Kendall Yards hearing reset

The hearing examiner will hold a public hearing on a proposed 80-acre residential and commercial development just north of downtown Spokane on Aug. 3, not July 27, as originally announced by the city of Spokane.

The hearing for Kendall Yards will take place at 6 p.m. in City Council chambers, 808 W. Spokane Falls Blvd.

Some 2,600 residences and 1 million square feet of commercial space are proposed for the property west of Monroe Street, south of Bridge Avenue, and north of Ohio Avenue.

The property sits above the north bank of the Spokane River.

A public comment period opened Friday and remains open until July 17.

Written comments can be submitted to: Planning Services Department, Attention: Leroy Eadie, city planner, 808 W. Spokane Falls Blvd., Spokane, WA 99201-3329.

For more information, call (509) 625-6187.

– Alison Boggs

Liberty Lake

Ban on parking to be enforced

After a series of events kept firefighters away from people who needed help last Independence Day at Liberty Lake, officials are enforcing rules to keep cars out of the path of emergency workers on this Fourth of July.

The rules require that cars not park on streets surrounding the lake.

Any vehicles left on the asphalt will receive tickets, and if they block the path of emergency vehicles, they’ll be towed at the owner’s expense, said Spokane Valley Fire Department Assistant Chief Dave Lobdell.

The enforcement comes on the heels of last year’s festivities, in which a man suffered a heart attack during the fireworks show.

One man broke his ankle when trying to help him, and another suffered burns as he jumped through a bonfire to get to the man.

At the same time, a mortar shell on a barge in the lake exploded too close to the ground, severely injuring the pyrotechnician on the boat, Lobdell said.

Firefighters had trouble reaching the incidents because cars were blocking the paths of fire and rescue trucks, Lobdell said.

– Chris Rodkey