Projects

Emerson-Garfield

Neighborhood Planning Process

Public Open House and Community Dialogue on Final Draft Plan

June 12, 2014, 6:30 to 8:30 p.m.
Knox Presbyterian Church
806 West Knox Avenue

In 2012, the Emerson-Garfield neighborhood began a planning process to develop a set of actions that address many neighborhood issues that neighborhood residents, land owners and business owners identified as being important to consider. The neighborhood used their City-allocated neighborhood planning funds to develop the Emerson-Garfield Neighborhood Action Plan. The neighborhood formed a stakeholder committee to provide leadership and direction over the two-year planning process and elected Megan Schuyler Kennedy as the Project Manager. Jo Anne Wright, Planning and Development Services, is the staff liaison for the process, and Len Zickler, Rachel Hodgson, and Craig Anderson from the consulting firm of AHBL worked with the neighborhood to develop the plan.

The stakeholder team held several initial meetings with the City and AHBL to get organized, learn about neighborhood planning, and develop an inclusive public outreach process. The team then held two public workshops on October 10 and November 14, 2013, to ask those neighbors in attendance to identify issues and solutions, prioritize those issues, and develop a neighborhood vision. From these initial meetings and workshops, the stakeholder team, consultant, and City worked together to develop the plan based on the broader neighborhood's ideas and desires. The highly collaborative effort has included many, many hours of volunteer time to promote and convene meetings, share information, conduct surveys and intercept events, develop plan priorities and action items, and plan content.

The draft plan is now ready for review and comment by the Emerson-Garfield neighborhood and the general public, so please attend the Open House on June 12, 2014, at the Knox Presbyterian Church, 806 West Knox Avenue and give your feedback. The plan is visionary and conceptual in nature. It is a long-range plan that depicts the desires of the neighborhood. The major action plan elements include a vision, goals, and action items that address the neighborhood priorities of pedestrian safety, neighborhood beautification, business diversity, community resources, alternative and public transportation, neighborhood life, and the Monroe Street Corridor. Many ideas in the plan will require more in-depth analysis and funding if they are to be realized, but the plan successfully sets the stage for the neighborhood's overall future direction and presents actions items to help support and improve the well-being of the neighborhood.

The plan implements many goals and policies of the City of Spokane Comprehensive Plan through an emphasis on improving safety and the pedestrian/bicycle/transit modes of transportation within the neighborhood. It calls for a more cohesive neighborhood through enhanced opportunities for neighborhood activities and events and advances economic development opportunities through improved business communication and neighborhood beautification. It also presents several ideas to enhance the Monroe Street Corridor.

The outcome of this successful collaboration is a plan that greatly benefits the community as a whole. Emerson-Garfield neighbors, as well as city residents, will enjoy the benefits of this plan through an improved quality of life.

View Final Neighborhood Action Plan (PDF 4.1 MB).

Stakeholder Team Members