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The Spokesman-Review Newspaper
Spokane, Washington  Est. May 19, 1883

Plan Promotes Higher Density In Indian Trail Area In/Around: Indian Trail

Kelly Mcbride Staff Writer

A new neighborhood plan for managing growth in Indian Trail calls for even denser housing development, more apartments and more duplexes in order to support the needed infrastructure.

“Higher density and greater diversity of housing types is necessary to support the needed urban services, especially public transit,” reads the draft of the Indian Trail Specific Plan.

The new plan takes a different course than the old one, which called for maintaining the current density of 2.6 homes per acre.

Already, critics are questioning whether the task force sold out the neighborhood in writing the plan.

“The philosophy that’s being pushed here is that we need to make a transition to a neighborhood of urban character,” said Mike Page, a member of the Citizens for Responsible Development. “That’s not why most of us moved here.”

In revising the plan, members of the Indian Trail Task Force determined that their neighborhood should allow denser development in the future.

“Our area is urban sprawl,” said Cherie Rodgers, task force member. “What you have is everything you shouldn’t do when you plan an area - big houses, big lots, leapfrog development. People got spoiled.”

The new plan calls for a minimum of 4.5 lots per acre in new subdivisions. Planned unit developments would be allowed a maximum of six lots per acre.

Development that dense would allow even Harlan Douglass’ controversial Windhaven subdivision, which calls for 5.5 units per acre.

The application for Windhaven was submitted Oct. 10, hours before the City Council passed a moratorium on new subdivisions.

It was tossed out for being incomplete. Since then, Douglass has been fighting the city to get the paperwork accepted.

Douglass was worried that the new plan would prevent a development of that density, said his Seattle attorney, Michael Murphy.

Far from doing that, the plan actually promotes such development.

Anticipating criticism of the plan, several provisions have been included in the new plan to help preserve the quality of the neighborhood.

To prevent neighborhoods from turning into colonies of rental housing, a clause requires owner occupancy of houses whenever city planners grant a developer bonus density. It is not clear if that requirement could be enforced.

All medium-density developments, duplexes and apartments would be required to obtain approval from a design review panel. The panel would ensure that the projects are compatible with their surrounding.

“Features such as lap siding, multiple-pitch roofs, and garages or carports are important building elements,” the report said. “Perimeter landscaping should be significant and designed to avoid a fortress appearance.”

Rodgers is excited about the new provisions.

“This is the best thing that ever happened,” Rodgers said. “We will be able to control the appearance of developments.”

The plan must be accepted by the City Council before it is enacted. If the plan is rejected, growth in Indian Trail would be controlled by the broader rules of the citywide comprehensive plan.