City’S Future Planning Panel Wants Public Comment On Growth Management Options

The future look of Spokane’s South Side will be guided by a long-awaited change in the city’s land-use plan under the Growth Management Act.

City officials this summer are seeking public comment in a series of small community meetings, including one tonight at Auntie’s Bookstore downtown at Main and Washington.

Growth management became state law a decade ago, but the city and county of Spokane are now just getting around to adopting it.

They initially weren’t required to follow growth management because of sluggish population growth in the 1980s.

Local planning for growth management began after the economy improved and the population swelled in the 1990s.

Now, the local governments are two years behind state-mandated schedules for adopting growth management.

The plans will replace the existing comprehensive land-use laws, which are less effective in containing growth.

The new growth management plans will guide development into specific areas, provide parameters for future zone changes and coordinate infrastructure, such as streets and sewers.

The city planning department has gathered volumes of public comment already and has come up with three growth alternatives.

One would allow future development under largely the same pattern as now, and two would squeeze more buildings into the existing urban area.

“These are really big issues,” said Susanne Croft, city planner in charge of public participation in the growth management plan.

“We are looking for public guidance,” she said.

Croft said city planners are disappointed by meager turnouts at recent public participation meetings. However, several South Side neighborhood councils have reviewed and commented on the plans.

The Spokane Plan Commission wants to hear from the public before it decides on which alternative to recommend.

The Plan Commission has scheduled its final public hearing for Sept. 6 in the champions room at the Spokane Arena.

After that, the commission expects to vote on a recommendation and send it to the City Council for approval late this year.

Other municipalities on the West Plains already have adopted their growth management plans.

Tonight’s meeting at Auntie’s Bookstore will be at 7 p.m. in the upstairs meeting area.

The session is being sponsored by the Washington Environmental Council.

A representative from a watchdog group on urban sprawl was invited. The group is called Thousand Friends of Washington.

On July 18, the Riverside Neighborhood Council will host another meeting on the plan at the downtown library at 6 p.m.

A week later on July 25, the city Planning Department will host a meeting at the downtown public library at 6 p.m.

This sidebar appeared with the story: COMING UP

Meetings set Tonight’s public meeting on growth management will be at 7 p.m. in the upstairs meeting area at Auntie’s Bookstore, Main and Washington.

On July 18 at 6 p.m. the Riverside Neighborhood Council will host another meeting on the plan at the downtown library.

On July 25 at 6 p.m. the city Planning Department will host a meeting at the downtown public library.