Plan approval could double size of Liberty Lake

Liberty Lake’s City Council reviewed a capital facilities draft that – if approved – could open doors to doubling the community’s size and adding thousands of new homes, interwoven with trails and parks.

On Tuesday, council members looked over the draft and offered ideas to tweak details and perhaps minimize objections from other jurisdictions.

Spokane Valley appealed Liberty Lake’s original comprehensive plan, last year, which set a lengthy process in motion. The appeal thwarted the city’s bid to annex 650 acres on its western border and resulted in mutual complaints and attorney fees on both sides.

In the end, the Eastern Washington Growth Management Hearings Board ruled that both cities had flaws in their comprehensive plans – which offer framework for future growth.

The board wanted Liberty Lake to rework the capital facilities portion of the plan. The capital facilities plan details levels of services for libraries and police and shares how the city will achieve, meet or exceed minimum standards.

Because the plan was based on population estimates that lacked approval by a steering committee of leaders from area jurisdictions, the board recommended that the city get approval for its population allocation.

Liberty Lake officials say they’ve sought approval for that population estimate for over two years.

Approval for the population allocation came the day after the city’s annexation bid was rejected. Additionally, the number approved – 5,511 people – was identical to the number that Liberty Lake had proposed and planned for in its original plan.

Land owners within the proposed annexation area petitioned the city to take over the area and provide services. Centennial Properties Inc. is a major property owner that supports annexation. Centennial is a subsidiary of Inland Empire Paper Co., which is owned by Cowles Publishing, which owns The Spokesman-Review.

Taking over the land would double the city’s size. Area developer Jim Frank has plans to build neighborhoods that reflect the city’s recreational theme of trails and green spaces.

Officials are gathering public input on the draft and have received responses from attorneys representing Spokane Valley and the Liberty Lake Sewer and Water District.

The city’s community development department is refining the plan, based on that feedback, and will present an updated version to the City Council for approval.

From there, the plan will be presented to the Growth Management Hearings Board for review.

In other business, City Manager Lewis Griffin told council members that Liberty Lake’s pedestrian bridge project may not go to the lowest bidder.

The lowest bidder, West Way Construction, is asking the Washington State Department of Transportation to remove its bid from the contenders for the project, Griffin said.

Griffin explained that the company said it miscalculated its bid, which came in about $103,000 lower than the next lowest bid, from Max J. Kuney. Either way, he believes a contractor will be selected in the next two weeks.