Condos are good for Spokane and so is urban development.
That’s what we keep being told by everyone; city council members, the mayor, the newspaper, and quite literally anyone else who has the ability to influence public perception. Yet at the same time, the city pushes the slogan near nature, near perfect. Part of that appeal is that Spokane, despite it’s growth, has still maintained a somewhat “small town” appeal. This shift in tactics by the city will eventually lead to the destruction of this atmosphere and Spokane will be just one more urban sprawl.
Recently Spokane has had three controversial condominium developments receive approval from the city of Spokane. First there was the Peaceful Valley fiasco, where the city backed down because they were worried about lawsuits from the property owners, and decided instead to destroy one of the oldest neighborhoods in Spokane. Next up was Kendall Yards, the city decided it must act or risk the growth and redevelopment of downtown Spokane.
But making downtown a non-affordable yuppy-ville is not enough. The city wants to force more people out, and to do so they’re willing to force people to spend massive amounts of money to maintain their houses, or risk destuction. That’s exactly what will happen if the city allows Yong Lewis to move ahead with his “Tuscan Ridge” project.
Tuscan Ridge is a development that has just received approval from the city. It is a 30 building development just off of 57th and Hatch Road. An area that has had it’s fair share of structural problems. The hillside is one of the most erosive in the area and several houses in the vicinity have needed shoring up due to erosion. So if housing further up, on more stable ground already required shoring up, what will happen to housing built halfway on the hillside need? What will happen in 10 years with increased traffic, and more wear and tear on the hillside? It will cause accelerated erosion that will require the residents of the area to spend far more money to keep their houses on the hillside rather then roadside to Highway 195.
So folks, if your looking for a quick ticket out, the City of Spokane has just the place for you, head to Tuscan Ridge.