County to delay vote on zoning changes
Spokane County commissioners decided Tuesday to wait a week before acting on Planning Commission recommendations for 15 proposed comprehensive plan amendments, but their options are limited.
State law limits counties to one annual adjustment of their land-use plans, and there’s not enough time for commissioners to do anything this year except approve the Planning Commission recommendations.
Commissioners must conduct their own public hearing to override the Planning Commission, which can’t be done until early next year because of the holiday season and notification requirements. Although commissioners could conduct a hearing early next year, they couldn’t take action until late next year when a new round of comprehensive plan amendments are ripe for decision.
Planning commissioners generally supported expansion of existing uses, but recommended denial of six zone changes that would allow housing in rural or agricultural zones.
County Commissioner Todd Mielke expressed concern about two recommended denials in which planning commissioners were split 5-2 and 4-3.
Among the zone changes planning commissioners recommended for approval was one that would allow the McGlade’s Market restaurant to reopen at the corner of Yale and Day-Mt. Spokane roads. The restaurant closed in January after county planning officials ruled owners Shawn and Theresa Gabel went too far in converting a fruit-stand café into a regular restaurant with a liquor license.
Earlier Tuesday, county Hearing Examiner Michael Dempsey denied an appeal of the environmental review that opened the door for the McGlade’s zone change. Dempsey said the appellants, who live near the restaurant, failed to show it would cause any significant harm to the environment.
He didn’t rule on two similar appeals, involving zone changes to allow housing developments on Peone Prairie agricultural land. One change would apply to 243 acres south and mostly east of the intersection of Peone and Fairview roads. The other would apply to 80 acres northwest of the intersection of Peone and Nelson roads.