Projects

Building Opportunity for Housing – Comprehensive Plan Amendment

Application Number: Z23-112COMP

Areas Affected: All Properties Designated for Residential Development

Neighborhoods: All

Proposed Amendments: Text Amendments to Chapter 3, Land Use (PDF 622 KB)

Proposal Description

The City of Spokane is proposing various amendments to Chapter 3, Land Use, Land Use of the City’s Comprehensive Plan with the intent of encouraging and easing development of middle housing in Spokane. Pursuant to the findings of the City’s Housing Action Plan, and as called for in Revised Code of Washington (RCW) 36.70A.600, the City intends to amend the Comprehensive Plan to increase the types of housing that may be accommodated and expected in residential land use plan areas throughout the City while accounting for and minimizing impacts to adjacent uses.

The City of Spokane proposes to amend the text of Chapter 3, Land Use, as follows:

1. Text amendments to the vision and values section in Chapter 3, clarifying the intended relationship between low-intensity residential areas and a mix of housing types;
2. Text amendments to Policies LU 1.3 and LU 1.4, clarifying that middle housing types (up to 6 units per lot) are appropriate within low-intensity residential areas in the City and outlining topics which should be considered during any future land use or zoning changes that might increase the intensity of a given residential area in the city;
3. Text amendments to the land use plan map designations described in the chapter, changing the descriptors from density (units per acre) to low-, medium-, and high-intensity residential uses; and
4. Updates to land use labels on the Land Use Plan Map (map LU-1) to match the updated land uses described in item 3 above.

More details on this proposal can be found under "Related Documents" below.

What's Happening Now

The Spokane City Council voted unanimously on July 31, 2023 to adopt Ordinance C36414, approving the proposed amendments to the Comprehensive Plan. Within the next 30 days updates will be made to the online Comprehensive Plan accordingly. Until then, please refer to the Plan Commission Recommended Proposal (PDF 477 KB) below to see the adopted changes.

Now that the Comprehensive Plan amendments have been adopted, work will continue on permanent changes to the Spokane Municipal Code, implementing the vision for housing development described by the Comprehensive Plan changes. For more details on that process, please see the main Building Opportunity for Housing page.

Related Documents

• Plan Commission Findings and Recommendation (PDF 290 KB)
• Plan Commission Recommended Proposal (PDF 477 KB)
• Staff Report (PDF 8.3 MB)
• SEPA Determination (PDF 395 KB)
• Notice of Application (PDF 132 KB)
• Housing Journey Survey Results (PDF 718 KB)
• Request for Agency/Department Comments (PDF 513 KB)
• SEPA Environmental Checklist (PDF 279 KB)
• Full Project Description (PDF 137 KB)
• Currently Adopted Chapter 3 (PDF 5.1 MB)
• Currently Adopted Land Use Plan Map (PDF 2.9 MB)
• In Depth Comprehensive Plan Analysis (PDF 583 KB)

Frequently Asked Questions

What is "middle housing?"

Middle housing is a term often used to describe low-intensity residential development that fills the gap between single-family detached homes and multi-family development like apartments. Typically defined as between 2 and 6 units per site, middle housing types include duplexes, triplexes, fourplexes, and other housing types like courtyard apartments, stacked flats, and other low-intensity multi-unit developments. When built with the surrounding neighborhood and existing nearby uses in mind, middle housing types can often incorporate well into existing neighborhoods, even those primarily containing single-family detached houses.

Why is this Comprehensive Plan Amendment being proposed?

As part of the approval of the City’s Housing Action Plan, both City Council and the Mayor’s office made certain recommendations for future actions that are intended to make middle housing development easier in the City (1-6 units per site). Those recommendations called for the development of changes to the Municipal Code and Comprehensive Plan that could be made to help ease development of this type of low-intensity residential development. While significant parts of the Comprehensive Plan already support mixed densities, housing types, and affordability in all Spokane’s neighborhoods , some adjustment is necessary in the Comprehensive Plan and Municipal Code to accommodate middle housing types in more areas throughout the city.
This proposal is the first of two phases seeking to answer the needs of residents for more housing diversity and choice. The first phase seeks to amend the Comprehensive Plan (see above). Once Phase I is complete, the City intends to propose Phase 2—a series of proposed amendments to the Spokane Municipal Code implementing the changes made to the Comprehensive Plan. Project File Z23-112COMP represents Phase I of this project only.

What is the overall timeline for this proposal?

The City has completed a 14-day agency/department comment period, and has now begun a 30-day public comment period, ending June 7. During the public comment period, two workshops will be held with Plan Commission to finalize the proposed changes. Once the public comment period is complete, staff intends to bring the finalized changes to the Plan Commission for a hearing, expected in June 2023. Once Plan Commission holds their hearing the proposal would then be brought before the City Council for a final decision, expected in July 2023. Announcements of each step along the way will be made on this page.

Will this proposal mean I have to move or demolish my home?

Absolutely not. The Comprehensive Plan is a 20-year vision for the City of Spokane built through intense coordination and conversation with the residents and employees living and working in the City. The current project seeks to increase the options available for future development but would not impel anyone to redevelop their property or to demolish existing homes or structures. Rather the proposal provides a shape and intent for future development, only if and when a property owner seeks to redevelop or develop.

What is the new state law concerning "Middle Housing?" How does it affect this proposal?

The WA State Bill that has been mentioned in the news lately is House Bill 1110. The bill has now passed the State legislature, and has been signed into law by the Governor. While the bill does address many of the same topics as the Building Opportunity for Housing project and this proposal, the City has until our next major Comprehensive Plan update in 2026 to fully comply with the new law. The proposed comprehensive plan amendment begins the City's journey towards compliance with this new law, but more work in the realm of housing diversity may be required by 2026 to fully comply with this law. Look for updates on www.shapingspokanehousing.com as the City continues to evaluate and comply with this new law.