Annexation Anxiety Missing At Hearing

A proposal to tack about 100 undeveloped acres onto the city of Spokane didn’t create the usual annexation anxiety Wednesday.

About 10 people attended a Plan Commission hearing on the proposal, and only one person spoke against it.

Annexation proposals often inspire hundreds of opponents. But in this case, fewer than 25 people live in the seven homes and one fourplex dotting the proposed annexation area southwest of town.

The 104-acre site is bounded by Interstate 90 on the north, existing city limits on the east, Garden Springs Road and Rustle Street on the west and 25th Avenue on the south.

Barry Margolese petitioned the city for annexation because he plans to develop 64 acres of the site into 208 single-family lots.

Margolese told the Plan Commission he wants to connect the development to the city’s sewers - something he couldn’t do if the land remains under county control.

If the land is annexed, Margolese will pay the capital costs of laying sewer and water lines within his development.

Two of the area’s residents spoke in support of the proposal. But Lucy Reiner, a north Spokane resident, questioned the city’s ability to provide for more land during a budget crunch.

Spokane would gain about 330 homes and 850 people if the land is annexed and all 104 acres are developed.

Property taxes in the area would go from $14.43 per $1,000 of assessed valuation to $14.97, a 54-cent jump. On a $100,000 home, that means a tax increase of $54.

Plan Commission members may vote on the proposal at their Oct. 11 meeting. Their recommendation will go to the City Council for final consideration.

, DataTimes ILLUSTRATION: Graphic: Map of area