I would like to share my thoughts regarding this Preferred Alternative proposal. I am a life long environmentalist who has lived in Spokane since 1980, and greatly appreciate its unique siting, being so close to so many undisturbed natural and wild lands, in addition to having so many parks throughout the City. These characteristics benefit the City in many ways, by contributing to the beauty of the City, in addition to enhancing the quality of life and livability for those who reside here, and to preserve the habits for the animals that have lived or migrated through this area for countless years. As our summers warm, the various pockets of forest that are scattered through the City, as undeveloped properties, help to keep the City cooler and are essential to help prevent heat island effects, and so treed areas are vital to protect, regardless of size.
[PDF page 2 of 2 begins within the following paragraph.]
I understand that Spokane’s beauty and many of its other qualities have drawn people to reside here from throughout the country, resulting in a very high demand for more housing, and sprawl in many areas. But I think it still is critical to protect our Urban Forest, and other treed properties, as a top priority, regardless of the size of the parcel. In the recent years I have observed many trees being cut throughout the area without any apparent oversight by the City. I live a block from Manito Park and just a few years ago a newer neighbor at that time, 2 homes west of me, cut down a half dozen mature 200 foot ponderosas, simply so the new owner could build a huge, oversized garage in his back yard. Hearing the trees being cut down was very traumatizing for me, especially under these circumstances. This kind of wanton and irresponsible destruction of mature trees that provided cooling shade for the neighborhood and habitat for various birds and other animals should not be simply allowed. I am aware of several other examples of much larger treed and forested areas being recklessly destroyed throughout the City, such as the tragic destruction of the beautiful forest by Underhill Park, to build housing. I have also been appalled by all the construction of housing up on N. Indian Trail Road, without protecting ANY of the beautiful forest that used to stand there at all. These examples of cutting down forested areas, that not only provide beauty and animal habitat, but are important to help moderate our local climate during future heat waves, is totally unacceptable to me. It should be totally unacceptable to the City, too, so construction of new housing or other building projects should ONLY be allowed on untreed properties. Cutting forested areas of any size without specific permission should be severely fined, as well. With global temperatures steadily rising, we cannot be careless and irresponsible about a destroying resource that helps to slow that trend. Surveys have shown that the majority of people in Spokane WANT natural areas and the Urban Forest to be protected, and I think that opinion should be respected as a priority over ANY housing or commercial development on any treed properties in the City.
Since this suggested Preferred Alternative Plan does not address benefits of protecting the Urban Forest or other treed properties throughout the City, and I feel that needs to be included and addressed more comprehensively in this plan than is being currently outlined.
Thank you for your consideration.
Best regards,
Sunni Mace
[Personal contact details omitted from the reading text.]
Sunni Mace
Apr 14, 2026
Local Resident
[PDF page 1 of 2]
Hello,
I would like to share my thoughts regarding this Preferred Alternative proposal. I am a life long environmentalist who has lived in Spokane since 1980, and greatly appreciate its unique siting, being so close to so many undisturbed natural and wild lands, in addition to having so many parks throughout the City. These characteristics benefit the City in many ways, by contributing to the beauty of the City, in addition to enhancing the quality of life and livability for those who reside here, and to preserve the habits for the animals that have lived or migrated through this area for countless years. As our summers warm, the various pockets of forest that are scattered through the City, as undeveloped properties, help to keep the City cooler and are essential to help prevent heat island effects, and so treed areas are vital to protect, regardless of size.
[PDF page 2 of 2 begins within the following paragraph.]
I understand that Spokane’s beauty and many of its other qualities have drawn people to reside here from throughout the country, resulting in a very high demand for more housing, and sprawl in many areas. But I think it still is critical to protect our Urban Forest, and other treed properties, as a top priority, regardless of the size of the parcel. In the recent years I have observed many trees being cut throughout the area without any apparent oversight by the City. I live a block from Manito Park and just a few years ago a newer neighbor at that time, 2 homes west of me, cut down a half dozen mature 200 foot ponderosas, simply so the new owner could build a huge, oversized garage in his back yard. Hearing the trees being cut down was very traumatizing for me, especially under these circumstances. This kind of wanton and irresponsible destruction of mature trees that provided cooling shade for the neighborhood and habitat for various birds and other animals should not be simply allowed. I am aware of several other examples of much larger treed and forested areas being recklessly destroyed throughout the City, such as the tragic destruction of the beautiful forest by Underhill Park, to build housing. I have also been appalled by all the construction of housing up on N. Indian Trail Road, without protecting ANY of the beautiful forest that used to stand there at all. These examples of cutting down forested areas, that not only provide beauty and animal habitat, but are important to help moderate our local climate during future heat waves, is totally unacceptable to me. It should be totally unacceptable to the City, too, so construction of new housing or other building projects should ONLY be allowed on untreed properties. Cutting forested areas of any size without specific permission should be severely fined, as well. With global temperatures steadily rising, we cannot be careless and irresponsible about a destroying resource that helps to slow that trend. Surveys have shown that the majority of people in Spokane WANT natural areas and the Urban Forest to be protected, and I think that opinion should be respected as a priority over ANY housing or commercial development on any treed properties in the City.
Since this suggested Preferred Alternative Plan does not address benefits of protecting the Urban Forest or other treed properties throughout the City, and I feel that needs to be included and addressed more comprehensively in this plan than is being currently outlined.
Thank you for your consideration.
Best regards,
Sunni Mace
[Personal contact details omitted from the reading text.]