Tirrell Black, Assistant Planning Director
City of Spokane Department of Planning Services
808 W. Spokane Falls Blvd.
Spokane, WA 99201
Re "PlanSpokane 2046 Draft EIS Comments".
Dear Ms. Black,
Thank you for the opportunity to comment on the Draft EIS for the new Comprehensive Plan. I was also able to attend the February 10th "listening session" at Shadle and ask some questions as well. The planners indicated that Alternative 2 and 3 were the ones that accommodated or focused desired growth, but that there was also an opportunity to 'mix and match' new policies.
If I had to choose an alternative, I would probably favor Alternative 2. My overarching concern is preserving the character of downtown Spokane and its neighborhoods. I would like to see a greater emphasis on infill development in the downtown (those surface parking lots!) and along the significant arterials such as Division, where there is so much vacant or under-utilized land. And of course Division will provide an excellent opportunity for bus rapid transit and streetscape improvements in the future. I also like the emphasis placed on connectivity and the variety of open spaces in the plan and the protection of natural areas.
My areas of interest are primarily urban design and historic preservation, because these, along with transit-oriented development, are the areas I've worked in in my career. I am sorry to see in the Abbreviated Summary of Impacts in the Draft EIS Summary that, "All the alternatives have the potential for significant adverse impacts to cultural resources," and that this is the only subject area in the plan with significant adverse impacts that could presumably not be mitigated. This is a huge disappointment to me. The historic character of Spokane is one of the reasons I live here and one of the ways in which this city is distinguished from say, Seattle (my home town).
In general, I do not support eliminating, relaxing or streamlining policies and regulations in order to achieve other goals, such as housing density or urban infill. Although I recognize that some flexibility is desirable in planning processes, I would rather that policies and regulations set out to achieve the intended vision rather than implying that some sort of exemption or negotiation process may be possible in the future.
I will submit comments on the Draft Urban Design & Historic Preservation Comprehensive Plan chapter at a later date.
Diana Painter - Painter Preservation
Feb 18, 2026
Community Advocate
[PDF page 1 of 2]
Thank you for the opportunity to submit these comments.
Diana
Diana J. Painter, PhD
Painter Preservation
Spokane, Washington
[Professional contact details omitted from the reading text.]
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ATTACHMENT / ADDITIONAL PAGES
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[PDF page 2 of 2]
Tirrell Black, Assistant Planning Director
City of Spokane Department of Planning Services
808 W. Spokane Falls Blvd.
Spokane, WA 99201
Re "PlanSpokane 2046 Draft EIS Comments".
Dear Ms. Black,
Thank you for the opportunity to comment on the Draft EIS for the new Comprehensive Plan. I was also able to attend the February 10th "listening session" at Shadle and ask some questions as well. The planners indicated that Alternative 2 and 3 were the ones that accommodated or focused desired growth, but that there was also an opportunity to 'mix and match' new policies.
If I had to choose an alternative, I would probably favor Alternative 2. My overarching concern is preserving the character of downtown Spokane and its neighborhoods. I would like to see a greater emphasis on infill development in the downtown (those surface parking lots!) and along the significant arterials such as Division, where there is so much vacant or under-utilized land. And of course Division will provide an excellent opportunity for bus rapid transit and streetscape improvements in the future. I also like the emphasis placed on connectivity and the variety of open spaces in the plan and the protection of natural areas.
My areas of interest are primarily urban design and historic preservation, because these, along with transit-oriented development, are the areas I've worked in in my career. I am sorry to see in the Abbreviated Summary of Impacts in the Draft EIS Summary that, "All the alternatives have the potential for significant adverse impacts to cultural resources," and that this is the only subject area in the plan with significant adverse impacts that could presumably not be mitigated. This is a huge disappointment to me. The historic character of Spokane is one of the reasons I live here and one of the ways in which this city is distinguished from say, Seattle (my home town).
In general, I do not support eliminating, relaxing or streamlining policies and regulations in order to achieve other goals, such as housing density or urban infill. Although I recognize that some flexibility is desirable in planning processes, I would rather that policies and regulations set out to achieve the intended vision rather than implying that some sort of exemption or negotiation process may be possible in the future.
I will submit comments on the Draft Urban Design & Historic Preservation Comprehensive Plan chapter at a later date.