Ordinance Causes Confusion Among Logan Area Residents

People living around Gonzaga University say a city ordinance governing institutional expansion needs to be crafted carefully and will affect Logan and other neighborhoods for years to come.

The ordinance covering major institutional overlay zones inside Spokane was supposed to foster communication and bring predictability to growth around Gonzaga, Holy Family Hospital, the county Courthouse complex and other institutions occupying more than 10 acres.

Instead, it’s bringing confusion.

The ordinance requires planners for Gonzaga, Holy Family and other non-profits to gain approval of a master plan by the City Council. Once approved, buildings and development included in the plan could proceed without additional applications or public hearings.

But the master plan itself must have neighborhood involvement and should coincide with existing plans.

Officials at Gonzaga University started a series of neighborhood meetings to explain the ordinance and unveiled where it hopes to construct new dorms, classrooms and althetic fields.

But questions were raised from adjacent property owners about how agreeing to participate in the planning would affect the sale and desirability of their homes or businesses.

The confusion stems from the ordinance asking institutions to include in planning land they may not own, but want to acquire in the future. Some owners wondered how the resale value of their property would be affected if the owners joined in the planning.

The city Plan Commission held two workshops on the zoning ordinance and conceded the concept of planning for a so-called “sphere of influence,” may need to be omitted.

“What we meant by a sphere of influence was a cajoling by the parties to be communicative and get along, It’s creating more confusion,” said Jim Bamberger, a plan commission member.

The Gonzaga-Logan Steering Committee is also concerned about other aspects of the ordinance, including a provision that gives the city hearing examiner permission to reduce parking requirements, said resident Anne Stuyvesant in a letter to the plan commission.

There is also no provision that requires institutional plans to conform with neighborhood plans already approved by the city or a way to mediate disputes between the documents.

After hearing from residents, as well as planners for Gonzaga and hospitals, the plan commission decided to hold another workshop on the ordinance and try to resolve difficulties. A time and date had not yet been set.

, DataTimes