Developer Challenges New Rules Harlan Douglass To Ask Council For Exemption From Indian Trail Land-Use Plan

One of Spokane’s biggest developers is challenging a detailed land-use plan for the Indian Trail neighborhood.

Harlan Douglass - who owns the majority of vacant lots in northwest Spokane - appealed the plan to the City Council, which will consider the appeal tonight.

In his appeal, Douglass asks that he be allowed to develop his property under current regulations without having to follow the plan’s requirements.

Indian Trail residents have worked on the plan nearly three years.

The land-use plan:

allows for impact fees;

establishes a cap of 3,324 additional housing units;

encourages clustering of new community facilities such as a community center, library, new school and police substation;

promotes development of a 30-acre shopping center; and

mandates design review standards for multifamily housing.

Douglass challenges several aspects of the plan, including its housing cap and transportation requirements.

Council members could accept the appeal, and possibly send the proposal back to the Plan Commission for reconsideration.

They also could deny the appeal and then adopt the plan.

Also tonight, the council will consider a $464,000 contract to buy 25 new police cars from Wendle Ford.

A briefing for citizens begins at 3 p.m. in the lower-level conference room of City Hall, 808 W. Spokane Falls Blvd.

The council’s briefing starts at 3:30 p.m. and the regular meeting begins at 6 p.m.

, DataTimes MEMO: This sidebar appeared with the story: MEETING The regular council meeting begins at 6 p.m. at City Hall.