New Information Delays Orchards Decision

Thu., Jan. 6, 2000

By Dan Hansen danh@spokesman.com

For the second time in a month, Spokane County commissioners delayed a decision on a controversial Liberty Lake development.

Commissioners intended to decide Dec. 14 whether to uphold the county hearing examiner’s approval of The Orchards subdivision. They postponed the decision until Jan. 4, saying they needed more time to study documents.

On Tuesday, commissioners voted to postpone a decision again, to Jan. 14. Commissioner Phil Harris cited “new information” commissioners received Tuesday morning.

Developer Rex Harder wants to build 37 houses on 109 acres near Lakeside and Neyland roads. Harder has said the development will include six or eight 10-acre lots. The remaining lots will average an acre apiece.

Hearing examiner Mike Dempsey approved the development July 16 after a request was made to rezone a portion of the land designated for lots no smaller than 10 acres.

The Liberty Lake Property Owners Association appealed Dempsey’s decision to commissioners, saying the development could cause erosion and other problems that would pollute the lake. They also fear it will lead to more subdivisions on the lightly developed east side of the lake.

Harder already has county approval for a 44-home subdivision on 24.5 acres. That shoreline development is at Mackenzie Bay, also on the east side of the lake.

Both developments are outside the county’s “interim urban growth area,” meaning 10 acres is the minimum lot size regardless of zoning.

Like many other developers and landowners, Harder submitted paperwork for his subdivisions in the final three months before the growth boundaries were adopted in 1997. Because of that, he was exempted from the new rules and able to seek county approval for smaller lots.

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