Sudden Notice Of 238-Unit Project Shocks Residents

A last-minute notice of a proposed 238-unit manufactured housing project on Five Mile Prairie sent neighbors scrambling to mail comments to the county before the July 29 deadline.

For many, the first they heard of the project was a notice of a 14-day comment period, sent to Jeri Garwood, secretary of the Five Mile Neighborhood Council.

The development is proposed on 68 acres between Five Mile Road and Dorset Road, south of Hawthorne.

The neighborhood organization had recently asked the county to send notice of all pending projects.

“What shocked us was the notice from the county letting us know about the 14-day comment period,” said Garwood. “No one knew about it.”

No hearings are planned on the project proposed by Greg Yost.

John Pederson, Spokane County senior planner, said public hearings are never required for manufactured housing; decisions are made administratively.

He said a decision will probably be made in the next month or two.

If the development is approved, neighbors are considering appealing the decision.

Nearly 2,000 new homes have already been approved for construction on the prairie.

The manufactured housing site, known as Willow Run, is the highest density development in the history of Five Mile.

Willow Run is part of a larger development proposed in the same area that includes Prairie Breeze (138 homes on 50 acres) and Granger Estates (29 homes on 35 acres).

In their letters, neighbors voiced concerns about flooding, poor roads, an overburdened sewer system, crowded schools and inadequate fire and police response.

“No public hearing on this project is an outrage to me and many other Five Mile residents,” said neighbor Kathy Miotke.

, DataTimes