County considers transfer of land for Appleway extension

County officials say they are inching closer to transferring land to Spokane Valley so that Appleway Boulevard can be extended.

“Spokane Valley really needs to address future traffic needs and that is the extension of Appleway,” said Spokane Valley City Councilman Mike DeVleming at a joint city-county meeting Wednesday.

Soon after Spokane Valley incorporated, county commissioners transferred ownership of roads to the new city, but they did not give up a long strip of land east of University Road planned for Appleway’s extension.

At issue is mass transit.

County leaders have pushed for a guarantee that some of the land be set aside for a mass transit system like light rail. Valley officials, however, had argued that the land should not come with stipulations.

The valley council members at Wednesday’s meeting indicated they could support setting aside land for light rail if the extension of Appleway takes priority.

The land, formerly owned by the Chicago, Milwaukee, St. Paul and Pacific Railroad, varies in width from 100 feet to about 60. In parts with 100 feet, there’s room for a three-lane road and two-track rail system.

In the smaller sections, the city would have to buy extra land for the road or a mass transit system would have to buy more for tracks.

Commissioner Mark Richard supports a compromise in which the city would guarantee rail right-of-way along Appleway between Dishman-Mica and University roads and in the 100-foot portions west of University in exchange for full control of the thinner sections.

But Commissioner Todd Mielke said he wants at least a couple of feet of right-of-way maintained for mass transit in the 60-foot sections to maintain an uninterrupted line and force cooperation between the city and mass transit system – even if the system has to buy the most land.

If portions of the property don’t have rights-of-way for mass transit, “Then we have blown our opportunity as a regional government to connect communities,” Mielke said.

Commissioner Phil Harris, a light rail critic, said the land should belong to the city without stipulations.

Last year, Richard sided with Harris on the issue. He said he’s changed his mind after a more thorough look at mass transit.

“I didn’t want to be known for being one of the commissioners who gave away what appears to be a valuable asset,” Richard said. “As much as I want to build good relations (with Spokane Valley), I just felt it was important to preserve some of this right of way.”

Spokane Valley Mayor Diana Wilhite said she hopes the transfer can happen soon so the city can start planning for an Appleway extension to Evergreen Road next year.

Commissioners and council members agreed to put a proposal on the land in writing and discuss it at a meeting next month.