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Last September, when the Spokane Valley City Council gave its final approval to its Uniform Development Code, City Attorney Mike Connelly had some final words:
“This can be changed at any time.”
Less than six months later, the UDC may undergo its first transformation – on one of the most controversial provisions within the code.
During Tuesday night’s council study session, Mayor Richard Munson opened talks on readdressing the issue of allowing for larger lot sizes in areas of Greenacres. Under the current UDC, quarter-acre lots are only allowed in a few areas south of 16th Avenue while smaller maximums are allowed in most others.
The decision for smaller lot sizes didn’t come easy when it was debated last fall and only came about after then-Mayor Diana Wilhite broke a 3-3 tie amongst council members. Lot sizes of 10,000 square feet had been the recommendation of the city Planning Commission, but the council opted for R3 and R4 zones, requiring 6,000- and 7,500-square-foot lots, respectively for most of Greenacres.
However, Council Member Mike DeVleming – one of the key votes for the smaller lots – chose not to run for re-election last fall. His successor, Rose Dempsey, campaigned on allowing for residents of Greenacres to keep the larger lots in order to retain the rural lifestyle of that area.
She – along with Munson and Council Members Bill Gothmann and Gary Schimmels – kept the discussion alive Tuesday after colleagues Wilhite, Steve Taylor and Deputy Mayor Dick Denenny voted to move the issue off the table.
“I’m so frustrated,” Denenny said. “To go back and change things in less than a few months – I mean, talk about inconsistency.”
But Dempsey countered it was inconsistent to change lot sizes from 10,000 square feet to 7,500 in those debated areas in Greenacres back in September.
“We’re only talking about one area (of the city),” she said.
In 2004, angry Greenacres residents raised $1,800 and petitioned the city for the larger lots. That request was granted and upheld until the vote last fall, despite the recommendation from the Planning Commission to keep 10,000-square-foot lots in those areas.
But the city was still in the midst of developing its first Comprehensive Plan, and it was possible that the zoning could eventually change.
“If anything, we shouldn’t have changed it the first time,” he said.
Schimmels said the council needs to keep its promise to the Greenacres residents who petitioned and took the time to testify before the council, saying that schools and roads would be adversely affected by allowing more homes into the area.
“Those people hounded us, and they did a good job,” he said. “Then we turned it down after the fact. That bothers me more than anything – I don’t think we were honest with those people.”
Wilhite reiterated her original stance back when she voted for the smaller lots.
“I come from the viewpoint of personal property rights,” she said. “People have the right to sell their property for the highest and best use. We’re not forcing anyone to change anything.”
Munson said he wasn’t sure “what changed” that the smaller lots ended up being recommended by city staff and eventually adopted into the UDC. He reminded the council that property could be rezoned to the same or a higher density as adjacent zoning.
The council has tentatively set May 13 as the date the issue will be on the agenda for discussion and public comment. Should the council decide to move forward with the zone changes, it could not take effect until after November when the city updates its Comprehensive Plan for next year.
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By
Mike Huffman
