During an Oct. 24 workshop, the Airway Heights City Council had the opportunity to give their input on concepts for the U.S. Highway 2 Revitalization project and 20-year land use plan update.
In 2015, the city adopted the Highway 2 Visioning Report and contracted with Studio Cascade to develop a 15 percent plan for the highway corridor. The firm will break the corridor into sections with specific concepts applied to each.
One of the major components of Studio Cascade’s scope of work was the community’s input. Ryan Hughes, Studio Cascade senior planner, said his firm, along with Airway Heights staff, conducted interviews with stakeholders, business owners and residents.
During a Sept. 7 Planning Commission meeting, the consultants conducted a workshop and asked participants where they believed was “the heart of the town” and the “east and west entry points.” Most groups felt the heart of the city was the central area that encompasses Yoke’s Fresh Market, the community center, Sunset Elementary School and Sunset Park.
Participants were also asked what character themes they felt best described areas in the city. These themes included small town community, suburban life and destination center.
Groups felt the central portion of the city encompasses small town community, while the area along Hayford Road and Highway 2 falls into suburban lifestyle. Looking ahead, groups felt the western portion of the city will be a destination center after construction of the Spokane Tribe Economic Project is completed. Other areas, such as north of Highway 2 near Northern Quest Resort and Casino, were also considered destination centers.
For the Oct. 24 workshop, participants broke into groups and were given two tasks. The first was to identify the gap of where areas in the city are now in terms of the character themes, and where they would like to be in the future.
All of the groups felt the areas that were designated small town community and destination centers — the central and western parts of the city — do not meet the characteristics of the themes they would like to see in the future.
“Where we want to be, we are nowhere near that,” Councilman Larry Bowman said.
Some groups felt the eastern side of the city had features that classify it as a suburban lifestyle.
“We have a lot of those elements already in place,” Public Works Director Kevin Anderson said, referring to the businesses along Highway 2 and Hayford Road.
For the second activity, participants were asked to identify which design features from each of the themes they would support. Some of the features groups picked included landscaping and safe walking in the city’s central area, more businesses and easier access to stores in the eastern side of the city.
Hughes said his firm will implement the feedback and design choices into a land use and corridor plan draft in November. They will prepare a final plan package, including maps and design schematics and bring it to council for adoption in December.
“The most important stage of this plan is what the community envisions,” Hughes said. “In the talks we have had with people, they are interested in change.”
Al Stover can be reached at al@cheneyfreepress.com.
Reader Comments(0)