Liberty Lake annexation put on hold
Liberty Lake must wait for at least two weeks to find out if it can annex 644 acres of land west of the city.
After hearing from city officials, developers and landowners during a public hearing Monday night, the Boundary Review Board did not issue a decision on the annexation proposal.
Instead, it decided to meet at 3 p.m. March 6 to discuss the proposal, which was once before rejected, improved and sent back to the board.
The board could decide on the annexation on March 6.
About 50 people sat on folding chairs in the Liberty Lake Elementary School cafeteria, some listening and others speaking to the board.
Liberty Lake city officials and developers took the most time speaking, discussing the details of their proposal and encouraging the board to support the annexation.
“We strongly feel the time has come for approval of this annexation,” said Liberty Lake mayor pro tem Patrick Jenkins.
Doug Smith, Liberty Lake director of planning and community development, and city attorney Stanley Schwartz discussed the annexation, noting that the proposal meets requirements set in the Growth Management Act.
Cary Driskell, Spokane Valley’s deputy city attorney, didn’t object to the proposal, but raised questions with the board about whether the city could afford to provide services while using tax increment financing.
“They don’t have a dog in that fight,” Schwartz responded, calling Spokane Valley’s question “speculation.”
“We brought (the TIF financing matter) to your attention because we want to show creative ways to finance infrastructure, but it is not the matter that should decide this,” Schwartz said.
Spokane Valley also believes the city may run into traffic problems with the addition of thousands of new homes, Driskell said. The annexation would allow enough development to double Liberty Lake’s population to more than 10,000 people.
Liberty Lake is working with state officials to expand Exit 294, Smith countered.
“We believe that the legal impediments that previously existed … have now been removed,” Schwartz said.
Some property owners in the annexation area spoke, including one woman who said she didn’t want to see open spaces disappear.
“If I wanted to be in a crowded area, I would have moved there,” said Shirley Welch. “How do you preserve the old way and prepare for the future with annexation?”