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HomeMy WebLinkAbout2024-12-12 PC APPROVED SIGNED MINUTESRegular Meeting Minutes Spokane Valley Planning Commission Spokane Valley City Hall December 12, 2024 I. Chairman Robert McKinley called the regular mating to order at 6:00 p.m. The meeting was held in person and via ZOOM meetings. The Connnissioners and staff stood for the Pledge Of Allegiance. II. Administrative Assistant Robin Holt took attendance, and the following members and staff were present: Susan Delucchi Tony Bcattie, Deputy City Attorney Michael Kelly Steve Robergc, Planning Manager Bob McKinley Jenny Nickerson, Building Official John Robertson Juslan Kinsek IT Specialist Vadim Smelik, absent Robin Holt, Administrative Assistant .Tustin Weathernion Dan Wilson There was consensus to excuse Commissioner Smelik from the meeting. III. AGENDA: Commissioner Robertson moved, and it was seconded, to approve the meeting agenda for December 12, 2024. There was no discussion. The vote on the motion was six in favor, zero opposed, and the motion passed. IV. MINUTES: Commissioner Delacem moved, and it was seconded, to approve the meeting minutes for the November 14, 2024 meeting. There was no discussion, The vote on the motion was five in favor, one abstention, and the motion passed. V. COMMISSIONER REPORT: Vice -Chairman Delucchi reported her concerns about the current actions of the City. She said that she feels the City has made a mistake in allowing the population to double in 20 years without adequate infrastructure to support the growth. She also expressed concern regarding the aquifer that provides water to the area, lack of policing services, a lack of parks and open space, a strain on the educational system, traffic issues and a shortage of medical resources. Chair McKinley rebutted that many of the items mentioned by Vice -Chair Delucchi do not fall under the jurisdiction of the Planning Commission. Vice -Chair Delucchi requested to give additional comment which was denied by the Chair. Vice -Chair Delucchi stepped off the dais at 6:10 p.m. and returned at 6:15 p.m V I. ADMINISTRATIVE REPORT: Planning Manager Steve Robergc reported that Ordinance for CTA-2024-0001 regarding Permit Processing has been heard by the City Council and is being 12-12-2024 Planning C;omintssion Minutes Pegc 2 of 3 forwarded for a second reading. The Ordinance that was forwarded to the Council has some minor additional recommendations from the Department of Commerce that were incorporated into the document. l'he changes were specific citations that will help make the language clearer but did not change any substance. IIe also stated that the Planning Commission will begin reviewing the Spokane Valley Comprehensive Plan diking 2025. The City has contracted a consultant and there will be a lot of focus on the State statutes regarding housing and climate change. Mr. Roberge said that he has requested the Department of Commerce to give a presentation on the State perspective on the new requirements, conditions, and areas where the City has flexibility. He also reminded the members that the December 26° 2024, meeting was cancelled. Chairman McKinley also reminded the Commission that the first meeting in .lanuary is also cancelled so the next meeting will be held on January 23, 2025. Deputy City Attorney reported that the Resolution regarding the Planning Commission Rules of Procedure was scheduled for review by the City Council at the December 23, 2024, meeting. VI7. PUBLIC COMMENT: Linda Kleseh, Spokane Valley, commented that the City is not utilizing the Planning Commission appropriately. She spoke about traffic issues and the lack of parks for children to use. She said that she thinks Commissioner Dclucchi's plan to incorporate districts is a good plan and that she is frustrated that the City has not met the state and federal guidelines for park space. VUL COMMISSION BUSINESS: a. Study Session: CTA-2024-0002 — Amendments to Chapter 17.80 and 22.130 SVMC Regarding Right -of -Way (ROW) Permits Deputy City Attorney Tony Beattie gave a staff presentation. He explained that Right -Of -Way (ROW) permits are licenses to conditionally utilize the ROW or allow construction activities therein. 'They are processed mostly by the City's Traffic Engineer team and require adherence to the City's adopted street standards and pavement cut policies. Currently, ROW permits are processed as Type I permits pursuant to Chapters 22.130 and 17.80 of the Spokane Valley Municipal Code (SVMC). Mr. Beattie explained that ROW permits ate not land use or development regulations related to use of private property and would be better regulated raider Title 9 related to "Vehicles and Traffic". He stated that staff is proposing to transfer SVMC 22.130.100 to Title 9 to make it clear that these regulations are separate from the requirements of Chapter 17.80 SVMC. The change would remove ROW permits from "type I permit category and remove exemption language related to "normal" maintenance and repair. Chair McKinley asked if there are any disadvantages to moving the process in the code. Mr. Beattie responded that ROW permits aren't really a land use action, so it doesn't fit in the Type I permit regulation section of the code. Commissioner Kelly asked what prompted the change. Mr. Beattie responded that the procedure for issuing a ROW permit doesn't match the strict requirements of a Type I permit. 