Council Seeks Comment On Annexation City Plan Commission Recommended Trimming Glenrose Prairie Proposal In Half

The Spokane City Council will take comments tonight about a proposal to add 212 acres of pastoral Glenrose Prairie to the city, opening some of the land to urban development.

The city Plan Commission in May recommended the city cut the proposed annexation area in half, using a faint ridge as a dividing line.

Land to the west of the ridge would become part of the city; land to the east would remain in unincorporated Spokane County, where it is zoned for lots of five acres or larger.

Edward “Al” Payne, the developer who requested the annexation, wants to put 3 1/2 to 6 houses on each of 71 acres he owns. That land is included in the Plan Commission’s recommendation.

Some Glenrose residents hired attorney Steve Eugster to fight the proposal. They argue it would cause urban sprawl and traffic congestion, and violates the state’s Growth Management Act.

Eugster contends the city has not adequately reviewed the proposal. The Plan Commission rejected that argument, which will be one of the issues the council must consider tonight.

Twenty-six of the 50 landowners within the annexation area signed a petition against the action. Eighteen of those have city utilities, however, which means they cannot fight annexation.

The council will decide after tonight’s hearing whether to move ahead with the full annexation, accept the commission’s recommendation, reject annexation altogether or make other changes to the proposal.

If the council decides it wants to annex the land, the proposal must go to the Boundary Review Board, which could kill the proposal. If the review board says yes, the proposal would go back to the council for final approval.

Those who want to testify tonight could miss their chance if they’re not paying attention. The City Council this week begins a new schedule.

Under the new format, one council member and city staff will be available each Monday at 3 p.m. to hear citizens’ questions about items on that day’s agenda. Mayor Jack Geraghty hosts today’s session.

At 3:30 p.m., staff members brief the council on agenda items, and the council votes on consent agenda items - routine matters like contracts and claims. That vote used to happen at 5 p.m. Mondays.

The forum, where residents can ask the council about any city matters, begins at 6 p.m. Hearings, like tonight’s on the Glenrose Prairie annexation, start after the forum.

, DataTimes ILLUSTRATION: Map of area