Tree compromise - LID could widen planting strip
By John Vlahovich
Spokane Public Radio
Spokane officials are offering a compromise in the controversy over trees scheduled for removal when South Bernard Street is repaved this year. Their plan would cost adjacent property owners money. It might also cost them part of their front yards. But it would give them their curbside trees.
Mayor Dennis Hession is promoting creation of a local improvement district to augment the city street repaving project. Money from the LID, a special property tax, would pay to widen the curbside planting strip so that new trees could be planted after Bernard is rebuilt.
City engineers say existing trees along Bernard will not survive the street renovation. Assuming they’re right, new city councilman Rob Crow says widening the planting strips via an LID makes sense. He admits this approach would come at a cost to property owners.
“In this case it’s going to involve the directly impacted residents to perhaps even give up some of their property to accommodate this,” says Crow. “Do I think that’s worth it? You bet. If it were my property, would I? You bet,” he adds.
The LID idea surfaced during the city council’s debate over the trees Monday night. Council members Brad Stark and Mary Verner unsuccessfully urged their colleagues to call on the city administration to rethink the tree removal. Stark says the issue goes beyond Bernard Street.
“If we let this happen to the Bernard Street trees, what’s going to happen next year and the years beyond that when we work on Grand Street?” Stark asked rhetorically “Let’s take it further. What about Indian Trail, Addison and Wall Street and Garland and Monroe and Market and all these beloved arterials?”
Verner wanted all street project designs to be reviewed by a variety of committees – ranging from the planning commission to the bicycle advisory group – before being finalized.
But other council members saw Stark and Verner second-guessing the city engineering staff, the citizen’s street advisory committee, even Spokane voters.
City councilman Al French said, “This latest bond issue, I believe, passed because staff was very specific about what they were going to do, what streets they were going to pave, when they were going to pave them, and the council was responsive in creating the citizens street advisory committee to be able to provide the oversight.
“I’m not in a position to where I feel comfortable violating that agreement with the taxpayer,” French added.
People can discuss Mayor Hession’s local improvement district concept with him and other officials February 22nd at an open house on the Bernard Street project. The event will be held from 5:30 to 7:30 p.m. at the downtown library.