1242-2024 Planning Commission Minutes Page 3 of 3 Commissioner Kelly asked if the amendment would make the process more difficult for homeowners. Building Official Jenny Nickerson explained that the amendment will lay out the proper procedures for issuing a ROW permit but also protect homeowners in being allowed to do some maintenance matters without having to obtain a permit (such as having a load of beauty bark dropped in the ROW for a brief period while landscape beds are updated). IX. GOOD OF THE ORDER: Commissioner Wilson thanked Vice -Chair Delucchi for her service on the Planning Commission. Commissioner McKinley thanked the Commission and the staff and stated that he has learned a lot during his six years serving on the Commission. X. ADJOURNMENT: Commissioner Kelly moved and it was seconded, to adjourn the meeting at 6:46 p.m. The vote on the motion was six in favor, zero opposed, and the motion passed. Bob McKinley, Chairman Date Signed Marianne Lemons, Secretary G 'a) 01.0 C o a a1 V ._ .. ca G J_ Q W � v IJ Z N N � K O Q i d a m a W i a z Final unofficial report 2024 The state of planning in the City of Spokane Valley Submitted by Susan Delucchi, Vice Chair, Planning Commission After serving three years on the City of Spokane Valley Planning Commission I have some concerns about the current actions of the city. It is important that I record these concerns because I have had little or no luck expressing them to any of the authorities in our community. As my term expires on December 31, 2024,1 wish to memorialize my educated observations in the hope that someone will take on these issues. My family moved to the Spokane Valley in 1979. 1 had the privilege to serve on many boards, committees, and commissions overthe years, and these comments are given in memory of Marion Hay, Joe Custer, Chris Carlson, Tom Foley, Joe McKinnon, Howard Herman, Denny Ashlock, and Sally Jackson. While we did not always agree, they always had the best interests of the community at heart. They all contributed to the successes that the valley community has achieved. The biggest mistake that the City of Spokane Valley has made is to allow the population to double in 20 years. No infrastructure can accommodate that kind of growth without the influx of millions of dollars in investment. In addition, the city is left with half the population who are newcomers with no group history or memory. While 50% of the citizens remember before the city was created, 50% or more do not. The result of the growth has been an inadequate provision of state mandated services under the Growth Management Act. These include over development above the aquifer with the potential of an inadequate source of drinkingwater in the future, lack of policing services, an enormous lack of park and open space, a strain on the educational system, building outside of logical transportation corridors creating traff ic issues, and a severe shortage of medical resources. The fault does not lie with the city alone. Spokane County created the original problem by allowing the development of an extremely large bedroom community running the length of the valley. A bedroom community is an unwieldy palette upon which to create a city, especially when many services were extremely inadequate in the beginning. The county continues to worsen this situation by encouraging high density growth around the city boundaries while relying on the city to provide the services. Here is a highlight of some of the existing problems: 1. The city has only 1 /3 of the national average of land (10.4 acres per 1000 people) dedicated to parks, and some of that includes state and county park property. 2. Prior to the recent minuscule addition of police officers, the city had only 55%of the state average of 2.21 officers per 1000 population. The state average is the lowest per capita of any state in the country. 3. The Central Valley School District recently addressed the City Council about financial concerns about the impact of uncontrolled growth on the schools. The city has added too many students and not provided enough money to support the schools. 4. Formal cooperation and coordination do not exist between the State of Idaho and the State of Washington about development in and around the Spokane/Rathdrum aquifer. When developing growth management population projections for Spokane County, the state office for growth management does not consider the development going on across the border. One of the most challenging problems the city faces is creating a unified vision for the future. A consultant suggested years ago that the city motto should be — Spokane Valley, the city with no heart. There is a lot of truth in the suggestion. The city has one of the longest downtown commercial districts in the country, runningfrom the outskirts of Liberty Lake at Ridgeline High School to the Spokane city limits 9 miles to the west. One way to improve this problem would be to recreate historic districts within in the city. Most residents recognize the old neighborhood names, Opportunity, Veradale, Trentwood, Greenacres, etc. If each city council member would adopt a traditional neighborhood, commit to one neighborhood meeting a month, and report back to the council, a unique social network could be created. It would be an effortless way to give citizens a stake in what is happening in the city. It is my belief that there are many ways to solve the city's problems. It is something every citizen should help solve. Next year the city will begin revisingthe comprehensive land use plan which maps out the vision for Spokane Valley. There wilt be workshops and hearings where anyone can express their opinions. I urge everyone to take part as much as their time will allow. This is truly the only way to take back control and guide our future.