Spokane River provides unique possibilities for Spokane Valley

Like the Ugly Duckling of fable, we Spokane Valley residents are poised to participate in an amazing underdog success story – if we have the vision to embrace it.

Instead of lamenting our apparent lack of a distinctive feature such as a clock tower, lake or falls which nearby communities have tied their individual civic identities, we must discover our own unique appeal. Unfortunately, our lack of self-appreciation is so ingrained, that even our elected officials seem blind to the possibilities.

I hope I wasn’t the only reader who spat coffee out on my paper last week when I saw the county commissioners were considering the Valley as a prison site. Though not a militant Not-In-My-Backyard type, I do believe in the concept of “highest and best use.” So, while necessary facilities such as prisons, sewage treatment plants, Burlington Northern fuel depots, nuclear reactors, etc., all have their places. I would hope those places are not near residential neighborhoods, shopping districts, or especially in the case of fuel depots, over aquifers.

Like the Scarecrow in the “Wizard of Oz,” our limitation in the Spokane Valley is that we can’t see ourselves for what we are. Teased mercilessly by neighboring cities for our lack of civic distinction, we tend to envy the assets of others while failing to look inward and recognize our own worth.

We possess a great natural resource that, if developed, would allow the Spokane Valley to become a renowned tourist destination and perhaps even one day the envy of our scornful peers. But blinded as we are by our humble rural/industrial history, we fail to appreciate the potential of one the most incredible natural assets in the country – bounded as it is on either side by open, easily developable land – the Spokane River.

In his classic tale “A River Runs Through It,” Norman Maclean recognized that it was the river that defined the surrounding Montana wilderness – the flowing water that gave the land its soul. So, too, it is in the Spokane Valley, where our river could become the centerpiece of one of the most eye-catching and eco-friendly recreational, shopping and tourist attractions in the nation.

While developers approach this idea in a piecemeal fashion with Spokane’s Kendall Yards and Coeur d’Alene’s Riverstone, it is the Spokane Valley that has the most stunning overall potential.

Just look to San Antonio’s famous River Walk and imagine the results if a similar concept were implemented here.

I envision outdoor bistro restaurants, coffee kiosks, flower shops, trendy ground-level shopping with second-story condo units, upscale hotels, public parks, small performing amphitheaters, a public golf course, a cable park (for boat-less water-skiing), and bicycle, skate and kayak rentals, as just a few possibilities.

We even have the potential for an open-air market rivaling Pike Street for its versatility and natural splendor. By using the existing Centennial Trail infrastructure and partnering with neighboring communities, a Valley “River Run” could extend for miles, alternating between a network of fashionable upscale shopping, dining and hospitality locations and stretches of quiet parks, golf courses and nature walks. Adjacent to these would be comfortable residential neighborhoods, offices and schools.

In the Spokane Valley we possess a rare natural asset capable of transforming us into one of the most unique, desirable and exciting cities in the country. Should we squander this opportunity by permitting haphazard development, or simply by allowing the Valley to be treated as undesirable scabland with no greater use than for prisons or gravel pits, we will have only ourselves to blame.

But, should we recognize the potential today, there can be a bright future for the Spokane Valley tomorrow, because – a river runs through it!