salmon sam@wildsalmon.org or 509-747-2030www.wildsalmon.org

What: View designs for rail transportation linking communities in the Inland Northwest as well as landscape architectural designs for the waterfronts of Clarkston, WA and Lewiston, ID if the four lower Snake River dams are removed and the riverfront restored. Speakers will include design students and business leaders.

Sponsored by: Working Snake River for Washington, Save Our Wild Salmon Coalition, and Washington State University.

Four the Future - September 8

Today, an unusual bonanza of Spokesman-Review contributions: roads, roads, roads, and more roads! But, also, federal funding, affordable housing, respecting neighborhood values, and a new transportation fee.

• Federal funds advance North Side corridor
  Source: Spokesman-Review; September 8, 2010
  See Also: Obama to Call for $50 Billion Spending on Public Works
  Summary: United States Secretary of Transportation Ray LaHood and Senator Patty Murray headlined a gathering of dignitaries at the site of the North Spokane Corridor to celebrate the beginning of the construction of the southbound lanes between Farwell and Francis. The funds for this construction came from the 2009 federal stimulus package. LaHood will be asking congress members about their attitude with President Obama’s $50 billion transportation investment plan. Murray isn’t ready to endorse the idea.
  Opinion: I've mentioned Secretary LaHood before (with a link to video). While this is clearly a high-profile construction project and will get all the attention, he appears to be a "livable communities" advocate, and won't concentrate just on huge freeways that don't go anywhere.
  
• More buildings in freeway's path set for removal
  Source: Spokesman-Review; September 8, 2010
  Summary: Even though no one knows where the money is coming from to complete the North Spokane Corridor's freeway, homes are being demolished in East Central adjacent to I-90. One hundred thirty buildings have already been removed. Forty-nine more will be razed under the new contracts. More than 500 will be pulled down by the time WSDOT is done. One property, however, was recently purchased by the City of Spokane for use as subsidized housing and transferred to ECCO, the East Central Community Organization. The building is being renovated, and will be moved to a city-owned lot.
  Opinion: There are an immense number of displacements occurring with the destruction of this neighborhood. It's good that some affordable housing will be preserved. However, my usual snarky comment is that it's a good thing that they’re building a freeway so that all these displaced people can travel out to the edge of town where all the new houses will be built. Did I mention that they don’t know where the $1.6 billion dollars for the construction is going to come from?
  
• Vestal: Smooth streets well worth turmoil of construction
  Source: Spokesman-Review; September 8, 2010
  Summary: Lincoln Street on Spokane's south hill has been reconstructed. It’s smoother now, and also includes new “storm gardens” which deal with rainfall more effectively. There are construction projects all over the city, and it will be worth the hassle. They are brought to you courtesy of a $117 million road bond in 2004. Local leaders are talking about a car license fee of $20 that would generate about $8 million per year, but that's only about one fifth of the annual backlog.
  
  
  
  Opinion: Now, that wasn't hard, was it? The City of Spokane experienced a change in its leadership due, in part, to its mishandling of Bernard Street. You hardly hear a peep this time, only a few blocks away, because the city worked with the neighborhood and respected its values. The silence may be reward enough for the city, but we should praise their effort. Now, if only we could have the dedicated funding. Change in federal policy from sprawl creation to neighborhood infrastructure preservation, anyone?
  
• City, Valley might back vehicle tax, Mielke says
  Source: Spokesman-Review; September 8, 2010
  Summary: County Commissioner Todd Mielke says that the Cities of Spokane and Spokane Valley may support the creation of a transportation benefit district which would charge a $20 vehicle license fee throughout the county. He also said that "all the city officials he has talk to have agreed that no tax should be levied without voter approval." Commissioner Richard was concerned that having the voters weigh in might harm the construction of a new jail.
  Opinion: The problem with a car license fee is that it charges people for owning a car, when it's using a car which causes the need for road maintenance. But, people without a plan resort to desperate, uncoordinated measures, so this should be expected. The lesson here is that every time you hear local elected officials complain that there's not enough money for road maintenance, they're arguing against the federal government's policy of funding new road construction instead of maintenance. If we were arguing about whether to charge $20 for the construction of more sprawl, this issue would be DOA.

Regional Transportation Vision Workshop

The Spokane Regional Transportation Council is the official organization responsible for the allocation of funds from state and federal sources for transportation projects throughout the region. It also sets regional transportation policies, coordinates the various jurisdictions, operates the Spokane Regional Transportation Management Center (the place with the traffic cameras) and runs the message signs along the freeway.

