Residents want halt on development

Representatives of three Spokane neighborhood councils called for a moratorium on new home construction in northwest Spokane during a town hall meeting of the City Council on Monday.

Craig Culbertson of the North Indian Trail Neighborhood Council said building permits and plat applications should be suspended while the city plans for better ways to handle heavy traffic and other problems caused by rapid residential growth.

“We believe conditions constitute an emergency,” Culbertson said.

A serious problem is the wave of traffic that moves across the northwest area arterial streets, including nearly 16,000 vehicles a day on Indian Trail Road near Francis Avenue, he said. He also questioned the quality of some subdivisions.

By comparison, Francis Avenue carries about 30,000 vehicles a day between Indian Trail Road and Division Street, while Division just north of Francis has a vehicle count of 46,600 a day.

The northwest neighborhoods have considered challenges to the city’s comprehensive land-use plan through the state’s growth-management hearings board, Culbertson said. A building moratorium would allow the city to avoid challenges, he said.

Neighborhood representatives said the cost of building streets and other infrastructure for new neighborhoods places an added financial burden on other city residents.

Kathy Miotke of the Five Mile Prairie Neighborhood Council said “everyone is cashing in” on development in her area.

Councilwoman Cherie Rodgers said a moratorium was attempted in the mid-1990s. Another moratorium would not easily win approval, she said.

During the meeting at West Central Community Center, council members also heard from representatives of other neighborhood councils and COPS shops.

Judith Gilmore of the West Central Neighborhood Council said the city administration is considering a new law to charge a fee to owners of residential properties that remain vacant for long periods of time. The proposed ordinance is intended to get owners to fix up vacant homes and get them reoccupied.

Sue Patterson of the Emerson-Garfield Neighborhood Council said her area is seeing a similar problem with vacant homes.

Victor Frazier of the Northwest Neighborhood Association said his organization is opposed to installation of a stoplight at Assembly and Francis. The association also wants to maintain a city park plan to build a sports complex at or near Albi Stadium.

Representatives of the Police Department said they will be working with neighborhood groups and community centers this summer to prevent gang activity at parks and school grounds.