Projects

2019/2020 Proposed Comprehensive Plan Amendments

What's Happening Now:

In October 2019, the City of Spokane accepted applications for proposed amendments to the Comprehensive Plan. During that period the City received six applications for amendments to map LU-1, Land Use Plan Map. Additionally, three city-sponsored amendments to maps TR-5, Proposed Bike Network Map, and TR-12, Arterial Network Map and a text amendment to Chapter 4, Transportation, regarding safety at railroad crossings are proposed. All proposed amendments are summarized in the following table:

The Spokane Plan Commission held a public hearing on all nine proposed applications on September 9 and 23, 2020.  The Plan Commission’s Findings and Conclusions are available in each of the individual project pages, linked in the table above.  The Spokane City Council held a hearing on these nine applications on Monday, November 23.  During that hearing, the City Council reached a decision on eight of the nine applications, remanding Z19-502COMP back to the Plan Commission to consider possible modification of the proposal.  The Spokane Plan Commission held a second public hearing regarding Z19-502COMP on December 9, 2020, modifying their recommendation on the application.  City Council then concluded their hearing on the applications on December 14, 2020.  The 2019/2020 work program is now concluded.  The disposition of each application is as follows:

• Z19-499COMP – Liberty Avenue: Approved (PDF 593 KB)
• Z19-501COMP – Nevada & Decatur: Denied
• Z19-502COMP – 29th & Ray: Approved with Modifications
• Z19-503COMP – 53rd Avenue: Denied
• Z19-504COMP – 8th Avenue: Approved (PDF 547 KB)
• Z19-505COMP – 10th Avenue: Denied
• Z20-019COMP – TR-5 Amendments: Approved (PDF 566 KB)
• Z20-042COMP – TR-12 Amendments: Approved (PDF 542 KB)
• Z20-045COMP – Railroad Crossing Safety Text Amendment: Approved (PDF 578 KB)

Background

The City of Spokane accepts applications to amend the text or maps in the Comprehensive Plan between September 1 and October 31 of each year, per SMC 17G.020. All complete applications received will be reviewed by a city council subcommittee and those placed on the Annual Comprehensive Plan Amendment Work Program for the City of Spokane will begin full review early in the calendar year. Anyone may make a proposal to amend the City's Comprehensive Plan.

The City of Spokane's Comprehensive Plan addresses many facets of city life, including land use, transportation, capital facilities, housing, economic development, natural environment and parks, neighborhoods, social health, urban design, historic preservation, and leadership. The City of Spokane is committed to conducting an annual process to consider amendments to the comprehensive plan. The GMA specifies that amendments to a comprehensive plan cannot be made more frequently than once per year. The purpose for this is two-fold: it gives the plan stability over time, avoiding spontaneous changes in response to development pressures, and it groups all proposed amendments in a common process for consideration, providing the opportunity to examine their collective effects on the plan.

Following review by City Council, who sets the Annual Comprehensive Plan Amendment Work Program, Plan Commission consideration of each amendment proposal on the Work Program will be conducted at public workshops held during the public comment period, typically in the summer. Applicants will be afforded the opportunity to address the Plan Commission during the workshop regarding their application. The City Council considers the amendment proposals, staff report, and Plan Commission's amendment recommendations within the context of its budget discussions, and acts on the amendment proposals prior to or at the same time as it adopts the City budget, usually late fall. If you have any questions or concerns regarding the Comprehensive Plan Amendment process, please contact Kevin Freibott at kfreibott@spokanecity.org or by phone at 509.625.6184.

Related Documents

• Summary of All Applications (PDF 28.9 MB)
• Presentation to City Council Study Session (PDF 7.4 MB)
• Signed Ad Hoc Committee Findings of Fact – Threshold Applications (PDF 165 KB)
• Application Information Packet – Threshold Applications (PDF 12.9 MB)