County Planners Cry For Citizen Input On Draft Various Ways Used To Place Blueprint In Residents’ Hands

From cardboard boxes to cyberspace, Spokane County planning officials are using a variety of means to get a blueprint for county growth into the hands of residents.

The proposed comprehensive land-use plan is available on CD-ROM, in hard copy and on the Internet.

County planners are willing to make presentations on the proposal to civic groups or neighborhood gatherings.

There is also a self-guided tour of the plan, called “Meeting in a Box.” The box contains maps, brochures, CDs, a video, and an instruction book, everything to help residents host their own meeting on the proposal.

In addition, the plan will be on display at public libraries, and residents can analyze the document at a series of open houses that start Tuesday.

“And, we have copies here at the Public Works Building,” said Tim Lawhead, one of the county’s senior planners.

The county Planning Commission and staff have spent the better part of two years rewriting the comprehensive plan as required by the state’s Growth Management Act.

Planning commissioners are clamoring for public input on the document.

“With the citizen input, we get a much better product,” Commissioner Sandy McCauley said.

Her colleague, Tom Hargreaves, agreed.

“If it’s just what a bunch of bureaucrats put down, then it doesn’t reflect what the people want,” Hargreaves said.

Planning commissioners will consider changing the plan based on the comments they receive.

They then are scheduled to hold public hearings on the proposal in late April and May.

Ultimately, the commission will forward the plan to county commissioners. They in turn will hold their own public hearings before deciding whether to adopt the plan as presented or make their own changes.

Why should residents care?

Because the new plan will set policies for how and where the county grows for the next 20 years, McCauley said.

“People should be concerned with anything that affects land usage,” she said. “It’s important.”

The comprehensive plan will determine where roads and sewers are constructed, where houses and stores will be built, what lands will remain open and how neighborhoods will look.

Part of the plan now calls for mixed-use areas, where stores, residences and businesses are clustered to encourage people to walk to work or to stores.

The plan also will designate urban growth areas where high-intensity development will be allowed, as well as services such as sewers. Lot sizes outside those areas generally will be restricted to a minimum of 20 acres, and citylike services won’t be extended.

That could have a huge impact on people who have bought property in the hinterlands with thoughts of subdividing it into small lots, or farmers near retirement age who are thinking of selling the farm for development.

“Anybody who’s got an interest in open space or lives near open space or is a farmer or landowner or forester or land speculator should take an interest in this,” Hargreaves said. “This plan is going to be it for 20 years. This plan, when we get it done, is going to be difficult to change.”

County planning officials don’t expect the current draft will please everyone. That’s part of the reason they want as much input as possible now, they said.

“If people aren’t part of the process and don’t buy into it, it’s going to be hard to get it implemented,” Lawhead said.

Two sidebars appeared with the story: 1. FIRST DRAFT

The city of Spokane hopes to unveil the first draft of its new comprehensive land-use plan May 22, according to Chris Hugo, city planner. The city intends to provide residents with an array of options for learning about and commenting on its plan, Hugo said.

2. OPEN HOUSES

The county has scheduled a series of open houses for residents to learn about and comment on the proposed comprehensive land-use plan:

Tuesday, 1:30-4:30 p.m., public works building, 1026 W. Broadway.

March 14, 5:30-8:30 p.m., Freeman High School, 14626 S. Jackson Road.

March 16, 5:30-8:30 p.m., Airway Heights Community Center, 13120 W. 13th Ave.

March 21, 5:30-8:30 p.m., Northwood Middle School, 12130 N. Pittsburg.

March 23, 5:30-8:30 p.m., Ferris High School cafeteria, 3020 E. 37th Ave.

March 28, 5:30-8:30 p.m., Horizon Junior High School, 3915 S. Pines Road.

March 30, 5:30-8:30 p.m., Riverside High School, 4120 E. Deer Park-Milan Road.