[{"_1":2,"_99":-5,"_100":-5},"loaderData",{"_3":4,"_26":27},"root",{"_5":6,"_17":10,"_18":19,"_20":21,"_22":10,"_23":-5,"_24":-5,"_25":10},"user",{"_7":8,"_9":10,"_11":10,"_12":-5,"_13":-5,"_14":15,"_16":-5},"roles",[],"isAuthenticated",false,"isPremium","planName","subscriptionStatus","featureFlags",{},"insightsBudget","isDevelopmentHost","userPreferences",{},"recaptchaSiteKey","6LcvOJcUAAAAAHsB-gPGfGktcRlKpH7OTIU_dMTD","isImpersonating","impersonation","affiliateStatus","isFreedomPortal","routes/v2/article/layout",{"_28":29,"_30":31},"notFound",true,"relatedArticles",[32,75,87],{"_33":34,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":40,"_41":42,"_43":44,"_45":46,"_47":48,"_49":50,"_51":52,"_53":54,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":60,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":66,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},"mediaId",6306551,"mediaKeyId","2437367-09d219fa3f0d55d3ffc833a77d41d9a5","parentId",2437367,"title","Votes at a glance: Liberty Lake Planning Commission procedural motions, Feb. 26, 2025","audioSeconds",748,"startMs",56000,"endMs",804588,"viewUrl","/Search/View?dp=1&key=2437367-09d219fa3f0d55d3ffc833a77d41d9a5&start=56&end=804","thumbnailUrl","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2437367-09d219fa3f0d55d3ffc833a77d41d9a5/thumbnail_56000.jpg","articleUrl","/articles/6306551/Liberty-Lake/Spokane-County/Washington/Votes-at-a-glance-Liberty-Lake-Planning-Commission-procedural-motions-Feb-26-2025","mediaUrl","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6306551-e6aa7519b654f64a50bbda2b60574183/orig.mp4?Expires=1776170437&Signature=UmjifUndErjGXrpa5aPskX4rQGnv7-iYh0Oac-l72BrG~okBOdwWPJ641lO6bq7a4~P82xe6VeAA5kQR3cPdHbkQ2ri2KxHwpzk6bZBgWrVTOEGIiGgs4X0rsWVDPYFlwKrgyGgHCU1uwEtHeCcsuO4xNEF5Z8YadcfUomFZ-40RmsXW5SqBhzlN8OpjZWPmkMtGV5JIU5IQ-vAGzOdPwmTJPYB220dz3GNY6zy60grjR4548HbZMbOiVv0vyAJCBdnDXQEvzEd04QFUIASBVrpPnTm0fRyCEvDmUpqnXdpSsX1aTRqn4vY2MjksIVArgkd2qs0FdhjIqjeJfQBv~g__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","author","Liberty Lake City, WA","date","2025-02-27T21:41:13Z","article","At the Feb. 26 Liberty Lake Planning Commission meeting, the body took several routine procedural actions by voice vote during opening and closing business.

Early in the meeting commissioners moved and seconded to excuse Commissioner Dale Robbins; the motion passed on a voice vote. The commission then approved the agenda and approved the minutes from the Feb. 12 meeting by voice vote. Near the scheduled adjournment, commissioners moved and seconded to extend the meeting by 15 minutes; the motion passed on a voice vote. The meeting concluded with a motion to adjourn, which passed on a voice vote.

