Committee Approves Large New Subdivision In Liberty Lake Area

A new 640-lot subdivision planned for Liberty Lake was approved March 21 by the hearing examiner committee.

The Highlands at Liberty Lake will be built on a 581-acre parcel of land bordered to the east by Liberty Lake Road and about a quarter-mile south of Interstate 90.

The property is owned by Liberty Lake Investments, of which the best-known local principal shareholder is Luke Williams, founder of American Sign & Indicator and current owner of American Electronic Sign.

There was some discussion among committee members about the impact the project would have on area schools. But the fact the corporation contributed heavily to the cleanup of Liberty Lake and that the project would be gradually phased in over a 12- to 15-year period helped convince the committee.

“These people have quite literally spent millions of dollars without any return yet, to make sure it was done right,” said Mike Taylor of Taylor Engineering, the firm acting as surveyor to the project.

Members voted unanimously to approve it.

The project will be made up of mostly upscale homes, Taylor said. The challenges of building on a hillside, he said, make it necessary to put in project that will generate more revenue.

Construction could start this fall. Homes will probably be built at a rate of 30 to 50 per year.

The area had once been slated to be a recreation and ski resort area in the 1970s, Taylor said.

In addition to the 640 lots slated for single-family homes, another 27 will be used for community common areas.

Taylor said Liberty Lake Investments also plans to develop another 190 acres in that area for commercial and industrial use. The corporation will submit that proposal to the new county hearing examiner at a later date.

February home sales

Homes in the Valley sold well in February, despite cold weather early on. According to the Spokane Association of Realtors, 80 home sales closed in the Valley last month, fetching an average price of $120,142.

That’s up from 68 home sales in January, when the average price was $119,942.

“We’re up 30 percent ahead of where we were last year,” said Don Walker of the Spokane Association of Realtors. During February of 1995, 65 homes moved.

Walker said low interest rates remain the primary reason for brisk sales.

“Who knows how long it will last?” Walker said. “I seems like forever, people thought that you just don’t buy a house in winter. But now that just doesn’t hold out.”

President’s Club members named

Each year, Tomlinson Black Real Estate gives its top-selling agents President’s Club awards.

Realtors from the Tomlinson Black Valley office earning the honor for 1995 were: Betty Beydler, Sallie Moore, John Orr, Pat Porter, Nan Powell, Luci Rothaermel, Kay Simonsmeier, Joyce Thompson, Neil Thompson.

, DataTimes