[{"_1":2,"_110":-5,"_111":-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",[32,75,87,99],{"_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",6208668,"mediaKeyId","3742457-75ae2633720695f2f197a90eaf3a9880","parentId",3742457,"title","Council approves amendment easing size limits for small-scale commercial uses in PUDs","audioSeconds",410,"startMs",1474000,"endMs",1884000,"viewUrl","/Search/View?dp=1&key=3742457-75ae2633720695f2f197a90eaf3a9880&start=1474&end=1884","thumbnailUrl","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/3742457-75ae2633720695f2f197a90eaf3a9880/thumbnail_1474000.jpg","articleUrl","/articles/6208668/Spokane/Spokane-County/Washington/Council-approves-amendment-easing-size-limits-for-small-scale-commercial-uses-in-PUDs","mediaUrl","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6208668-5d79766a9a28fe3d9981a76b35bf5c70/orig.mp4?Expires=1773732473&Signature=lToQY~umkhO3OuZPRNZLKp~2dmFJcmC5LSSjfHIXBvKLWR19uE8Hh-t3VuB4cClIOfuzF7tnhPDlpjcur-Ty2eS3mNM~XG5jI57l3AOAIDlaSLuMFiKEnw~1i~aD8kNq7gmGRmL2sDXJoueMzMELpV7Dvl7dlKEju5IC46WKUU2oAtb6TSXtv8vJJzlQsY8X~gThRa4x08HNVfH0l2GmP4zJGVh3LFdKVoV922jJ1bzf8e8PPMT7jjoZIns-bG4hsYVmLofEtjUgkV3~~7zW8YEP4b2wXiAx1~bVTloOjvevM1cMDmA3GrEjoBl2mmlNX7QdZI9FEv4WeMnNkOr0UQ__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","author","Spokane City, WA","date","2025-06-10T18:05:49.187Z","article","The Spokane City Council on June 2 approved a motion to amend code section C36699 to change thresholds for small-scale commercial uses within planned unit developments (PUDs).

Policy Director Mr. Wright explained the amendments in the council meeting: “The biggest changes are instead of, I think it's 50 acres originally. It's now 20 acres... instead of a max of 3,500, it would be 5,000 square feet. It also removes the, the idea that outdoor seating would be, counted towards that square footage,” he said. The administration reported no formal position for or against the change and noted staff had checked for unintended conflicts with other code provisions.

Council members who commented said the changes aim to expand opportunities for small businesses and reduce barriers to entry for startups and home-based entrepreneurs. Council member Bingle described the measure as reducing barriers for small startup businesses, noting many side businesses have limited early revenue and that easing constraints could help those businesses grow. Council member Dylan asked whether the city was “blazing trails” compared with other jurisdictions; staff said the outdoor seating rule was carried forward from existing provisions in RMF and RHD zones to the R1 and R2 zones and that staff had not conducted extensive research on other cities’ thresholds.

Councilwoman Katkar described the amendment as a compromise consistent with the current comprehensive-plan language and suggested the thresholds could be revisited once comp-plan updates are adopted. Council members said the change expands the practical availability of sites because there are relatively few 50-acre parcels that fit the existing standard.

There was a motion and second; the council voted in favor by voice and the chair declared the motion approved. The amendment will appear on the code-update process and be scheduled for further readings or incorporation according to the council’s standard code amendment procedures.","mediaType","Video","parentTitle","June 9th, 2025 Spokane City Council Agenda Review Meeting","oneSentenceSummary","The Spokane City Council on June 2 approved an amendment to C36699 that lowers the PUD acreage threshold to 20 acres, raises allowed commercial square footage to 5,000 and excludes outdoor seating from the interior square-footage cap for small commercial uses.","taxTitle","Spokane, Spokane County, Washington","taxId",2644,"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},6208673,"Two applicants interview for Spokane Ethics Commission; council seeks study session on complaint process",697,771000,1468000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=3742457-75ae2633720695f2f197a90eaf3a9880&start=771&end=1468","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/3742457-75ae2633720695f2f197a90eaf3a9880/thumbnail_771000.jpg","/articles/6208673/Spokane/Spokane-County/Washington/Two-applicants-interview-for-Spokane-Ethics-Commission-council-seeks-study-session-on-complaint-process","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6208673-86dc69cf65f3a9b1b82ea417ac7fbbf9/orig.mp4?Expires=1773732473&Signature=VOtREMqTZHZCir15LOWA3fx5BsBminINB9h01c~nUh4wz4bC3iaERPRcBNyxJDCQLx3-vnySB6nOQRDjA132OSP0J1ZYUhSa~RzsFLWVtMkcetXMV6-y8sruwjYvp1iBLtIKh~lLRMbuSlcfkmJdjMO45-UyU6UmjSrjiUpMUK3RrVgZBr6BaqgijGztbge3v3C~HvhkNHa~Ting-PlLppwMkxF35D80tGKnuaYMmTEHi4c-Ap8DZXx1ovrPQ2wZi8a2SISIXc~LBEDHbPr7rf7OOnPO5QBqqkl5pe9-Ojy9XLadhZ~85pTkizFc75~RTwPPaN6ss0lVYe~UskAtuA__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","Rockwell Rudder and Dennis Looney interviewed with the Spokane City Council on June 2 as applicants for the Ethics Commission, describing different professional backgrounds and a desire to support accountability and fair process.

