Julie Happy, 509.625.7773, jhappy@spokanecity.org
Tuesday, May 3, 2016 at 9:06 a.m.
This month, Spokane City Council will consider an ordinance that would suspend the acceptance of applications to amend parts of the City’s Comprehensive Plan for the 2016/2017 amendment cycle. The temporary suspension would allow City planners to complete the 2017 Periodic Update to the plan.
The Comprehensive Plan can be updated only once a year, with certain exceptions, including emergencies. In a typical year, the City allows citizens, property owners, and City departments to request amendments to the maps or text of the comprehensive plan.
The proposed ordinance would suspend those requests for the current cycle until completion of the City’s Comprehensive Plan 2017 Periodic Update, which is required by state law (RCW 36.70A.130). The Periodic Update must comply with requirements of the Growth Management Act (GMA), so City planners are working diligently to ensure that happens by June 30, 2017, the date the update must be completed. Applications to amend the Comprehensive Plan suspended this year would be become part of the 2017/2018 amendment cycle.
The ordinance has been scheduled for City Council action on May 9.
