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Gonzaga Neighborhood Wants Walk-able Streets, Gets Nod from City Council

Residents of the Logan neighborhood next to Gonzaga got preliminary approval from the city council this week to give Hamilton street a facelift. Neighbors want a more livable, walkable community, but some city council members are concerned with how changes on Hamilton will affect plans for the North Spokane Corridor.

Logan stakeholders have been developing a “form-based code” since 2012, a term for codes based on physical formations like the relationship between building facades and the public realm, not just land-use types. Stakeholder Karen Byrd says that would translate to…
 
Byrd: “A residential transition area east and west of Hamilton, of higher density. Provide Hamilton corridor streetscape, and intersection improvements, including bicycle and pedestrian connections.”
 
There’s the possibility of moving Hamilton to a one-lane-in each direction street, and requiring buildings be built up to the street. The latter is why Logan is opposed to a new fast food drive-thru under construction.
 
A resolution passed by a 4-3 vote, but Mike Allen voted no because of traffic concerns.
 
Allen: “I probably wouldn’t have as big an issue with this… we’re going to take it down to one.”
 
Eventually, the Logan stakeholders will ask the city council to approve new codes.
 
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