Vocal point: Change to minimum lot size part of plans for future

The Spokane Valley City Council recently wrapped up the multiyear effort of crafting and adopting the Uniform Development Code, the regulatory document that implements the goals and policies of the first comprehensive plan.

The code is both broad and specific, covering all the various aspects of land use from subdividing property to protecting environmentally sensitive areas to determining how many parking spaces are required for a convenience store. The Planning Commission and city staff should be commended for their perseverance in reviewing the code and allowing the council to meet the deadlines for its adoption imposed by the state.

While the council can now move on to its next order of business, the three of us wanted to answer the comments and criticisms surrounding the change to minimum lot sizes in most areas of the city.

First, the previous Low Density Residential zones (UR 3.5; UR 7*) based on the number of homes per acre have been replaced with new minimum lot sizes ranging from 6,000 to 40,000 square feet. The net density allowed in the previous UR 3.5 zone was 4.35 homes per acre. The new R-3 zone with a 7,500 foot “minimum” lot size which covers nearly all residential areas north of 16th Avenue, including north Greenacres, now allows approximately five homes per acre – a small but important increase in density.

Spokane County, by comparison, allows up to six homes per acre and a 5,000-foot minimum lot size throughout all of the unincorporated urban growth areas, many of which border our city. Even after adopting the new code, Spokane Valley has the least allowable number of single-family homes of any other city within the contiguous Urban Growth Area.

Why allow for more homes per acre? To help keep housing affordable in the face of rising demand, rising lot prices, and limited expansion of the Urban Growth Area. Single moms with kids and young families just starting out in our city are finding it very hard to find safe, affordable housing to either purchase or rent. More homes provide more affordable options for our low- and medium-income populations, and increase the ability of our children to raise their families in Spokane Valley. The changes the Council made in the code better allow the city to accommodate the substantial growth we’ve been experiencing.

Greater housing density also keeps local taxes at reasonable levels since there is less expense per acre for the important services we enjoy like police, fire protection, roads and parks. Without growth, the increasing costs of these essential services will ultimately be borne on the backs of existing residents through higher property or utility taxes. Not a pleasant prospect.

Take wastewater reclamation for instance. The Valley core is nearly built out with sewer capacity, and Spokane County Utilities is now focusing on the city’s outlying neighborhoods that have fewer homes and larger lots. The installation cost per lot in these lower density areas such as Rotchford Acres and south Greenacres is $14,000 per residence compared with only $8,000 for homes in older, more dense neighborhoods like Sherwood Forest and Veradale Heights.

It’s also important to note that the standard collections lines installed in every neighborhood have the capacity to service the highest-density housing. Since every homeowner pays the same inflation-adjusted rate for hookup and general maintenance, each additional home per acre helps reduce the overall cost of sewer service and water quality management.

With higher density, though, comes greater responsibility from the development community to incorporate quality design into new urban neighborhoods to ensure that their value is maintained for the long term. The new code both encourages and mandates quality design in keeping with the goals set out in the comprehensive plan.

The Council has also preserved the character and quality of those neighborhoods that have been developed with one house per acre, like Ponderosa and Rotchford Acres – against the state’s objection to establishing non-urban zones within city boundaries.

Nobody wants growth in their backyards, but we cannot expect to enjoy the essential urban services provided by our public agencies without having the means to pay for them. We also cannot preserve the natural beauty of our region when the inevitable pressure of growth is forced into undeveloped areas because communities fail to accommodate it within urban and suburban areas.

As you can see, land use issues require hard decisions and forward-thinking leadership. We must plan for the future in order to preserve the quality of life we enjoy today. We thank the many Spokane Valley citizens who participated in the creation of the comprehensive plan and uniform development code. The final product enacted by the Council is truly the “people’s code” and looks out for the interests of the entire community.