Parks aren’t interchangeable

The city of Spokane is seeking to build a water tower in Hamblen Park. To make this more palatable for residents, they propose some mitigation banking where money will be spent to improve other parks to compensate for damage done to this one. Such an approach speaks to society’s belief that nothing is sacred, and that in our quest for growth and perceived prosperity, everything is replaceable. Novelist and conservationist Wendell Berry described such a view this way:

“There is a kind of egalitarianism which holds that any two things equal in price are equal in value, and that nothing is better than anything that may profitability or fashionably replace it. Forest = field = parking lot; if the price of alteration is right, then there is no point quibbling over differences.” The City holds the same logic, believing park = water tower if the price is right, ignoring the uniqueness and specialness of a neighborhood park.

And almost on cue another sad belief of modern society surfaced: only that which is deemed beautiful holds any value. A letter to the Park Board spoke of Hamblen Park’s lack of beauty, making its destruction okay. (Who gets to decide what is beautiful, I don’t know.)

I hope the Park Board recognizes parks are not interchangeable with infrastructure needs, and that their beauty and value lies in the unique experiences we have in them and our individual histories with them - not the current fashionable replacement: in this case, infrastructure for more growth.

Drew Repp

Spokane