Pasadena Park Housing Project Rebuffed By County

A developer’s plan to replace a century-old Valley farm with 179 houses has been shot down.

Spokane County commissioners Tuesday rejected Mike Kinney’s plan to develop the 59-acre Fraser Estates homesite in Pasadena Park, north of Wellesley Avenue between Argonne and Lehman roads.

Calling the commissioners’ action “outrageous,” development consultant Cathy Ramm said her clients might appeal to Spokane County Superior Court.

“We’ve got a situation where the developer has played by all the rules,” she said. “This became a political decision. They were concerned about all the opposition.”

Kinney’s wife, Sue Ann, said she was “shocked.”

The county hearing examiner committee in May approved the development, although it knocked off 15 homes. Citizens appealed to commissioners.

They said the proposal would quadruple housing density and destroy the area’s rural character.

Fraser family member Herb McIntosh said during a public hearing last week that while the land had been farmed for 100 years, agriculture was no longer economically feasible.

Commissioner Steve Hasson led the commission’s opposition, saying Kinney’s proposal violates the Pasadena Park neighborhood plan.

Kinney wanted the land rezoned from suburban residential-1 to urban residential-3.5.

“I further find that the proposal does not meet the legal criteria for a rezone,” Hasson said. “Conditions in the area have not changed sufficiently to warrant rezoning…”

Commissioner George Marlton liked the development but not the density.

He said 120 homes “would have been fine, but of course, we can’t redesign the proposal.”

Kahuna Hills vote delayed

In other action, commissioners delayed voting on another proposed Valley development.

They’ll decide later on Kahuna Hills Fourth Addition, which involves 20 residential lots on 11 acres east of Carnahan Road and south of 12th Avenue.

, DataTimes