Plan holds promise for future
The Sprague Appleway Revitalization Plan is nearing finalization and the Spokane Valley Business Association anticipates acceptance by the city of Spokane Valley’s City Council shortly.
Much has been said about the new zoning change and how the new proposed zoning changes would impact property owners. There has been a lot of disinformation bantered around Spokane Valley on a variety of subjects, including city finances, disincorporation, and new zoning for the Sprague Appleway Revitalization Plan. Clearly, disinformation is counterproductive for our community.
The new “form based zoning” will broaden the property usage and zoning along most of the 5 miles of Sprague Avenue and Appleway Boulevard. There has been too much retail property available for use, that can be used as commercial retail, leaving vacant lots and vacant structures.
The SARP plan aims to cluster certain types of uses along the major north-south arterials: Sullivan, Evergreen, Pines, and Argonne-Mullan (I-90 access). The Plan designates these as Neighborhood Centers and the Gateway Commercial Centers are the N-S arterials Thierman and Vista roads.
ALL EXISTING USES ARE GRANDFATHERED; NO EXISTING USE IS DISALLOWED.
Between the Neighborhood Center Districts are the Mixed Use Avenue Districts. The focus of Mixed Use Avenue is retail, office, residential and lodging. A limited number of business types would be discouraged by imposing a zoning change that would not permit new construction of buildings for banks, restaurants and used vehicle sales. These uses would become non-conforming, but existing uses are grandfathered and allowed to continue while occupied under municipal code. Banks and restaurants would be encouraged to be constructed in the Neighborhood Centers and the new City Center. While auto sales are encouraged to cluster in the Gateway District.
The new City Center is largely in the University Mall area, bordered between Bowdish and Walnut roads. Although the City has made no definite decision, the preliminary plan proposes City Hall to move and a City Center development encouraged.
Due to the new construction restriction within Mixed Use Districts the SARP Plan broadens the Mixed Use Zoning to add light industrial use.
The same concept is in the Gateway District (Auto Row) from Argonne Road west to I-90. New banks or restaurants would be limited to Gateway Commercial Centers, Thierman and Vista, however, light industrial uses have been added to the Gateway District. Previous non-conforming light industrial uses as in Peerless Dental Lab and Behm’s Valley Creamery would now be conforming and other light industrial business encouraged to enter the area and build along the Main Street of the City of Spokane Valley.
Property along Appleway Boulevard is designated as the Residential Boulevard District. This is designed for broader higher density use than the current residential zone, and serves as a buffer area between the commercial area along Sprague Avenue and the north side of Appleway Boulevard and the residents to the south. And here too, the zoning is broadened to allow for office use so there could be a mix of corner store retail, condos, office and multi-family along Appleway.
With the changes implemented through the yearlong review process, the Spokane Valley Business Association and the Greater Spokane Valley Chamber of Commerce both have supported the improved Sprague Appleway Revitalization Plan.
The Spokane Valley Business Association believes that this plan will improve the business climate of the Valley and encourage long-term development and growth of the City of Spokane Valley for years into the future.