It also gives the public opportunities to give input on transportation-related planning throughout the region. In fact, the planning role is so important, the federal government refers to the SRTC as the "Metropolitan Planning Organization (MPO)" and the State of Washington calls it the "Regional Transportation Planning Organization (RTPO)."

On Tuesday, September 14, the SRTC is hosting a community workshop from 6-9 PM at the Moran Prairie Library at 6004 South Regal, Spokane, WA 99223 (Google Maps). You can get more information at the website, and view the brochure.


View Larger Map

The workshop will be featuring a game called "A Thousand Visions" which will help you answer questions like "How much funding would you devote to transportation?" and "What types of projects would you fund?" I don't know what answer the region as a single voice will give, but I guarantee yours won't be part of it unless you participate in one way or another!

Four the Future - September 6

Today: Using the aquifer to keep the aquifer full, and transportation investments (or not)

• Obama to Call for $50 Billion Spending on Public Works
  Source: New York Times; September 6, 2010
  Summary: Today, President Obama will propose spending $50 billion to improve the nation’s transportation infrastructure. The plan will fund 15,000 miles of roads, 4,000 miles of rail, and 150 miles of airport runways. Every few years, Congress passes its multi-year transportation bill. Prospects are dim for this year.
  Opinion: The general public doesn’t know that Congress is habitually late with its transportation bills. It’s operating under a continuing resolution now. These funds are intended to "frontload" the 6-year plan, hopefully to increase the number of construction jobs available. These kinds of infrastructure jobs pay dividends for a generation, and it’s so much better than make-work.
  Since we’re talking about the transportation bill, I want to make my ongoing pitch. For me, the most controversial part of the transportation bill is that it is only for the construction of new roads, not for maintenance. This means that there is incentive for states to expand a road system which is already too big for them to maintain. It also encourages sprawl because the only place to build new roads is where they don’t already exist. The feds should supply only maintenance money for roads, and let the local governments decide whether it’s worth it to tax their citizens for sprawl.
• U.S. Plays Catch-Up on High-Speed Rail
  Source: New York Times; September 5, 2010
  Summary: The Unites States is far behind other nations in high-speed rail systems. While the United States is struggling, China is booming. The only nominally high-speed route in the US is the Acela between Boston and Washington, DC, but it’s a stretch to call it high-speed. Foreign companies are interested in helping build systems. Currently, potential development is focused on San Francisco to Los Angeles and Orlando to Tampa Bay. The California system could cost as much as $40 billion. However, federal funding is only around $8 billion.
  Opinion: There has been talk about a trans-Cascadian line to link eastern and western Washington. However, the most rational funding stream, the gasoline tax, is overburdened as it is, and constitutionally (Article II, Section 40) limited to highway spending. My opinion on that? That’s legislation, not the fundamental law of the land. Whether it's the right thing to do or not, it doesn’t belong there.
• Medical building taps into concept of 'going green'
  Source: Spokesman-Review; September 5, 2010
  Summary: The Fourth and University Medical Building uses a geothermal heat exchange to reduce energy costs. Utility bills were reduced from $4,000 per month to $1,200 per month. Return on investment is 20%, which means that that is all money in their pocket starting in 5 years.
  Opinion: The first building in the county which uses the aquifer to reduce energy usage is the Saranac Building in downtown Spokane. But, there’s more to share....
• TierPoint facility uses unique system to chill building
  Source: Spokesman-Review; September 5, 2010
  Summary: TierPoint, a server farm in Liberty Lake, has an underground closed-loop heat exchange thereby cooling year-round by pumping the heat into the aquifer. The Spokane aquifer is fast moving, so calculations showed that the heat from the building was dissipated within 10 to 15 feet of the heat exchange. This improvement will reduce TierPoint’s water usage by 6 million gallon per year.
  Opinion: Full disclosure: I am friends with one of the owners, Greg Zemp. This is another case where the efforts of local environmental and community building legend Jim Sheehan are paying off. He worked hard to convince the Department of Ecology to permit the use of the aquifer for these purposes. Personally, I’d like to see the calculations on how much water could be saved from being pulled out and boiled away versus the higher temperature the water would be when still in the ground. After all, that’s 6 million gallons is for just one building and the sewer system would welcome a reduction in diluting water from its system.

Four the Future - September 4

Today: the regional incinerator, recycling, root cellars, and a regional sustainability partnership.

