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As the Spokane Valley City Council delved deeper into the Sprague-Appleway Revitalization Plan on Tuesday, there were no sweeping changes – but there were some surgical strikes.
Rather than make any broad revisions to what the city Planning Commission has already recommended in the way of zoning and nonconforming uses of businesses on Sprague and Appleway, the council looked at specific parcels and wanted staff members to come up with specific examples of how the plan would be put into effect.
For the most part, those worried about “down zoning” – and the possibility loss of value for their property under the new conditions of the SARP – were told their properties would be just as valuable under the new zoning guidelines.
In the case of Lark Inc. – a boat dock business at 205 S. Evergreen and owned by Jim Scott – the plan would change the zoning from a commercial use to a new classification of “residential boulevard.” Scott wrote the city and has requested that his property be left out of the plan and be able to retain its current zoning.
Even as a nonconforming use, city staff members said Scott could continue to operate his business – which has been at that site for nearly 30 years – sell it for the same use, or pass the enterprise on to heirs.
Scott writes in his letter that the “down zone…limits the allowed uses” and would decrease the value of his property up to 80 percent. But Mayor Richard Munson said there is no tried-and-true way of knowing what the property will be worth other than what similar plots near Scott’s sell for in the future.
“There is no way that changing a use is going to change the value of a property,” Munson said. “It’s based on what’s bought and sold.”
The mayor, however, couldn’t get the council to reach consensus to keep the property within the plan. Deputy Mayor Dick Denenny said he “didn’t like islands” and would not want to see Scott’s commercial property surrounded by residential boulevard zoning. And Council Member Bill Gothmann also supports the Planning Commission’s recommendation.
However, Council Members Diana Wilhite, Gary Schimmels and Rose Dempsey all said Scott should be able to keep his current zone classification.
“For me, I like to see someone maintain the highest and best use of their property,” Wilhite said.
Due to the 3-3 stalemate, the council opted to wait for Council Member Steve Taylor – who was absent from the meeting – to break the tie at a future meeting.
The council had an easier time deciding that the new zoning classifications under the plan should cease at Sullivan Road. Dean Grafos – who operates a business at Sprague and Conklin, east of Sullivan – also wrote to and has testified before the council that he wants to retain his commercial zoning and not fall under the residential boulevard classification.
Denenny said that Sullivan is a natural end-point for Sprague revitalization and that should be the spot to “chop it off.”
Munson agreed, saying that the objective of the plan is to refocus certain business activities to the University City area, where a new city center is planned. Commercial ventures are already attracted to Sullivan and that area will always be in competition with whatever the city plans to do with land surrounding a new city hall.
“We can’t get away from that,” Munson said.
The council will take up the topic of the SARP again at its Dec. 16 meeting.
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By
Mike Huffman
