Post Falls is preparing for crowds

Depending on what decisions the city makes in the next 20 years, the city of Post Falls could see its population grow as little as 20,000 people or as much as 100,000, according to a new study.

City administrators took their first look Monday at a commissioned report that will help them plan how much the city should grow and where new developments likely should occur.

The report, by J.P. Stravens of Planning Associates Inc., also offers recommendations to the city to better manage the influx of people.

“It’s a better tool to get us prepared for the growth,” said Eric Keck, recently hired as the Post Falls city administrator. “We can see where our growth will occur and be a little bit better prepared to deal with it.”

Growth estimates were based on trends from the past 10 years and land that is available to be developed near the city, Keck said.

The city is betting on a 3.5 percent growth rate for the next 20 years, which puts the population at about 50,000 in 2028, more than double today’s population of nearly 24,000.

In order to best handle the growth, the report says the city should take an “important first step” with an “aggressive annexation plan.”

The city limits are jagged with large islands of county land scattered throughout the city.

“If you don’t pull it in when you start to develop, it’s going to be extremely difficult to pull it in after you develop,” Keck said. “We don’t like to utilize forced annexations, but having these islands creates problems.”

The city is starting to plan future annexations right now, Keck said, and the City Council will likely take up the issue this year.

Though it hasn’t been thoroughly discussed in the past, the city may also look to extend its boundaries toward land south of the Spokane River.

The 23-page report also highlights areas in and around the city as potential growth spots, with the land between Highway 41 and Huetter the most likely region to see increased development soon. Currently, 1,991 homes are in the area, but the report suggests 10,440 houses could be developed there.

Keck also said he was surprised to see that 30 percent of the new construction is purchased and then rented out.

In the future, the city may also try to encourage developers to place deed restrictions on new home sales so that speculators don’t buy homes for rental properties, Keck said.