Atlas waterfront plans taking shape

How tall should the buildings be along the city’s Atlas waterfront?

That was among the questions addressed during a Coeur d’Alene planning workshop last week in which designers hired to develop a plan for the city’s 47-acre site pitched the idea of having two- to four- story buildings along the street nearest the Spokane River.

Don Veighe, an urban designer for GGLO, a Seattle-based firm, said establishing structures along Riverfront Drive is a significant design element for the street and the neighborhoods that meander uphill toward Seltice Way.

“I believe it’s very important to provide at least a two-story building there to create a bit of a street wall,” Veighe said. “(It would be) a backdrop, something looking over the street down to the river.”

Veighe’s company was hired by the city in January to help it develop a master plan for the $7.8 million Atlas site, which the city purchased a year ago.

Commissioner Lynn Fleming said a variety of stakeholders have provided direction over the past several months, and GGLO in the latest workshop refined its plan based on that input.

“We’re block by block going through that entire property,” Fleming said. “We have to be careful of what goes in there.”

Veighe’s presentation included aerial and street views of neighborhoods in Seattle and Portland where mixed commercial and residential buildings of various sizes melded with green spaces.

Veighe envisioned the buildings along the north side — away from the river — to include a mix of townhouses and multi-decked structures that include retail space on the ground floor.

“I think it would be desirable to get a few places where it might go up to three stories, and ... a mixed-use building that goes up to four stories,” Veighe said.

Commissioners were concerned that street parking, according to the draft plan, would be shared with residential and retail users, as well as the public.

“Parking is the one thing that is of most concern here,” Jon Ingalls said. “It’s going to be a huge draw. The kayakers, the people coming down to that beach ... the struggles we have with some of these waterfront streets ... I just don’t see enough parking down there, and I’m a little concerned.”

Before sending the plan back to designers to rework, commission member Lewis Rumpler reiterated the concerns of inadequate parking.

“Parking can change the quality of place,” Rumpler said. “If you can’t find a place to park, the quality of the experience ... you could fall short.”

Design considerations will be presented to the City Council at its May 7 meeting.