Rezoning Request Approved

Duane Alton has won approval to rezone about eight acres near Eaton Avenue on the west side of the Newport Highway to allow construction of three stores and some duplexes and fourplexes.

The property was zoned for urban residential, allowing 3.5 houses per acre and community business. The rezoning changes the residential zone to allow 12 units per acre.

About two years ago, Spokane County Hearing Examiner Michael Dempsey denied Alton’s request to rezone the same acres for 70,000 feet of retail that included a 17,000 square-foot tire store. At the time, he was seeking a rezone to a regional business designation.

The current plan includes 65,000 square feet of retail space.

Neighbors opposed the traffic and noise the tire business would bring to their neighborhood. Alton appealed to the Spokane County Commissioners, who agreed with the hearing examiner and denied the rezoning request.

Neighbors were also concerned that allowing the acres to be rezoned to regional business would set a precedent for Wal-Mart, which was on the verge of proposing a similar zone change.

Karen Barniol, spokeswoman for Citizens for Neighborhood Preservation, which opposed the rezoning requests, said the group doesn’t plan to appeal the latest decision, but will be watching the project closely.

“We want to make sure all the conditions are followed through on, like the building height,” said Barniol.

Alton’s property is adjacent to land proposed for development by Wal-Mart. A zone change for that project, known as Pinewater Plaza, was also denied by the hearing examiner, then by the county commissioners on appeal.

Wal-Mart has filed an appeal in Lincoln County Superior Court. Hearings in the case are expected to begin by summer.