Show Valley pride and beautify Sprague

As I drive along Sprague Avenue west of Argonne Road, an old expression comes to mind: "You can't see the forest for the trees."

There are so many business signs, billboards and portable reader boards along Sprague that the sign marking the obscure little side street I am trying to find is hopelessly lost in all the clutter.

Maybe in our ever-growing Spokane Valley what we really have is a case of not being able to see the tree for the badly overgrown forest.

Of course I realize that the large businesses along Sprague need those signs for advertising. And the politicians need the billboards for informing. And for some reason the smaller businesses need those portable reader boards so close to the curb that they practically fall into the street.

But what Sprague needs is a facelift.

Long ago, Sprague was the long road that linked downtown Spokane to the rural Valley.

Now, the Valley has grown up and Sprague is half of a couplet that carries - and sometimes confuses - commuters and other motorists. Sprague goes west, at least east of University Road, and Appleway goes the other way.

It seems that the birth of this couplet has further emphasized just how badly Sprague needs a boost of beautification.

Help may be on the way.

Spokane County Engineer Ross Kelley has suggested that landscaping, including maple trees and grass, be planted in front of the businesses along the Sprague leg of the Valley couplet.

A computer-enhanced photo showing how Sprague would look if lined with grass and trees was presented at a recent meeting of the Spokane Valley Business Association.

But not everybody jumped up and cheered this idea. Some business owners stated their preference for more parking spaces over landscaping. And some expressed concern over the cost of maintaining this landscaping once it is planted.

I think a massive landscaping project that would beautify Sprague is an idea whose time has come.

This enhancement would benefit every business whose frontage is improved by a plot of green grass and a couple of leafy maple trees.

Almost any business - and the product or service it sells - would look better when framed by a well-manicured landscape.

Businesses could pool their resources to pay for the upkeep on the landscaping in front of their offices, stores and dealerships. Surely some would even think about replacing garish signs with something more aesthetically attractive.

And Sprague would no longer be thought of as just a long ugly road with big ugly signs.

Sound too good to be true?

Other communities have successfully implemented landscaping into their business districts, even their light industrial areas.

Such enhancements could have one immediate and positive result. Rather than the Valley couplet making it impossible for drivers to find businesses along Sprague, the new landscaping would serve as visual aid.

You know, "My store is two maples past Walnut."

Well-maintained landscaping along Sprague would also give the appearance of a strong and healthy business environment. That appearance will help draw customers and those customers will translate into increased revenues.

Back in 1978, about 100 flowering crab apple trees were planted along Sprague by the Valley Beautification Committee of the Valley Chamber of Commerce. What happened to those trees? Nearly all of them died, unfortunately, due to lack of care.

What a sad commentary on our pride in the Valley.

With incorporation on the horizon, I think it is time that the Spokane Valley show its pride and commitment.

Let's start with a face lift for Sprague.

Copyright 2001 Cowles Publishing Company
Provided by ProQuest Information and Learning Company. All rights Reserved.