Rockwell Rudder said he has been a Spokane resident his whole life and described ethics as the city’s foundation: “As a public organization, like a city, we owe it to the citizens to be accountable and fair and open and transparent,” he said. Rudder said his business is an education service for craft distillery startups and that he wants to give back to the community.

Dennis Looney described roughly three-and-a-half years of residency in Spokane and a background in human resources across higher-education and private-sector roles, saying he has handled complex intake and confidentiality issues and would rely on context and existing Spokane Municipal Code provisions when assessing complaints.

Council members focused questions on how the commission should balance transparency with the risk that complaint intake could be “weaponized.” Council member Dylan asked applicants how they would “balance ... a little bit of that transparency with also ... the potential for complaints that are going to the ethics commission to be potentially weaponized,” and both applicants responded that the commission should evaluate the context of complaints, consult HR or other bodies when appropriate, and consider timeliness and conflict of interest carefully.

Council member McClitzky (transcript: McCad Hart) requested a study session to explore these concerns; the council agreed to work with staff to schedule that session. No appointments or votes were taken on June 2; both applicants were told they would hear from the administration about next steps.","Rockwell Rudder and Dennis Looney interviewed with the Spokane City Council on June 2 as applicants for the Ethics Commission, emphasizing fairness and procedural care.",{"_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},6208677,"Applicant Lee Williams describes neighborhood-focused approach for Park Board seat",479,285000,764000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=3742457-75ae2633720695f2f197a90eaf3a9880&start=285&end=764","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/3742457-75ae2633720695f2f197a90eaf3a9880/thumbnail_285000.jpg","/articles/6208677/Spokane/Spokane-County/Washington/Applicant-Lee-Williams-describes-neighborhood-focused-approach-for-Park-Board-seat","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6208677-862d1947dee2b0006d5afd599c2545c3/orig.mp4?Expires=1773732473&Signature=Omlrr2U4pxmKT4xYVNVdKMcWHNpWg2UXCLxFh3~LQ55uIx5sux3iciy741JGMl8fu66khDA7XCc3uLRyDyrql98y9Jnd6KvpemFExDkf48kxLFjjSLat1D-D~~tMU7ePb9AIKxhsVZ3MpfyhAGLThHmuOv~8n-hv0b03yCtnNAVtpaWvfOluLpRhiAfI41fJRhSH0eyiKdNKDqy7644a8hIOuCQ856in5k5YCMdn5MPo27-Yb~8EHTCoHzW8VTpWYkB~pqYtoorqkk95WkJ2P~J-SiYvxoTdJ2PaozY8R5PZvfhSMQysqKvbWPaGFy12g8blW1NNzbTU~isobO76kQ__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","Lee Williams, an applicant for a Spokane Park Board seat, told the City Council on June 2 that she has lived in Spokane since 1981 and has spent about 30 years working in the nonprofit sector, including serving as CEO of Community Minded Enterprises until retiring in 2022.

Williams said she applied to the park board to bring experience in creating “systems and spaces for children and families” and to help neighborhood groups coordinate across the city. “I actually have been here in Spokane since 1981, so I feel like Spokane is my hometown,” Williams said. She added that she has been working with the Brown's Edition Neighborhood Council and the Friends of Coeur d'Alene Park and has been meeting with other neighborhood groups, including Shiloh Hills, Audubon and Lincoln Park, to discuss park needs.

