Cemetery, vault plan approved

Thu., June 23, 2011

From Staff Reports

A cemetery and columbarium have been approved next to Mt. Spokane High School grounds.

It will be just east of the high school grounds and behind Mt. Spokane Church, 6311 E. Mt. Spokane Park Drive, which also is immediately east of the high school.

Spokane County Hearing Examiner Michael Dempsey approved a variance to allow a columbarium wall on the north property line of the church, which supported the cemetery proposal. He denied permission for floral and coffee shops and a commercial greenhouse.

The cemetery is to be on 20 acres owned by Dave Berto’s Mt. Spokane Enterprises. Berto lives on part of the L-shaped cemetery site.

Some area residents objected to the loss of farmland and called the cemetery incompatible with its surroundings.

The Mead School District’s only comments were about the type of fencing along the school’s property line

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