Residents asked for input on zoning

AIRWAY HEIGHTS – Most residents probably wouldn’t want a factory built in their neighborhood. Nor would they likely want giant shopping centers with increased traffic using what should otherwise be sleepy residential streets where children play.

But in Airway Heights, where single-family homes, apartments and big-box stores can sometimes be neighbors, city planners are trying to plan for future growth, including zoning for 376 acres just east of the city.

The area, which spans eastward from Hayford Road, includes a Wal-Mart, Starbucks and more, as well as apartment complexes and homes. The land is part of a joint planning area overseen by Airway Heights, Spokane County and the city of Spokane.

Sewer and water customers pay the city of Spokane, and first responder units to police and fire emergencies usually hail from Spokane County, but often from Airway Heights as well. Residents also use the Airway Heights Community Center and other city amenities.

Airway Heights is updating its comprehensive plan, deciding which areas should be developed for commercial use, residential use or industrial use. The 376 acres was designated part of Airway Heights Urban Growth Area in 2006, and residents were asked their ideas about future growth at a recent meeting.

Ian Horlacher, the city planner, presented three options of zoning maps for the residents to see. Some areas on the maps were colored in red for commercial use, blue for residential and gray for industrial use.

“This is just a proposed land-use designation,” said Alfred Pili’aloha, Airway Heights community development director.

Most of the proposed commercial zoning is already in use as commercial, but one resident approached the maps and pointed out that her house and her daughter’s house were in the commercial use zone that was in all three options.

“That’s part of the reason we bring everybody in,” Horlacher said. “You guys are on the ground. You live in the area.”

There was some concern that if the area was annexed by the city of Airway Heights then the residents, who have been customers of the city of Spokane’s water and sewer services, would have to switch to Airway Heights’ water and sewer.

“We don’t have plans to extend sewer and water outside of the current city limits,” said Albert Tripp, the city manager.

But the property taxes and any sales tax earned in the area would benefit Airway Heights, the children living in the area would still attend schools in the Cheney School District and Sunshine Disposal would still pick up their garbage.

Horlacher took comments from the residents involved at the workshop regarding which of the three map options they thought made more sense. He gave them all pieces of red, yellow and green paper to place on the maps they liked – green for the best, yellow for second best and red for the one they liked the least.

He added that he will be taking comments about zoning in the area by e-mail and regular mail in the coming weeks.