Residents Say New Road Would Solve Concerns Over Planned Subdivisions

Neighbors worried about traffic from two proposed subdivisions near Saltese and Sullivan roads say they’d have fewer concerns if developers would just build another road.

On Wednesday, people living near Sullivan and Saltese told Spokane County hearing examiner Mike Dempsey the two developments - Timberlane Terrace and Remington Hill - would put more cars on their quiet residential streets.

Developers Fox Enterprises and Bob Church want to put 163 homes on 71 acres as part of Timberlane Terrace. Remington Hill, just east of Timberlane Terrace, would have 91 homes on about 50 acres.

Current plans don’t include linking the 163-home subdivision to Saltese. Drivers would have to use residential streets and 24th Avenue to get to Sullivan Road.

Dempsey said he would consider all the information and render a written decision at a later date.

Neighbors say they want the subdivisions to have an access road to Saltese Road.

“I feel a major arterial is much better than a residential street,” said Debi Knudson, who lives on Timberlane Drive near Needham.

Knudson said she fears many people will get frustrated with a wait at Sullivan and 24th. Drivers will then head down their quiet, hilly streets, already jammed with traffic from the Morningside development at 32nd Avenue and Chapman Road. Ridgemont Estates near Sullivan and 20th Avenue has also contributed a heavy stream of traffic, neighbors said.

“At 7:30 to 9 in the morning you have back-to-back traffic,” Knudson said.

But developer Bob Church said there’s no way he can link the development to Saltese because of the steep hills and wetlands in the area. The road would cut right through wetlands.

“Most of the questions are all questions we’ve asked ourselves,” Church said. “They didn’t raise any issues that we didn’t already know about.”

He said they’ve gone back to the drawing board four times trying to find the best solution.

“We’ve spent a lot of time and effort and money trying to solve these problems because we knew they were going to come up.”

Neighbors also worry that the high density will send stormwater running downhill into their basements.

Developers said they are doing studies to reduce those concerns. And county planners are requiring they do studies to determine if basements are even suitable in Remington Hill.

County planners are also requiring developers pay $500 a lot to help pay for improvements to Saltese Road. Developers will also have to pay for improvements to 32nd and 24th avenues.