news | development “inside the box,” continued... “We’re OK with development as long as it’s smart,” Teske says. “If this [as currently planned] goes all the way to development, it doesn’t bode well for infill. If you can drop a big-box store in what’s supposed to be the most pedestrianfriendly zoning in the city, there’s a big disconnect there.”
I
t’s a familiar clash. In 2008, the fight materialized in contentious City Council meetings and eventually in a lawsuit, in which residents argued the city broke state law by designating the site and others nearby commercial. In 2009, the group dropped the suit, focusing instead on upholding a set of agreements the city struck with developers about how those parcels should be developed. The agreements limited developers to 105,000-squarefoot stores and required them to follow a set of “Initial Design Standards and Guidelines for Centers and Corridors.” Those requirements include things like: “New development should not have only parking between buildings and the street,” “…clearly defined pedestrian connections should be provided,” and designers should “ensure that roof lines present a distinct profile and appearance for the building and express the neighborhood character.” “Will there be a 105,000-square-foot box? I don’t know,” Stan Schwartz, an attorney for the property owners, told the Spokesman-Review then. “Respectfully, it ain’t going to look like Shopko, if for no other reason than (this) agreement will not
allow that.” But the agreement between the city and Dave Black Properties made an exception to the square-feet rule, allowing a 135,000-square-foot store if “it involves a Target store,” and Black is planning to use every inch. He’s been “courting” Target for a decade, he says, and he’s out to build the store they want. He views the project as a balancing act between city rules and the desires of a massive company like Target, which tends to lean toward its traditional store design unless it’s building in a major city. His latest site plan shows a large spot for Target, with a parking lot dotted with trees and split on one side by a sidewalk. This, Black says, is “pedestrian emphasis.” In the far corner, a “community plaza” is labeled with a fountain and shade trees. On the northern side, a 50-foot strip of grass and trees has a bike path running through it. Black calls this “almost a park.” To neighborhood leaders, the concessions are laughable. Teske says he believes the requirements in place mean Black should create “a more downtown-city-style development,” not just a well-landscaped parking lot. He cites University Village, an open-air, mall-style development near the University of Washington in Seattle, with sidewalk access to multilevel shops: “It’s not a giant monolithic building surrounding on the fringe.” While the green dots and paths through the parking lot on Black’s plan look attractive, it’s still a fundamentally basic box-store layout, like
2ND ANNUAL
Barrels & Bites FRIDAY. APRIL 26TH, 2013 The Spokane Public Market invites you to attend the 2nd annual tasting event including wine, microbrews, hard cider and spirits. Fine wines will be paired with food available in the market.
Teach Overseas TESOL SUMMER INSTITUTE TESOL Certificate Course | Gonzaga University • July 1 - 26, 2013 Collaborate and network with ESL/EFL professionals
TICKETS Tickets available at Spokane Public Market or at brownpapertickets.com
Training to teach English in the U.S. and abroad Assistance with overseas job placement Graduate and undergraduate credit
THE MARKET IS OPEN ALL YEAR LONG
Hands-on practical experience TESOL Certificate Reduced tuition www.gonzaga.edu/summerinstitute summerinstitute@gonzaga.edu
(509) 313-6560 14 INLANDER APRIL 11, 2013
DOWNTOWN AT 2ND & BROWNE (24 W. 2ND AVE) THUR-SAT, 10AM -6PM, SUN 11AM-5PM SPOKANEPUBLICMARKET.ORG