The Orchards Gets County’S Approval Plans’ Impact On Lake Concerns Opponents

Spokane County Hearing Examiner Mike Dempsey has approved a controversial plan to build a 37-home subdivision near the eastern shore of Liberty Lake.

The development, called The Orchards, will be built on a 109 acres near Lakeside and Neyland roads just across the street from another controversial subdivision called MacKenzie Bay Beach Properties.

Both projects are being built by developer Rex Harder.

Last week’s approval has left opponents stunned.

“Personally, I’m terribly disappointed,” said Bruce Andre, a member of the Liberty Lake Property Owners Association. “It now seems like there’s a real push to develop Liberty Lake.”

Andre said no decision has been made whether the group will appeal Dempsey’s ruling. Many of the group’s key players are out of town.

They have 10 days to appeal to Spokane County Commissioners.

Opponents argued the plan would seriously impact the quality of the lake and that Harder’s application was incomplete when it slipped in before the county’s interim urban growth boundaries deadline.

But in a 49-page written decision, Dempsey laid blame with the county’s Division of Building and Planning, which didn’t stamp the file `complete’ in a timely fashion.

“All the deficiencies listed in the design review form could have easily been corrected by the applicant prior to the county’s establishment of its IUGA boundaries…had the County engaged in timely review of the application under its adopted procedures, and notified the applicant of the deficiencies in a timely manner,” Dempsey wrote.

He said the applicant shouldn’t be punished for the county’s delay.

Dempsey’s decision requires Harder to forgo developing one lot and add sidewalks to the development.

Harder said he is pleased with the decision and thinks the development will enhance the lake community.

`I believe it will help the east side of the lake community over there,” he said. “We plan on helping contribute to the water system and the trail system.”

Harder declined to comment on this project’s and MacKenzie Bay’s future time line.

He said the two were related, and developing MacKenzie Bay depended on approval of The Orchards.

“There’s some common work between them,” he said.

Last November the hearing examiner approved Harder’s MacKenzie Bay development. That project would put 44 homes on about 24 acres on the east side of the lake.