Planning Projects, Proposals Addressed

Here is a roundup of recent planning actions and proposals in the city and county:

Balboa Neighborhood

The city hearing examiner will take testimony on a proposal to form a Local Improvement District to pave the alley between Taft Drive and Indian Trail Road. The hearing is set for June 30 at 1:30 p.m.

Northwood Meadows

Spokane County Commissioners recently overturned a hearing examiner decision that would have allowed Richard Pierce to build an 82-unit retirement complex near their home.

Hearing Examiner Michael Dempsey last fall approved Pierce’s request to rezone four acres to allow 22 units per acre. The property was originally zoned for 3.5 homes per acre.

Neighbors filed an appeal and the decision was overturned.

“The commissioners took some time, did their work and realized the claims being made were very weak,” said Tom Kuhn, a Northwood Meadows resident.

“We had a good set of people,” said Kuhn. “They did their research. They knew the comprehensive plan inside out.”

Commissioners decided the project doesn’t comply with comprehensive plan guidelines for rezones. They said the project would be “detrimental to the public health, safety and welfare.”

Indian Trail Plan

City plan commissioners interpreted a section of the Indian Trail Neighborhood Specific Plan to allow offices on property indicated as medium density on a plan map, but not in the policies.

Neighbors have not opposed the proposal by Western Real Properties and Dave Black to build professional offices along Indian Trail Road, near the fire station.

Planning commissioners decided the policies of the Indian Trail plan are flexible enough to allow the proposed office in the medium density zone, in this particular location.

Jim Bamberger voted against the decision, saying it violates the way land-use plans work.

Five Mile Prairie

The Five Mile Prairie Neighborhood Association has submitted 65 pages of comments and objections to the draft Environmental Impact Statement recently completed for Prairie Breeze, Willow Run and Granger Terrace subdivisions.

The neighborhood association is also questioning whether the projects can still be considered vested, following several changes in the plans.

The projects would add 400 houses and mobile homes on 150 acres on the west side of the prairie. The proposed projects were filed with the county just before a deadline that reduces density in the area to one house per five acres.

The neighborhood association has decided to hire a land-use attorney to represent the neighborhood.

Summerhill

Five Mile Prairie residents hoping to appeal a city hearing examiner decision have possibly lost that chance because of inaccurate information from city staff.

Rich Fink told the Five Mile Prairie Neighborhood Association that when he filed the neighborhoods’ appeal of the Summerhill project, he was told he didn’t have to pay the fee until later.

Later he was told it was too late to pay the fees and he had missed the appeal deadline.

In April, Moran Prairie neighbors were given the same information, and lost the chance to appeal a hearing examiner decision.

“It has been a frustrating and difficult process,” said Fink.

The Assembly of Neighborhood Councils plans to work with the city to develop a guide to city procedures.