Gorge project must be true to community

In Candy Land, the children’s board game, you can take a shortcut to the end of the game on Gum Drop Pass. Wednesday, for the first time in my life – and I grew up here – I drove on Spokane’s Gum Drop Pass. It’s really called A Street, and it’s not the one on the North Side. This A Street is a mile or two west of downtown, near the intersection of Sunset Highway and Government Way.

When you drive on A Street, it takes three minutes – and three minutes only – to travel from busy Sunset Highway all the way down to the Spokane River at Peaceful Valley.

Not many folks know about Gum Drop Pass, aka A Street, but when the Spokane River Gorge Project becomes reality over the next five to 10 years, this could become one of the busiest thoroughfares in the area.

Wednesday, our editorial board met with a coalition of folks who are working hard to transform the Spokane River Gorge into an outdoor-recreation destination. They believe the transformation is key to sustained economic vitality for Spokane. The 400-acre, $13 million project (actually made up of several different projects) would change in dramatic ways how we interact with the river.

As soon as the meeting ended, I jumped into my car and drove some of the river gorge, first in the present tense and then in the future tense.

Spokane River Gorge, the present tense. The three motels near the intersection of Sunset Highway and Government Way look as if time forgot them. They would make a perfect film location for a scene from Jess Walter’s new book, “Citizen Vince,” set in Spokane in 1980.

As you turn right onto A street, notice the half-dozen homes there. They look as if they are being repaired by do-it-yourself owners who have spread their work materials throughout their yards.

Take a right at the bottom of A Street for a quick detour into High Bridge Park. The park looks deserted. It suffered from a drug-dealer hangout reputation in the past, though now it’s known more as a good dog-walking park.

After finishing this detour, get back on A Street, cross Riverside Avenue, and park where folks do who enjoy the beach at People’s Park, known for its nude summer bathers.

The Centennial Trail’s spectacular Sandifur Memorial Bridge spans the river there. Stand in awe for a moment. Next, drive through Peaceful Valley. See the newly built homes with floor-to-ceiling windows that look out over the river. See the tinier houses, too, some well-kept, some trashed.

Spokane River Gorge, the future tense. It’s 2010. Boutique motels now line Sunset Highway. Quaint coffee shops sell mugs that read: Near Nature. Near Perfect. Nirvana.

Several rigs, with kayaks on attached trailers, sit in the parking lot of a recreation outfitter. As you drive down Gum Drop Pass, you see “Whitewater Whispers,” a tony condominium development. Detour again into High Bridge Park. Look sideways and see the wine-tasting event.

Notice the “Welcome to Whitewater Park” sign as you drive into the lot at the Sandifur Bridge. Look beneath the bridge and see dozens of kayakers working the waves. See the out-of-town doctors from the HMO convention climbing out of an outfitter’s van and into rafts for an afternoon float trip down the river.

See the brightly painted, $1 million homes in Peaceful Valley. The nudies at People’s Park are long gone, as are the tiny homes that once graced the neighborhood.

Back to the present tense. I am a huge fan of the Spokane River Gorge Project. But as it goes forward, community members need to ponder together some questions. How do we sell the river without selling it out? Will Peaceful Valley evolve into a Candy Land neighborhood for the rich only? Can we reap Sun Valley, Idaho, economic benefits without adopting its snobby feel?

The Spokane River has a long tradition of openness toward all people, no matter their status in life. This is a tradition worth preserving as the Spokane River Gorge Project flows into its promising future.