County Buys Lake Shoreline

The Spokane County Parks Department closed a $1.1 million deal Monday on 1.5 miles of Long Lake shoreline.

The 410-acre property was the county’s second-highest acquisition priority under the conservationfutures tax enacted a few years ago.

The tax raises about $800,000 a year through a $6 assessment per $100,000 of assessed value on real estate values.

“If you look at how much shoreline we have on Spokane County’s lakes, it’s absolutely minimal,” said county parks and recreation director Wyn Birkenthal.

“The public is getting shut off of these waterways as they get developed for residential purposes,” he said. “This guarantees access to Long Lake for a long time to come.”

Last year, the county bought an exclusive option to the property, regarded for its wildlife habitat, from Robert and Lola McLellan.

County parks will maintain the parcel through an $85,000 gift from the McLellans, Washington Water Power and the Trust for Public Land, a national conservation group.

, DataTimes