Motions were procedural and taken by voice; the meeting record reports the chairman or presiding officer asking \"All in favor? Aye\" and no negative roll-call outcomes for the listed items. No substantive ordinances, resolutions or development permits were adopted during this meeting; those items remain for later hearings and staff follow-up.","mediaType","Video","parentTitle","Planning Commission - February 27, 2025","oneSentenceSummary","The commission approved routine procedural items by voice vote and unanimously agreed to extend and adjourn the meeting; motions were taken for excusing an absent commissioner, approving the agenda and minutes, extending the meeting and adjourning.","taxTitle","Liberty Lake, Spokane County, Washington","taxId",52172,"location","headline","","shortSummary",{"_33":76,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":77,"_41":78,"_43":79,"_45":80,"_47":81,"_49":82,"_51":83,"_53":84,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":85,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":86,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},6306554,"Liberty Lake planners debate ADUs, cottage housing, density and parking as state housing rules loom",5222,1952000,7174000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=2437367-09d219fa3f0d55d3ffc833a77d41d9a5&start=1952&end=7174","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2437367-09d219fa3f0d55d3ffc833a77d41d9a5/thumbnail_1952000.jpg","/articles/6306554/Liberty-Lake/Spokane-County/Washington/Liberty-Lake-planners-debate-ADUs-cottage-housing-density-and-parking-as-state-housing-rules-loom","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6306554-b5e0222e61e0db4d1d83758f4a9417b4/orig.mp4?Expires=1776170437&Signature=fpY8BJcvkXI9MPyoA7WUVs6Ei8NQJgSDkDv6SW6nb1wBgM35NDzLJx9nOqsY9kITg5aOfE3ancKPiGN1Oqalq2gkmHHc00odiH-9OWb7KQLB8z67T53jyggLA92tl~TlfylwNNVoH5xgSqT3Hlc1SttIHazfOxlWZBYLL3HJKdaEnhTPPoG~8PtX4DeLBkB3xkXBMzbegHO4PzCfu39xzm14gwdBtScFqjpIO7AnRpzM2KZ01yXgSl98R8xy0dmraCqZMS7K0vE~DxtQn8zOxFDCMFx9O4F0GgNQniY6LLG0AXe~FuJewGZU53L071JlEqa74ugltNKXASzh9NxLSw__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","At a Feb. 26 Liberty Lake Planning Commission workshop, city staff and the commission discussed a slate of recommended housing-pol icy updates drawn from the Washington Department of Commerce's guidance and the city's housing action plan.

Sharifa (city planner) presented 16 optional policy recommendations and said the meeting would focus on recommendations rather than state-mandated requirements: \"The last time we met, we talked about a set of policies. Some of them were required, by state law, and some of them were merely recommendations. So what we're going to focus on today is just the recommendations,\" she said.

Staff proposed expanding allowable housing forms in selected zones to include tiny homes, cottage housing clusters and co-living developments, and to add objective standards where definitions exist but regulations do not. Commissioners debated where such options should be permitted; several commissioners opposed extending new forms into established single-family R-1 neighborhoods. Commissioner Phil Feuer said, \"I would offer from the get go that you cannot, you should not, we should not allow this overlay over the existing R 1 District in Liberty Lake.\" Staff noted cottage housing is already contemplated in parts of the River District and that Commerce expects tier-3 cities to allow certain middle-housing configurations.

On density, staff recommended increasing the maximum density for attached housing in R-2 from 12 to 16 dwelling units per acre to allow products such as two-story stacked flats. Commissioners noted that the 35 acres west of Ridgeline High School and some River District parcels could be affected.

Accessory dwelling unit (ADU) rules drew sustained discussion. Staff outlined state requirements that, if the city does not adopt compliant local standards by the statutory deadline, Commerce's default rules will apply: \"If our code by that specific deadline is not compliant, Commerce's rules go into effect, and that becomes our zoning ordinance,\" Lisa (city staff) said. Commissioners generally favored limiting additional ADU allowances on duplexes and middle housing to the state-minimum approach (one ADU with middle housing, two ADUs for single-family lots) and supported removing special ADU-only design requirements.

The commission reviewed several other recommendations: relaxing the one-to-one commercial-to-residential square-foot ratio for vertical mixed-use projects so that a single ground-floor commercial level can support multiple residential floors above; removing minimum-size and multi-section requirements for manufactured homes to enable smaller manufactured or \"tiny\" homes; converting subjective design-review processes to objective, administrative review for most residential developments to improve predictability; and tailoring parking requirements (including lower parking mandates for permanent supportive and emergency housing).

Commissioners asked staff to develop clearer model language and to return with draft ordinance text for public outreach. Staff noted statutory deadlines for adopting certain housing-element changes and advised the commission that where the city chooses not to customize anti-displacement or housing details, Commerce's default rules will apply after the compliance deadline.

