Council OKs annexation of Ridgeview acreage

The Spokane City Council has accepted a proposal by residents in the Ridgeview area near the Manito Country Club to start an annexation process for 36 acres of mostly residential land there.

The annexation was started after owners of 10 percent of the assessed value of the area had notified the city they wanted to pursue annexation. There are approximately 310 residents in the proposed annexation. The area is bounded by Hatch Road on the west, 54th Avenue on the North, 57th Avenue on the South and property lines midway between Perry Street and Hogan Lane to the east.

The council accepted the proposal last month.

City officials said they will work with residents to obtain signatures from other property owners under the direct petition method for annexation. To move forward, the annexation proposal would need signatures from owners representing at least 75 percent of assessed value.

Dave Mandyke, assistant director of public works and utilities, said residents in the area are interested in taking advantage of lower water and sewer rates charged to city residents. Rates are double outside the city, Mandyke said. The residents also were seeking improved fire and emergency medical response, he said.

If the annexation moves forward, the city would negotiate with Fire District 8 to phase out the district’s property tax collections over a period of five years. The annexation needs approval by the Boundary Review Board.

Mandyke said the city would increase its annual tax collections by about $90,000 a year, including sales and property tax collections. The annexation involves retail businesses near 57th Avenue and Perry Street.

Another South Side annexation has gained approval of the Boundary Review Board. It involves 77.3 acres of land near Shopko at 4515 S. Regal St. The annexation now goes to the city Plan Commission for establishing zoning and land-use rules. It will go back before the City Council next month, Mandyke said. Because of the retail businesses there, the city expects to gain $430,000 a year in tax revenue and is seeking to offset property tax losses to Fire District 8 over a five-year transition period.

Buildings put on historic register

The Spokane City Council on Monday approved placing the former Inland Casket Co. factory building at 2320 N. Division St. on the Spokane Register of Historic Places. It was one of four properties voted onto the local historic register on Monday.

The others include the Pine Creek Dairy creamery building at 168 S. Division; the Frank and Edith Ford House at 1015 E. Overbluff Drive; and the John and Alta Graham House at 607 S. Monroe St.

The casket factory was built in two phases in 1913 and 1927 and has been under renovation by its owner, Marshall Clark. He said he has spent more than $1 million on restoration. He lives with his family on a spacious residence on the third floor and is converting the lower floors to a combination of residential, commercial and office uses. Clark runs a commercial real estate business in a main floor office.

The Pine Creek Dairy building is owned by Nancy Lee Railey and Kimberlee K. Melcher. It was built in 1908 and has undergone renovation to its façade over the years. The owners are seeking to restore its original look, city officials said. The dairy was once one of the largest in the Spokane area.

The Ford House was built in 1925 and is owned by Stephen and Lauran Gilbert and is considered a good example of the Craftsman style of architecture of the early 1900s. The builder was John Anderson, a prominent figure in construction from that period.

The Graham House was built in 1908 and is owned by Daniel and Angie Freerksen. Graham was an early-day entrepreneur in Spokane.