Land-use map for Spokane Valley future unveiled

For months, Spokane Valley officials and citizens have talked about how the city could look 20 years from now.

On Tuesday, the city’s staff turned words into pictures.

The City Council and Planning Commission got a look at a draft land-use map, a document that could one day guide future growth in the city. The map shows a Spokane Valley that reins in urban sprawl. It designates a city center, where restaurants, public buildings and entertainment venues are all within walking distance.

Although the map is preliminary and could change after public input is received and once the council and the commission examine it more closely, the document and the direction the city is heading were well received Tuesday night.

“I like the way we’re doing it,” resident Raymond Seely said.

Seely especially likes the proposed city center, which would be bordered by Farr Road to the west, slightly past University Road to the east, Valleyway to the north and Fourth Avenue to the south. That’s near University City Shopping Center, which was a gathering place for decades before the Spokane Valley Mall and other factors drew business away.

Resident Geraldine Herigstad liked the city center concept, but would prefer to locate it near Mirabeau Point Park. “It could be a nice focal point for the city,” she said.

Aside from the city center, the draft map’s key concepts include:

“ Preserving existing neighborhoods.

“ Concentrating regional retail stores and centers, such as Costco, Home Depot, Lowe’s, the mall and Wal-Mart, in just two locations: near the Interstate 90 and Sprague Avenue interchange and near I-90 and Sullivan Road.

“ Encouraging clustering of smaller retail businesses at the intersections of major roads and replacing strip malls, especially along Sprague Avenue, with offices and housing.

Councilman Mike Flanigan asked what the city could do to turn the vision into a reality.

“Does this have an impact or is it pipe dreams?” he asked the staff.

While property owners wouldn’t be forced to convert their strip malls into attractive apartment complexes, incentives could be provided to entice developers to transform the Sprague corridor to suit the city’s vision, planning manager Greg McCormick said.

Spokane Valley’s staff and officials are in the process of writing the city’s first unique comprehensive plan. The document, required under the Washington state Growth Management Act, is a 20-year blueprint for growth. Spokane Valley adopted Spokane County’s plan when it incorporated in 2003. A land-use map will be a key component of the plan.

Residents will have several opportunities to comment on the map and the comprehensive plan between now and the end of the year, when it is all expected to be finalized.

Open houses will be held May 19 and June 1. The Planning Commission then will hold public hearings in June. After the commission approves a recommended comprehensive plan in July and August, the council will hold its own round of public hearings and deliberations in the fall.

In the meantime, citizens can write letters or send e-mails to City Hall to put their comments on record.