• City incinerator a hot topic
  Source: Spokesman-Review; September 4, 2010
  Summary: The contract for the region’s waste incinerator will be over soon, so a decision will have to be made for its future. Operating costs are competitive with other cities and counties at $98 per ton. The bond that paid for its construction will be paid off in 2011, so its cost should go down. Regional leaders are discussing changes to its governance structure. The regional solid waste plan calls for its continued use, and the plan has been approved by Spokane, Spokane County, Spokane Valley, Millwood, and the palouse towns. There has been concern in the environmental community about the greenhouse gases being released by the incinerator. However, a recent study shows that landfills produce more GHGs than incinerators.
  Opinion: Only Liberty Lake and the west plains cities (Medical Lake, Airway Heights and Cheney) have yet to approve of the plan. There was a serious battle over the construction of the incinerator and current County Commissioner Bonnie Mager was opposed to it. The plant is currently past capacity. Recycling could have a major impact on the ongoing cost and volume of waste disposal. Fortunately....
• Food scraps: They're not garbage anymore!
  Source: Spokane County Solid Waste
  Summary: Spokane County residents can now place food scraps into their “clean green” bins to be composted, rather than incinerated. Significantly, you may now recycle: Fruit and vegetable scraps, meat, fish, poultry, and bones, and bread, pasta and grains. The full list is available at the link above.
  Opinion: The more we reuse, the less we need to ship in from other places. It makes our region most resilient to economic changes in other regions, and expands a resource (compost) for use in our area. As we move closer and closer to a single stream recycling system, recycling rates should increase because it will become more convenient to do so.
• Living Green newsletters
  Source: SNAP; September/October 2010
  Summary: SNAP produces a bimonthly newsletter to help people live more sustainable lives. You can sign up for it by visiting the link above. In the latest edition, it talks about food preservation and storage, canning, institutional composting, and more.
  Opinion: Monitoring newsletters like these can give you ideas about how other people live their lives. You might even pick up a tip or two! In this case, the newsletter sings the praises of root cellars. Since they are part of a structure, building codes must be aware of their existence and accommodate them. Planners must be aware of what kinds of activities people engage in to make sure that they do not interfere with the proactive steps that everyday people take. As societies change, planners must attempt anticipate the neighborhood’s future so neighborhood plans are more than documents on a shelf, but, instead, living documents which support the communities they intend to serve.
• A Future Built on Different Standards
  Source: New York Times; September 2, 2010
  Summary: The province of Styria, Austria, is experiencing an economic boom as a result of a sustainable business strategy. They are promoting their region through green products. It’s a coalition of 79 municipalities for branding the region, and an incentives system for achieving ecological excellence. Foods are produced locally, and buildings use solar power and recycle waste heat. The entire region intends to be fossil fuel free by 2025.
  Opinion: These people have discovered that if they live sustainably, they don’t need to depend on people from the outside for their survival. At the same time, they’re making a branding program which allows them to create a regional identity, which attracts more people who hold the same values. And what better way to make a sustainable community than through the positive feedback of living with people with your same values?

Four the Future - September 3

Today: Conservation Futures, public safety with a sunny disposition, and energy efficiency projections.

• Proposed park could preserve LL-area hillside
  Source: Liberty Lake Splash; August 18, 2010
  Summary: The failure of the Marshall Chesrown's Legacy Ridge development has left the property in the hands of AmericanWest Bank. The bank has proposed that it be sold to the county through the Conservation Futures program for $2.6 million. It could include a trail system over the hillside between Liberty Lake and Saltese Flats.
  
  
  
