On Thursday, March 13, the Spokane Valley Planning Commission will hold a public hearing to receive input and deliberate on the draft Sprague and Appleway Corridors Subarea Plan. Notice on the meeting was published in the Valley News Herald and the Spokesman-Review on February 22, and is also scheduled to run in the February 29th issues.

The plan affects all property fronting Sprague Avenue and Appleway Boulevard between I-90 at Sprague and approximately one half mile east of Sullivan Road, and proposes new development regulations for all properties within the Plan Area, including building use, heights, setbacks, building orientation, signs, parking, streets and open space and building design. It also includes recommendations for street network improvements for Sprague and Appleway.

The hearing will occur during the regular meeting of the Planning Commission, Thursday, March 13, beginning at 6:00 p.m. A copy of the meeting notice is linked below, in addition to a copy of the press release issued March 3.

On January 19, the Sprague & Appleway Corridor plan process will take another step forward with a presentation by consultants Michael Freedman and Troy Russ at a joint City Council and Plan Commission meeting.

The meeting, which will begin at 6:00 pm in City Hall, will present elements of the “Book III” portion of the plan, which suggests actions the City should take to revitalize the corridor. These include establishing the proposed City center and making transportation and streetscape improvements. Because transportation will be the primary focus of the presentation on the 19th, Russ, from lead transportation consultant Glatting Jackson will speak about the plan’s various boulevard, multi-modal and commercial transportation proposals.

All residents and interested parties are encouraged to attend. As with previous meetings, informational posters, CD-ROM copies and take-home summaries will be available to help introduce the plan to the public.

City Hall is located at 11707 East Sprague Avenue. (GMAP)

The next chance for public input on the Sprague-Appleway corridor plan will take place Thursday, February 14 from 4:00 to 6:00 pm.

Hosted by the City of Spokane Valley, the open house style event will present the draft plan including new design and development regulations that, in concert with the proposed new City center, will spur mixed-use development and economic growth along the Sprague-Appleway corridor. City project lead Scott Kuhta, staff and consultants will be on-hand to answer questions.

Following the open house session, Kuhta will present the plan to officials at the City’s regularly-scheduled Plan Commission meeting from 6:00 to 8:00 pm. The presentation, like January’s Developer’s Forum event, will offer a step-by-step explanation of the plan, and discuss how the new form-based regulations will affect the long-term growth and evolution of the corridor. A question and answer session will follow.

Both meetings will take place at the Spokane Valley City Hall Council Chambers, 11707 E. Sprague (GMAP). For more information, call 688-0232. View a copy of the postcard sent to area residents, and a follow-up article by reporter John Craig on the Developer Forum, published in the January 19 issue of the Spokesman-Review, below.

On Friday, January 18, the City of Spokane Valley will host a "Developer Education Forum" regarding the Sprague-Appleway draft corridor subarea plan. The event will introduce the draft plan, including the new design and development regulations that, in concert with the proposed new City center, will help spur mixed-use development and economic growth along the Sprague-Appleway corridor. City project lead Scott Kuhta will be on hand to answer questions and provide step-by-step explanations of how the new form-based guidelines and regulations will affect future development in the area.

Though the presentation will address questions from landowners and individuals from the development community in particular, members of the general public are welcome to attend. Two additional community forums are planned for the general public, one on January 23 and another on February 14.

The developer forum will take place from 7:30 to 9:00 am at City Hall Council Chambers, 11707 E. Sprague. For more information, call 688-0232. See also the article on the meeting published January 17 in the Spokesman Review, John Craig, staff writer.

The next meeting regarding the Sprague/Appleway Revitalization Plan is scheduled for 5:00 pm, March 1 at Center Place Community Center, 2426 N. Discovery Place. The meeting will be a joint session of the City Council and Plan Commission, providing staff and consultants an opportunity to present draft findings and recommendations on the project.

Consultants Michael Freedman and Troy Russ will present the full set of recommendations contained in the plan, including land use, transportation and street design, as developed by the public over the course of the entire process. All residents and interested parties are welcome and are encouraged to attend.

Additional questions may be addressed to project manager Scott Kuhta, at (509) 688-0049 or by .