Incorporation Proponents Sensitive To Liberty Lake Waters Protection

The best way to protect the fragile waters of Liberty Lake is to leave the lake and its undeveloped hillsides out of a proposal for a new city, incorporation proponents say.

After struggling for the past year to decide on the best boundaries for a proposed city of Liberty Lake, incorporation proponents are now planning a two-step effort to bring the whole community into a new city.

Liberty Lake 2000 leader Wendy Van Orman said proponents will focus on incorporating the area already inside the interim urban growth boundaries, with an eye on later annexation of the land around the lake.

“We just want to make sure whatever way we go that we’re doing what is best for the community and the lake,” she said.

Proponents had considered asking the Spokane County planning commission to extend the urban growth boundaries around some lakeside land so it could be included in a bid for a new city. Only urban land can be incorporated.

However, residents feared developers would take advantage of the change to seek approval for dense development on vacant land around the lake after it is designated urban and before an incorporation vote.

The Liberty Lake Property Owners Association told incorporation proponents last week they did not want the urban growth boundaries extended and suggested the two-step plan.

Liberty Lake 2000 agreed to honor their concerns.

Residents will be able to study maps of the proposed boundaries of the new city, as well as some of the other options that have been considered, at an open house and public hearing Monday in Liberty Lake.

Susan Winchell, director of the Boundary Review Board office, said residents can offer suggestions for changing the proposed boundaries of the new city and ask questions of the Liberty Lake 2000 committee. The last hour of the gathering - from 7 to 8 p.m. - will be devoted to public comments.

Residents are also invited to comment on the other details of the incorporation proposal. Liberty Lake 2000 has proposed a noncharter code city with a mayor/council government. The new city would have approximately 4,000 residents.

A revenue study last year indicated that if Liberty Lake incorporated it would have $2.4 million for services and city administration.

Also, the city’s budget would include about $426,000 each year for capital improvements such as building sidewalks, repairing storm drainage and other projects.

Liberty Lake 2000 members also would like to use some of that money to buy undeveloped lands around the lake for preservation.

Van Orman said the imaginary line through the middle of the Liberty Lake community won’t cause a permanent rift between neighbors.

“I really don’t think this is going to divide the community,” she said. “We are all working toward one solution and this is the best way to do it. We need to protect our lake.”

After Monday’s public meeting, proponents can still make changes to the incorporation proposal. But the boundaries and other details about the proposed city must be finalized before the group can begin circulating petitions in support of incorporation.

Once the petition drive formally begins, proponents will have six months to gather the signatures of 10 percent of the registered voters living in the proposed city to bring incorporation to a vote.

This sidebar appeared with the story: OPEN HOUSE

The Spokane County Boundary Review Board will hold an open house on incorporation from 5:30 to 7 p.m. Monday at the Liberty Lake Sewer and Water District office, 22510 E. Mission. A public meeting will follow from 7 to 8 p.m., during which residents can offer suggestions or concerns about the incorporation proposal.