The commission did not adopt final decisions on optional items during the workshop; staff said they would prepare Liberty Lake-specific draft policies and code language for further commission review and public engagement.","City staff and the commission discussed 16 recommended housing-policy changes from the Department of Commerce guidance including allowing tiny homes, cottage housing, co-living, ADU rules, higher R-2 densities, parking adjustments, and eased standards for permanent supportive housing.",{"_33":88,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":89,"_41":90,"_43":91,"_45":92,"_47":93,"_49":94,"_51":95,"_53":96,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":97,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":98,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},6306559,"Consultants outline Liberty Lake sign-code update, stress content neutrality and context-sensitive rules",1300,145000,1445000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=2437367-09d219fa3f0d55d3ffc833a77d41d9a5&start=145&end=1445","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2437367-09d219fa3f0d55d3ffc833a77d41d9a5/thumbnail_145000.jpg","/articles/6306559/Liberty-Lake/Spokane-County/Washington/Consultants-outline-Liberty-Lake-sign-code-update-stress-content-neutrality-and-context-sensitive-rules","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6306559-1093c4a3914985432b078e5d39ec70cd/orig.mp4?Expires=1776170437&Signature=O0NrvzFKRulf4Br9cYkjRI4rsf6ueJ0lvSmaBIlIUiSM47IZ8nnwgHNWCZwxlAnKnXyV-lJB9dx2cr1zxMO5HRKBncYQm2beLMAIA4zSM3kiGCbl8sY-AwfyA-ERyjPxQBW-hKGNj70ChPDskEXsmJ-zaq1YMsu9EhaYlsZ1wv03XuYGJ3lsau~oCgJxSBDTSSVsYp2QNoT4udAlrfu~iTu39Afy7bXAc-Re5sD-RYrmen3cWUhIqWV9AGBlhkGH8UgyAH4SwpjJOwcfgXs8yv4Dz-NBkP08Ls0f~F~aV6yZs26mGVjcHSNwfYPQWkKCEFdXQjevIaPYlAkBb8hEEQ__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","At the Feb. 26 meeting of the Liberty Lake Planning Commission, consulting planners led a workshop on revisions to the city's sign code, saying the update will clarify how signs are regulated while complying with recent legal rulings.

Firdress Oniza, who said she goes by Oniza and identified herself as project manager for the sign-code effort with BART Consulting, opened the presentation and framed the project's purpose: \"the purpose of your sign code is, to enhance the visual environment of the city, also to protect public health, safety, and welfare, and, effectively communicate.\" Michelle Ellsworth, a consultant assisting on the project, described technical standards the team is reviewing, including Federal Highway Administration guidance on legibility and letter height.

The consultants told the commission they are reviewing the code through a content-neutral lens required by court precedent; Oniza said that approach focuses on sign type and structure rather than the message displayed. The consultants also distinguished commercial signage (storefronts, blade/awning/window signs) from noncommercial signs (public information, issue advocacy) and recommended explicitly separating rules for those two categories.

Commissioners and staff pressed the consultants on practical points. The presentation flagged recurring concerns raised by local stakeholders: inconsistent definitions of monument signs (campus versus multi-business), unclear square-footage formulas for wall and window signs (including an ambiguous 20% \"window bonus\"), temporary real-estate and construction signs, multi-phase development signage and off-premise signage during public-works projects.

Oniza proposed clearer, consolidated rules for monument signs and suggested a new midterm permit category for long phasing of development: \"maybe we would have a midterm, long range, temporary sign that would require renewal every 3 years or something like that,\" she said when describing options discussed with stakeholders.

The consultants emphasized context-based standards — pedestrian-scale signs in mixed-use areas and larger, higher-mounted signs for high-speed roadways. Ellsworth noted readability research: at about 35 mph a driver can typically read six to eight words across three lines of copy, which informs letter-height and sign-area guidance for arterial corridors.

Lisa (city staff) summarized stakeholders who attended earlier-day meetings, saying Liberty Lake businesses, a developer, a sign company, The Hub, an events representative and design-review members participated. Staff said consultants will prepare a draft sign code for staff and commission review this spring and early summer.

The presentation also introduced place-making signage and wayfinding as distinct conversations; consultants recommended treating wayfinding as a separate program focused on public-purpose signage and special districts.

Next steps: the consultants will draft code language that clarifies measurements (primary vs. secondary wall), temporary-sign timelines, off-premise allowances tied to public works, and objective standards to maintain community character while improving predictability for businesses and developers.","Consultants from BART Consulting and Michelle Ellsworth presented a draft approach to updating Liberty Lake's sign code, emphasizing content neutrality, pedestrian versus vehicular context, temporary-sign rules and clearer definitions for monument and development signage.","actionData","errors"]

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Votes at a glance: Liberty Lake Planning Commission procedural motions, Feb. 26, 2025

Liberty Lake planners debate ADUs, cottage housing, density and parking as state housing rules loom

Consultants outline Liberty Lake sign-code update, stress content neutrality and context-sensitive rules