  Opinion: Full disclosure: as a city councilmember for Liberty Lake, I lobbied to deny this area’s entry into the urban growth area (which would have allowed it to be developed), and that effort was successful. So, I’m naturally drawn to making it a protected area and preventing it from being developed. County Commissioner Mark Richard even came to Liberty Lake to threaten the city with legal action if we didn’t support bringing it in. So, to have Commissioner Richard making the decision? I seriously doubt it will be protected. On the other hand, this next story indicates it’s unlikely to happen anyway....
• Open space designation fields many nominees in county
  Source: Spokesman-Review; September 2, 2010
  Summary: Thirty-six parcels have been nominated to be acquired by Spokane County under the Conservation Futures program. Conservation Futures is funded through a special property tax dedicated to the purchase and preservation of threatened open spaces. The Spokesman-Review web site is making a map and specific parcel list available.
  Opinion: According to purpose of the Conservation Futures program is to "maintain, preserve, conserve and otherwise continue in existence adequate open space lands for the production of food, fiber and forest crops, and to assure the use and enjoyment of natural resources and scenic beauty." The county maintains a statement and park locator. The fact that there are some worthwhile properties available which exceed the available annual funding is more proof that the purchase of the YMCA building in Riverfront Park was unwise. And this unfortunate funding restriction will persist for 20 years unless the park property is repurchased using unrestricted funds and Conservation Futures is refunded.
• Solar panels provide backup power for Liberty Lake police
  Source: Spokesman-Review; September 2, 2010
  Summary: The City of Liberty Lake has installed 60 solar panels on the roof of the police station/library building. The police department has a bank of batteries which can power its servers and communications equipment. The solar panels will keep the batteries available for up to 72 hours during a power outage. During normal operation, the solar panels will reduce the amount of energy purchased from Avista. Excess power will be sold back to Avista.
  Opinion: Proof that sustainability and resilience are two sides of the same coin. People who are opposed to sustainability: please explain how losing data access and communications is good for public safety.
• Doing More While Using Less Power
  Source: New York Times; September 1, 2010
  Summary: Energy efficiency is not the same as energy conservation. With conservation, you make do with less. Efficiency means that you can do more with what you already have. Appliances have become more efficient—like refrigerators have, on average become 4% more efficient each year since the 70’s, yet are larger. Light duty vehicles could double their efficiency by 2035. Buildings could use 60% less energy by installing present technologies. One researcher says that the United States could reduce its projected energy needs by 88 percent by 2050.
  Opinion: Reduce by 88 percent. No, I checked. That’s not a typo. As is observed in the article, this is easy stuff but industry seems to be "utterly uninterested." Yes, it can take upfront investment, but what doesn’t? And with up to 40 percent return on investment, there is a serious disconnect here. Perhaps Mayor Newsom’s building efficiency audits would help. It might even help more if the stockholders were informed of ways to make those kinds of margins. Or, better yet, disinvest in poorly performing companies and invest in businesses (and regions) which are more efficient and better prepared to succeed in tight markets.

Four the Future - September 1

To kick off your Sustainable September: Measuring energy efficiency, city awards, auto accident costs, and living without automobiles.

• Mayor introduces ecofriendly bill
  Source: San Francisco Chronicle; August 11, 2010
  Summary: San Francisco Mayor Gavin Newsom wants commercial buildings in the city to conduct an energy audit for their buildings every 5 years and updated annually. The reports would include the cost of energy-saving upgrades, and their expected annual savings. The reports would be made available to the public, and distributed to tenants. The local Building Owners and Managers Association is in favor.
  Opinion: Excellent move, if executed properly. People fix what they measure, and when they see the large return on investment on energy efficiency measures, they will begin to embrace them. Additionally, it will serve as a great way for foundations to direct energy efficiency grants, giving San Francisco an advantage over other communities.
• City of Spokane Receives Award
  Source: Councilman Jon Snyder; August 20, 2010
  Summary: The City of Spokane received an award from the American Planning Association and Planning Association of Washington "for its greenhouse gas inventory reports and Sustainability Action Plan." The blog entry lists a number of different activities that the City has performed to become more resilient.
  Opinion: The efforts the city is putting forward to make itself and the community more sustainable are commendable. Only crazed conspiracy theorists (John Ahern, Nancy McLaughlin, Mike Fagan, etc.) and their credulous followers can get in the way.
• Safety: Assessing the National Bill for Crashes
  Source: New York Times; August 30, 2010
  Summary: Automobile accidents account for nearly $100 billion annually, but only about 17% is direct medical costs. The vast majority is due to lost wages, productivity and costs associated with disability. Men account for about three-quarters of the cost. Teenagers, 14% of the population, account for a third of the cost. And motorcycle drivers and bicyclists cost twice as much when injured, due to the extent of injury. Seatbelts, increased speed enforcement, child safety seats and alcohol ignition lock-outs reduce the costs. Restrictions on teenage driving also helps.
  Opinion: What isn’t mentioned in the article is that one of the best ways to reduce those costs is greater transit ridership. People on rail and buses are almost immune, as the aggregate fatality risk for autos is 1,300 times greater than for buses.
• In German Suburb, Life Goes On Without Cars
  Source: New York Times; May 11, 2009
  Summary:
  
  
  Seventy percent of families in Vauban, a subdivision in suburban Freiburg, Germany, do not have cars. What roads they have do not permit cars to park. Driveways and home garages are generally forbidden. There are parking garages on the edge of the neighborhood which cost $40,000. Bikes are common, as is use of the tram which goes through the one square mile community. Originally a military base, it was not designed with auto traffic in mind. When cars are needed, people can rent from the auto club. Americans are often suspicious of anything that reduces car usage, but there is a similar concept being developed in California named Quarry Village.
  Opinion: If the concept interests you (as it does me, if merely as a living laboratory so we can optimize such places), feel free to dig deeper. The Wikipedia page links to some other newspapers. There’s a series of photos (including the one above) available here. Some of the architecture is, shall we say, uninspired. But, that’s something we fix in the next version, right?