Owner Seeks Rezone For Valley Chapel Land

Thu., March 19, 1998

By Mike Prager mikeprager15@gmail.com (509) 459-5454

A Spokane attorney who bought 40 acres south of the city several years ago wants a zone change to increase its value.

Attorney Tom Kingen is asking the county hearing examiner to approve a change from the exclusive agriculture zone to the general agriculture zone. The hearing is scheduled for March 25 at 10:30 a.m. in the commissioner’s assembly room at the county Public Works Building.

The land is on Valley Chapel Road about two miles south of the Palouse Highway.

Under the exclusive agriculture zone, the minimum parcel size is 40 acres. The general agriculture zone allows property to be broken into pieces as small as 10 acres.

Kingen said he bought the property about four years ago with the intention of building a home there some day. He leases about half of it to a wheat farmer. The other half is covered with timber.

He now has the land up for sale. Kingen said he hasn’t decided whether to sell it as a single lot or separate it into more parcels. If his rezone is granted, he could sell as many as four 10-acre parcels.

At least one area resident has protested the proposed zone change.

In a letter to the county, Elin A. Zander said the property should be kept in large parcels to protect wildlife and the agricultural character of the area.

Zander, who owns acreage nearby, said in the letter, “I do not think that it is in the best interest of Spokane County or consistent with the Washington State Growth Management Act to continue to allow the proliferation of rural developments of large homes on 10-acre plots in our agricultural areas.”

, DataTimes

Local journalism is essential.

Give directly to The Spokesman-Review's Northwest Passages community forums series -- which helps to offset the costs of several reporter and editor positions at the newspaper -- by using the easy options below. Gifts processed in this system are tax deductible.

Meet Our Journalists

Jesse Tinsley

Meet Jesse Tinsley. As a certified drone pilot, this veteran Spokesman-Review photographer often can be seen capturing beautiful aerial photographs of our region. Sometimes though, the job requires getting down with the dogs.
Jim Meehan

Jim Meehan is no stranger to Zag Nation. As the lead writer covering the Gonzaga men’s basketball team, he tells the stories behind the game and gets fans a bit closer to their favorite players.
Molly Quinn

There is no artist in Spokane like Molly Quinn. Her whimsical style is instantly recognizable to readers of The Spokesman-Review. She has painted gorgeous illustrations that instantly elevate the journalism accompanying it. She brings to life the stories that defy photography. She makes our pages better.
Rob Curley

Spokesman-Review editor Rob Curley loves to talk with people and learn about their lives, whether it's a best-selling author or a stranger he meets downtown on his walk to lunch. It's that inquisitive nature combined with a playful sense of storytelling that helps make our newspaper different than most.