Plan Seeks To Settle Cannon’s Addition Mix Year Spent Crafting Compromise On Apartments, Single-Family Homes

Residents of the historic Cannon’s Addition neighborhood have worried for years that the area was being overrun by apartments.

But a new land-use plan that comes before the Spokane City Council tonight offers a compromise to the owners of apartments and single-family homes, said Jim Kolva, Plan Commission president.

The plan lets apartments already in existence stay as they are, but it severely restricts expanding multifamily units throughout the neighborhood.

Years ago, the city zoned the lower South Hill neighborhood for multifamily housing. Its proximity to downtown, combined with the area’s aging homes, made it a logical spot for apartments, officials said.

Recent years have seen families moving into the homes and restoring them to their turn-of-the-century condition.

For at least two years, many residents have begged the city to limit the number of new apartments going into the area of historic homes, narrow streets and limited parking.

Apartment owners argued they didn’t want to lose their right to have multifamily units.

The council adopted a detailed land-use plan for the Manito/Cannon Hill neighborhood last year, but granted the small portion known as Cannon’s Addition a temporary reprieve from new multifamily development.

Cannon’s Addition is bounded by 14th Avenue on the south, 7th Avenue on the north, Cedar Street on the east, and the bluff overlooking Latah Creek Valley on the west.

The Plan Commission spent the past year working with neighbors to create an overlay zone that satisfies both apartment owners and residents, Kolva said.

The plan uses 10th Avenue to divide the neighborhood into two sections.

New development in the area south of 10th Avenue will be limited to single-family homes. Existing multifamily developments may redevelop at their current density.

In the area north of 10th Avenue, new development will be limited to single-family homes, as well as duplexes, triplexes and fourplexes.

The plan also says that new development needs to be built in the same style as existing homes, Kolva said.

Also tonight, the council will consider a bikeways/pedestrian plan for the city.

The plan’s aim is to make it easier for bicyclists and walkers to get around town.

The plan calls for:

Amending city ordinances to require bicycle parking spots at all buildings.

Removing on-street parking and narrowing traffic lanes in some areas to make way for bicyclists.

Encouraging flared curbs at intersections.

Painting crosswalks at all intersections.

, DataTimes ILLUSTRATION: Map: Cannon’s Addition Sub-area

MEMO: This sidebar appeared with the story: MEETING The City Council meets tonight at 6:30 in City Hall.