Alton’s Rezoning Request Denied

Duane Alton’s request to rezone about eight acres along the Newport Highway for a new tire store has been denied by the Spokane County hearing examiner.

The decision was cheered by neighbors who say the noise and traffic from the tire store is inappropriate for the neighborhood.

“We are absolutely thrilled,” said Claudia Couch, a College Place resident. “It is a real victory for our neighborhood.”

But Alton said he will appeal the decision.

“I do think this is a good location to build. There is a lot of traffic out there on the Newport Highway, and there is going to be a lot more,” Alton said.

Alton asked to change the zoning on the property from urban residential, allowing up to 3.5 houses per acre, and community business, to a regional business designation. He said most of the surrounding area is zoned for regional business.

“It’s not like we’re protruding into a residential area,” said Alton.

In his decision, hearing examiner Michael Dempsey said conditions in the area have not changed substantially since the property was last zoned to warrant the proposed change. The rezone proposal also doesn’t generally conform to the county’s comprehensive plan.

“While zoning is not a popularity contest, the hearing examiner cannot ignore the overwhelming opposition to the proposal by area residents,” Dempsey said in his report.

Neighbors said the rezone would impact their neighborhood, but also would pave the way for Wal-Mart to win a similar zone change.

The site plan submitted by Alton shows a 45,000-square-foot retail building, and a 17,000-square-foot tire store with 17 bays. There’s also parking for 401 cars in the plan, a 20-foot wide landscaping strip and a six-foot sound-absorbing fence.

The tire store would be the largest in Spokane County and among the largest in the state.

“We opposed everything from noise to the impact on our property values and our quality of life,” said Couch. “We know that it will be developed somehow, but such a high-intensity use isn’t right.

“We would like to have input about what goes in there. We would like to have it as a park, but we know that’s not going to happen,” she said.

Jane McGowan moved to College Place seven years ago. She knew the property behind her home would be built on someday, but since it was zoned residential, she wasn’t worried. Alton’s proposal to rezone the property stunned her.

“We never dreamed it could be changed to the most intense commercial zoning,” she said.

“We’re very pleased with the hearing examiner’s decision. But what we’re most excited about is that somebody listened to what we had to say. We weren’t just people complaining,” said McGowan.

, DataTimes