Williams described her views on camping and park access in response to council questions. She said she does not support overnight camping in parks but defended daytime use: “during the day, when people need to rest and relax in the shade, they should have the ability to do that.” She said her neighborhood (she lives across the street from Coeur d'Alene Park) has contacted the city through 311 and received outreach teams to address camping-related issues.

On a planned ordinance the council is expected to consider next week about designating portions of parks as nonpublic, Williams said she was inclined to a “positive response” but wanted more information about how such a designation would work in practice, what the parameters would be and how it could be adjusted if problems arise. She also endorsed neighborhood stewardship programs, describing the city’s volunteer brochure and the options of Adopt-a-Park or forming a friends group to gain a park liaison and more input with the city.

Council members asked about other park features and uses; Williams said she thought zip lines were “fabulous” but added she would not use one herself. Council members told Williams the council will vote on appointments in about two weeks and that the mayor’s office will follow up on next steps.

Williams’s interview was part of a block of board-and-commission interviews that evening; no appointment to the Park Board was made at the meeting.

The council discussion about this applicant will be revisited at the appointment vote scheduled after the administration’s follow-up work and mayoral recommendation.","Lee Williams, applying for a Spokane Park Board seat, told the City Council she has three decades of nonprofit management experience and emphasized neighborhood-led stewardship, support for daytime park use but not overnight camping, and outreach to create more \"Friends of\" groups and Adopt-a-Park volunteers.",{"_33":100,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":101,"_41":102,"_43":46,"_45":103,"_47":104,"_49":105,"_51":106,"_53":107,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":108,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":109,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},6208663,"Council approves OPR 2025-0418 amendment to record minutes and recusal information for Tourism, Arts and Cultural Awards",104,1988000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=3742457-75ae2633720695f2f197a90eaf3a9880&start=1884&end=1988","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/3742457-75ae2633720695f2f197a90eaf3a9880/thumbnail_1884000.jpg","/articles/6208663/Spokane/Spokane-County/Washington/Council-approves-OPR-2025-0418-amendment-to-record-minutes-and-recusal-information-for-Tourism-Arts-and-Cultural-Awards","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6208663-d8420a4e4dd4556a4d291e6d17140b8a/orig.mp4?Expires=1773732473&Signature=evzZVLbngJH2t5rhoroZ49paAIqg636gLaQErZk49nQZZyWz6QIJpgVAA~dlKvbbBWvvzTTjExGU0BFziNoDsv9v73bDszXRWJH1zbRcMIjckLTDhStgc~X1HmG3S85tIYaojvazHYiK2MEmZFIspPiasFlvCCf8HCzhuCORSOsE3UdTqdi6FfnQFIimwNbhPSXoULSSvuK3F8YhoStF9X6pN90DXNOWYsXsNTbaIJ31ubeuWWtCM8Q63obY0B3WOcQ-UfJy8tHkyMRSEdMwcU1K14hXpA231GUo0-WdFG3Qi1xRZvgXoNPtbVG1yraORWvWWMiZBLnt78IUbTyGaA__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","The Spokane City Council on June 2 approved an amendment to OPR 2025-0418 related to the Tourism, Arts and Cultural awards. According to staff presenter Mr. Deese, the amendment does not change award amounts or recipients; it replaces the existing text in the OPR with minutes from the committee’s most recent meeting to better document conflict-of-interest handling and votes.

“This amendment doesn't change any of the awards or anything like that,” Mr. Deese said. He told the council that committee minutes will reflect a recusal by one committee member who was also an applicant and that the minutes will show council member Pone as a non‑voting member of the committee.

Council moved to approve the amendment and the motion passed by voice vote. No council member recorded a roll-call vote in the transcript. The council chair declared the motion approved and staff will proceed with updating the OPR language to include the minutes and recusal record.","The council approved an amendment to OPR 2025-0418 on June 2 that replaces a section of the administrative rule with minutes from the committee’s last meeting to better document conflicts of interest and a member recusal related to one award; the amendment does not change award amounts or recipients.","actionData","errors"]

Article not found

Council approves amendment easing size limits for small-scale commercial uses in PUDs

Two applicants interview for Spokane Ethics Commission; council seeks study session on complaint process

Applicant Lee Williams describes neighborhood-focused approach for Park Board seat

Council approves OPR 2025-0418 amendment to record minutes and recusal information for Tourism, Arts and Cultural Awards