Complaints Delay Council Zoning Decision Post Falls Annexes Residential Land, Defers Decision On Commercial Lot

After hearing from angry neighbors, the Post Falls’ City Council has delayed a decision on allowing commercial development near a Syringa Street neighborhood.

A proposed annexation would bring 15 acres into the city on the northwest corner of Mullan Avenue and Syringa Street. The City Council decided late Tuesday to begin annexing the property and zone all but one lot for single family residences.

Kevin Bettis, the owner of that remaining lot, had requested that the land be zoned neighborhood limited commercial. A decision on the commercial zoning request was tabled.

Bettis did not attend the meeting.

Numerous opponents did.

“We don’t feel we need another store, doctor’s office or shop,” said Tina Piaskowski, who lives on Syringa Street and brought a petition against the proposed zoning.

About 10 people spoke against all or part of the proposed annexation and zonings at the council meeting. About half that spoke in support of it.

City Councilman Clay Larkin noted that most of the firm opposition to the annexation was about zoning that lot for commercial use.

“I agree. There’s a whole lot of undeveloped commercial property on the south side of Mullan,” he said, explaining that he’d like that land to develop before considering allowing any commercial activity on the north side of the street.

The council postponed a decision on Bettis’ lot for two weeks under the advice of City Attorney Jerry Mason. Changing the zoning to something more restrictive for Bettis than neighborhood limited commercial without notifying him might violate the law, Mason told the council.

Piaskowski, like a handful of other neighbors, said the city did not properly notify neighbors.

City ordinances and state law require the city to notify everyone who has property within 300 feet of the proposed annexation and notify them of any public meetings regarding the proposal. Law also requires that signs be posted on the land itself announcing the proposed zone change and annexation.

Some neighbors said they never saw any signs on the property. Others said the law ought to be changed to notify people farther away than 300 feet.

“My driveway, my mailbox lies within 300 feet. My property doesn’t so I didn’t get noticed,” Mark Piaskowski said.

The city maintains that it followed all regulations on notification.

Neighbors on Syringa said they worried about the street having too much traffic, especially if the commercial zoning and multi-family residential zoning were approved.

But Syringa already is designated to be a collector in comprehensive plans, Larkin said. The amount by which houses on the 15 acres could increase traffic is negligible, said Elmer Smith, who was representing landowner, Jack Dodge.

Dodge and members of the Post Falls Jehovah’s Witnesses Kingdom Hall at 905 N. Syringa St. also requested annexation.

Dodge had asked for his land, which comprises the majority of the 15 acres, to be zoned for single family residences and some of it for multifamily dwellings. The council rejected the multifamily zoning.

Church members told the council they plan to build a parsonage on their property and need to connect to the city’s sewer system to do so. Buildings outside city limits cannot hook up to the city sewer.