Hearing set for shoreline master plan
About two-thirds of affected land is publicly owned
Spokane Valley’s shoreline master plan update is almost completed. A final public hearing will be conducted on Nov. 17, and then the draft plan will be presented to the City Council, which will then conduct a study session and allow for more public comment before putting the updated plan to a vote.
Senior planner Lori Barlow gave the City Council an update Tuesday evening on a few changes that have been made to the draft plan.
The plan deals with about 320 acres of shoreline in Spokane Valley, mostly along the Spokane River but also around Shelley Lake.
“More than 200 acres of those are publicly owned,” Barlow said. “We have a unique situation where our shoreline plan does not affect a lot of private owners, as it would in other jurisdictions.”
The Spokane Valley shoreline master plan has to meet the intent and goals of the state’s shoreline master plan, including the goal that any development on the shoreline doesn’t cause a net loss of ecological function.
Barlow explained that instead of adopting a buffer that’s a certain number of yards wide at all points, the draft plan features what she called “a meandering buffer” allowing for existing developments such as the Centennial Trial and publicly held recreation areas to remain where they are.
One controversial issue that’s been central to this almost four-year process is whether to allow private docks at the development known as Coyote Rock. If fully developed, that would mean 31 docks on the Spokane River, Barlow said.
“This draft preserves the opportunity for property owners to have a dock,” Barlow said. “But it requires a cumulative impact assessment to ensure there is no net loss of ecological functions.”
She added that such an assessment would be paid for by the property owner and must be conducted by a qualified professional.
The draft plan also encourages the construction of shared docks but doesn’t require it.
Barlow added there have been no new permit requests for docks since some were put in a couple of years ago.
Once the shoreline master plan has been adopted by the Spokane Valley City Council it will be submitted to the state Department of Ecology for final review and approval.