Kathy Mulady

North Indian Trail residents were scratching their heads last week after reading road signs advising them to take an alternate route during a planned construction project. "What alternate route?" they wondered. The sign was wrong, said city officials. Traffic on the south half of Indian Trail Road will be reduced to one lane each direction through April while water pipes are laid.

The deadline for nominating properties for preservation with conservation futures funds has been extended until April 9. "The committee wanted to provide citizens with the best opportunity to nominate the crown jewels of the county," said Steve Horobiowski, a planner with the Spokane County Parks and Recreation Department. A series of meetings is planned to introduce nominated properties. Meetings will start with discussion on properties in the immediate area. The properties nominated on the South Side include 60 acres at 57th and Regal. "Most of the land in the prairie has been developed. There is a rallying cry to save some of the farming heritage," said county Parks Director Wyn Birkenthal. "It's very picturesque." The nominations also include 160 sloping acres on Browne Mountain. The land is owned by the state Department of Natural Resources. "It has as good a view as you can find," said Birkenthal. Most of the properties already nominated on the South Side of the city are adjacent to Qualchan Golf Course, including the 24-acre Black property and 14-acre Lackman property. More than 80 acres on Thorpe Road have been nominated, as well as eight acres in Lincoln Heights and several acres in Albion Heights. About 70 properties in the city and county have been nominated. Birkenthal said he expects a dozen more will be submitted before the deadline. More than 70 residents attended a meeting March 18 at the Spokane Main Library to nominate properties within the city limits. Properties nominated so far in the county range from 18 acres to 3,500 acres. The city nominations ranged from 80 acres to one acre. Spokane County residents may nominate property they think should be preserved for its value as wildlife habitat, open space, shoreline area, or for hiking and nature study. Slides, maps, the name and address of the property owner and details about the property are required for nomination. Nominated properties will be reviewed and rated by a citizens committee made up of city and county residents. The conservation futures tax was extended by voters last fall. There is currently $2.5 million in bank. The county expects to collect just under a $1 million annually during the next five years for a total of $7.5 million. Lands that will be rated highest include those with wildlife habitat, that are threatened by development or logging, provide a link to other open space, provide water access and have widespread citizen support. It also helps if the owner of the property is willing to sell. The property must be presented at one of the scheduled public meetings. Tours of the highest-rated properties will be scheduled May 31, June 5 and June 13. On June 24, the citizens committee will develop a prioritized recommendation list. The panel will present it to County Parks Advisory Committee June 25. For more information, call Steve Horobiowski at 456-4730.

Negotiations have stalled on Scott Brett's bid to buy 51 acres on Five Mile Prairie from developer Barry Margolese. "Scott Brett didn't come to the table yesterday," Margolese said Wednesday. "No money showed up and there was no extension agreement. Essentially, the deal is canceled."

Several North Side neighborhoods are opposing the city of Spokane's proposed street tree ordinance, saying the plan needs more time and more discussion. The Assembly of Neighborhood Councils hasn't officially taken a stand for or against the ordinance. The chairman for the assembly said they haven't had enough time to study the document, take it back to their neighborhoods and return for a second meeting. The latest draft of the ordinance was dated March 6. The park board met and approved the ordinance March 12. The neighborhood assembly won't meet again until April 14. But the ordinance is expected to come before City Council for adoption in April.

The deadline for nominating properties for protection with conservation futures funds has been extended until April 9. "The committee wanted to provide citizens with the best opportunity to nominate the crown jewels of the county," said Steve Horobiowski, a planner with the Spokane County Parks and Recreation Department.

Balboa-area residents, joined by neighbor Mayor John Talbott, agreed unanimously Thursday to officially join the growing number of neighborhood councils. "The future of neighborhoods is good," Talbott told the group. The Balboa neighborhood takes its name from an elementary school in the area. Its boundaries are roughly from the edge of the North Indian Trail neighborhood, along the east side of Indian Trail Road to Francis Avenue and east to Ash Street.

1. Dennis Eng, left, took over the Cathay Inn from his father Eddie, right, who took over from his father, Tom. Last week, the Engs broke ground for a new restaurant. Photo by Shawn Jacobson/The Spokesman-Review 2. Construction is underway at the site of the new Cathay Inn. The current building can be seen in the background and will be demolished after the new restaurant is complete in late summer. Photo by Shawn Jacobson/The Spokesman-Review 3. 1950's photo of the original restaurant. The Statue of Liberty was placed on top by the original owner. Photo courtesy of Eng family 4. Eddie Eng, owner of the Cathay Inn, is shown in this 1950s photo. Photo courtesy of Eng family

Several ideas for easing traffic and improving air quality along the busy Hamilton Street corridor were presented to Logan-area residents Tuesday. The study, compiled by the Spokane Regional Transportation Council, was requested by the city of Spokane in anticipation of a number of projects planned in the area. "The city wanted us to take a look at this from a holistic point of view instead of one project at a time," said Glenn Miles, SRTC transportation manager.