Last Thursday the City of Spokane Engineering Department held an open house at Chase Middle School to discuss the upcoming 37th Avenue Rehabilitation and Water Main Project. Starting in April 2016, the city will install a 36″ water main from Regal Street to Havana Street, repave the entire length of 37th, add sidewalks and bike lanes to both sides of the road. The project also includes improvement of stormwater management from the Hazel’s Creek area the city-owned empty lot at Rebecca and 37th (see rendering above).

The city has started a blog for this project where you can see all the details and leave comments for the city. You can also send your comments to Julie Happy at the city.

There is a new 114-unit apartment complex being proposed for Southgate and the SEPA comment period is open till Wednesday, September 23rd. The Palouse Trails Apartments are designated low-income housing with all the units being available for people making 50% the local median income. It is being developed by Whitewater Creek, the same group that is developing the 360 apartment units on 55th Avenue. It is projected that this project will generate 758 new trips on Palouse Hwy. with 60% headed toward Regal Street and 40% going towards Freya Ave.

The SNC Land Use Committee submitted comments related to project connectivity and possible impacts to the Palouse Hwy. Crosswalk project that will connect Copper Hill and Clareview to the Target site. The developers responded to our comments by saying they will continue the 12′ wide bike/pedestrian trail that runs along the north side of the Target site for the full length of their project’s frontage. I encourage neighbors to look at the project’s SEPA application and site plan (see above) and submit their own comments to the city. Comments can be sent to John Halsey at the City of Spokane at jhalsey@spokanecity.org. If you have any questions, please leave a comment and we will try to address them.

Southgate residents should have received a postcard this week announcing the first of two annual extra curbside garbage pickups organized by the Southgate Neighborhood Council and Spokane’s Office of Neighborhood Services (ONS). The extra pickup is happening on Friday, May 29th.

Each year ONS allocates money to each neighborhood for neighborhood cleanup activities and this is the second year that Southgate residents have decided to do a pair of extra curbside pickups as opposed to handing out dump passes.

From the postcard, “City garbage trucks will begin collecting the waste at 7:00am and will only pick up trash at the curb (no alley pickup), single family residential waste only. Everything must be to the curb by 7:00am.”

The postcard further explains the rules…

You may put out the following items: Up to three trash cans/bags/boxes or bundles weighing no more than 85 pounds each. Acceptable items include:

• Household Trash – Broken toys, housewares, clothing
• Small Appliances – Microwave, toasters, coffee pots, etc.
• Small Furniture – Size one person can carry
• Tires – Two maximum per household

Do Not Put Out:

• Hazardous Waste – Oil, paint, batteries, pesticides, or chemicals
• Clean Green – Grass clippings, branches, tree stumps, or sod
• Large Appliances – water heaters, tubs, sinks, stoves, washers, or dryers, etc.

If you have any questions please contact Jackie Caro at the City of Spokane Office of Neighborhood Services at jcaro@spokanecity.org or 509-625-6733

Coming up this Tuesday, May 19th, the City of Spokane Parks and Recreation Department will be holding a public “visioning” meeting for the Southeast Soccer Complex on Regal Street. The meeting will start at 7:00pm and be at the Conference Center at ESD101 (4202 S. Regal Street).

This is an opportunity for neighborhood residents to talk about the current uses of the park and the need to better or different amenities. Want some basketball courts, come give your input. A better play area, splash pad, picnic shelters? Community gardens, better handicap access? Better bike or pedestrian connections to the neighborhood? Everything is on the table. The more input, the better.

For some background information, you can see the city-adopted Southgate Neighborhood Parks and Open Space Plan. This document was the output from a multi-year planning process a few years ago and the resulting plans were adopted by both the Parks Department and the Spokane City Council. There are sections in there that deal with the Southeast Sports Complex, but your specific input is encouraged as well.

If you have any questions you can contact us here or contact Al Vorderbruggen at the Spokane Parks and Recreation Department at 509-363-5495.