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Wednesday, October 25, 2006 - In a series of themed meetings today, the collaborative nature of the charrette model was in full effect as local officials, business owners and residents shared their views on issues ranging from traffic and road design to prairie preservation to commercial and retail development.
The day began with city planning principal Garrett Smith making a Channel 13 appearance to update residents on the latest charrette news while local officials gathered for a meeting back at the design studio.
Midday, a group of some 40 engineers, developers, and others talked with transportation consultant Rick Chelman, while another group of local citizens met with PlaceMakers principal Susan Henderson to talk over their concerns about development on the prairie.
Environmentalists, developers, county officials and prairie property owners were all involved in a vigorous discussion. The big issues were all about protecting what are sometimes seen as competing needs: How to balance requirements for more housing, aquifer protection, and open space?
The likelihood that some answers - or at least some alternatives - will come out of this week's meetings is increased because of a general consensus that the need is urgent.
Pat Leffel, property manager for Jacklin Land Company, made a key point: "Everyone keeps talking about setting aside green space. Where are we going to get the green space? It's going to have to be bought with public money. And the longer we wait the more the price goes up.
"All this time we take increases the cost of the property we have to buy to protect green space. We've been doing studies for years. We keep talking about what we have to do; yet we don't do it. And the price continues to go up."
Finally, the team sat with representatives from Post Falls' retail and commercial community, addressing in detail the specifics of the SmartCode, such as the fact that it will likely be presented as an optional - rather than mandatory - overlay ordinance with the potential to provide property owners with greater development or preservation choices.
By day's end, a fully briefed - and equally fatigued - design team was armed with information and eager to put pencil to paper.
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Planning
