City Council wants land available for businesses

Spokane City Council members are pushing the city’s Plan Commission to move ahead with land-use changes in a residential area between East Sprague Avenue and Interstate 90 from Perry to Fiske streets.

In a resolution approved Monday, the council called on the Plan Commission to hold hearings and bring to the council a new land-use designation that would allow a mix of offices, businesses and residences.

The idea is to open more land for businesses that may be forced to relocate because of the planned construction of a North Spokane freeway connection to I-90. As many as 110 businesses could be forced to move by the state’s freeway proposal.

The area would be adjacent to the newly designated Keystone International District Employment Center, which was approved by the council last year in a move that expanded commercial land uses there.

The council wants to limit the height of buildings to 50 feet to blunt the impact of new growth in the area on traffic and other public facilities.

Council President Joe Shogan said Plan Commission members have asked for a meeting with council members to talk about the proposed change. Councilman Al French said he doesn’t want the Plan Commission to “trump” council efforts to expand business areas in the East Central Neighborhood.

In other action, the council set hearings for March 6 before the city hearing examiner at City Hall on three paving projects across the city.

They are for Napa Street from 14th to 13th avenues at 1:30 p.m.; alley improvements between Olympic and Wabash avenues from Lidgerwood to Addison streets at 2:30 p.m.; and alley improvements between North and Sanson avenues from Cincinnati to Nevada streets at 3:30 p.m.