Parks & Recreation

Notice of Intent to Make a Section 4(f) De Minimis Impact Determination

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Wednesday, August 12, 2026 at 10:48 a.m.

PUBLIC NOTICE

Notice of Intent to Make a Section 4(f) De Minimis Impact Determination

Project: Spokane Transit Authority Division Street Bus Rapid Transit Park Property Lease

Date of Notice: August 12, 2026

Lead Agency: Spokane Transit Authority/Federal Transit Administration

The Spokane Transit Authority (STA), in coordination with the Federal Transit Administration (FTA), is proposing to construct the Division Street Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) Project (Project). The 10-mile-long corridor project is generally located along Division Street (U.S. Highway 2 and US 395) in the City of Spokane and parts of unincorporated Spokane County, Washington. STA intends to apply for federal funds administered by FTA for the Project. As a result, the Project is considered a federal undertaking subject to the provisions of Section 4(f) of the Department of Transportation (DOT) Act of 1966, as amended in 23 Code of Federal Regulations (CFR) 774, and codified in 49 U.S. Code (U.S.C.) 303.

The City of Spokane Parks & Recreation Department (City) owns and maintains two parks along Division Street that are adjacent to improvements being made as part of the Project to upgrade and replace the existing Route 25 with BRT service, including new stations and roadway modifications. Franklin Park, located at 302 West Queen Avenue and B.A. Clark Park, located at 3922 North Normandie Street, both have existing STA bus stops adjacent to the parks that will be upgraded to BRT stations.

Under the Section 4(f) requirements, FTA cannot approve a transportation project that requires the use of any publicly owned land from a significant public park, recreation area, or wildlife and waterfowl refuge, or any land from a significant historic site, unless a determination is made that:

1. There is no feasible and prudent alternative to using the property; and

2. The project includes all possible planning to minimize harm to the property resulting from the use; or

3. The use will have no more than a de minimis impact on the resource. A de minimis impact means a project will have no adverse effect to the activities, features, and attributes of the resource after consideration of any impact avoidance, minimization, and mitigation or enhancement measures.

The improvements to the bus stop at B.A. Clark Park are proposed in the right-of-way near park property along North Division Street. The Project will require a temporary construction easement of approximately 118 square feet and a permanent right-of-way acquisition and/or easement, totaling 380 square feet. This action will require construction accommodations and will need to be approved by the Park Board Lands Committee.
The improvements to the bus stop at Franklin Park will require a temporary construction easement of approximately 32 square feet for a staging area; however, the action would not constitute a use because the occupancy would be relatively short in duration, minor in scale, and construction activities would not interfere with use or access to the recreation activities within the park. The action can be completed administratively and can be executed by the Director of Parks and Recreation.

The Spokane Transit Authority has conducted an assessment of potential environmental and community impacts related to this action and issued a technical memorandum entitled “Division Street Bus Rapid Transit Property Acquisition and Section 4(f)/6(f) Technical Memorandum” (link below). The assessment concluded the Project is expected to have minimal impacts to property acquisitions, displacements and Section 4(f)/6(f) resources. Based on this assessment, FTA intends to make a Section 4(f) de minimis impact determination on the impacts to the B.A. Clark Park resource resulting from the Project.

The City of Spokane, in coordination with the Spokane Transit Authority (STA) and Federal Transit Administration (FTA), intends to concur with the de minimis determination and grant the requested easements and/or acquisition. Any person wishing to comment on the proposed Section 4(f) de minimis impact finding and subsequent use of park property may submit written comments within 14 days of this notice. Comments must be received or postmarked by August 26, 2026.

Please submit your comments to: