Friday, March 11, 2011

Spokane YMCA and Conservation Futures Taxes

The downtown YMCA and an adjoining building are being torn down.  Spokesman - Review.  When they are gone the area will be cleaned up and "returned" to a natural area.  The city will get conservation futures tax money for the land area under the conservation futures tax program.  RCW 84.34.200 - .240.

Open space land -- one definition, is "9(b) any land area, the preservation of which in its present use would . . . (viii) retain in its natural state tracts of land not less than one acre situated in an urban area and open to public use on such conditions as may be reasonably required by the legislative body granting the open space classification, . . ."

The city of Spokane is creating a land area which will meet this definition.  When the condition is created (buildings torn down, a one acre parcel created, land area turned into a "natural area") the city will secure the conservation futures funds from Spokane County.

One should question the political wisdom of this use of conservation futures tax revenue.  The whole purpose of the conservations future tax program is to purchase open space at prices not affected by development.  That is, to purchase and preserve open space so there will be open space for areas which will become urban areas.

The program was not intended to have the money spent to re-create open space -- but the definition poses a problem.
Will this poor use of these precious tax dollars be used again to create natural areas in urban Spokane?  One only hopes not, one only hopes this situation will serve as a warning against future questionable use of these funds

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