[{"_1":2,"_87":-5,"_88":-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],{"_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",6158205,"mediaKeyId","5460660-6bb35d5e5f5837608b797dff758488f9","parentId",5460660,"title","Plan Commission recommends private street, alley and driveway clarifications; commissioners debate driveway limits","audioSeconds",4409,"startMs",4271000,"endMs",8680000,"viewUrl","/Search/View?dp=1&key=5460660-6bb35d5e5f5837608b797dff758488f9&start=4271&end=8680","thumbnailUrl","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/5460660-6bb35d5e5f5837608b797dff758488f9/thumbnail_4271000.jpg","articleUrl","/articles/6158205/Spokane/Spokane-County/Washington/Plan-Commission-recommends-private-street-alley-and-driveway-clarifications-commissioners-debate-driveway-limits","mediaUrl","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6158205-feec3136c522ae85c7c402bb989ca338/orig.mp4?Expires=1773650821&Signature=Svq4R-CfvFje9l2pyunMy1mSajinb3L~V2c21cd6fQcPUxdgUImOZlcM~XdItJgcTMWmH0HPkCm-p0VX-RzlWjgR0~sZ0zfqzFjq2LWwzbMegpkB-vodO~7pF8FnZyEX7j0yGfq2hZbHl5uA7RM5mxQFWf8M-XEz4Fwf2rYufqS45gCOJVh167H-I64ZEYYvjuFcZSMPQfxy1j1VvlgEbYvmGxV7pVQwOTBjc30i5XGIeBIS5u3CbmKD6PLD1-urZNHDkAbe4HS6lnTm2miyQ99Z-9kRI2VrVwGlJg4UZvWbHx3YhbRNMjwu1GEzrrrsMfnzr9lTEHG0XIiuDr6A-Q__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","author","Spokane City, WA","date","2025-07-24T02:16:26Z","article","The Spokane Plan Commission on July 23 recommended City Council adopt revisions to code sections governing private streets, alleys and shared driveways, after a lengthy public comment period that highlighted safety concerns and administrative discretion.

Staff presented amendments intended to clarify definitions, permit private streets in unit-lot subdivisions, require the city engineer to designate whether a route is a street, alley or driveway, and reorganize private‑street standards for readability and transparency. The presentation noted encouragement of shared driveways in higher density housing but said the code needs clearer language because recent development projects revealed ambiguity.

Public testimony focused heavily on the Ash Place neighborhood and other infill proposals. Several residents and neighborhood advocates, including Dennis Flynn and Ann Marie Liebhaber, said dead-end shared driveways and alleys without sidewalks or hammerhead turnarounds create safety risks for children, older adults and people with disabilities. Neighbors asked the commission to preserve legislative oversight and not delegate too much authority to the city engineer.

Developers and others described administrative delays caused by unclear definitions and said reliance on private driveways has already arisen in infill projects, creating situations in which applicants were told to ask neighbors to change addresses. Commissioners and staff discussed real-world practice: unit‑lot subdivisions and certain apartment complexes sometimes use shared driveway access, and the code already contains a practice-based threshold (staff said a limit of nine users has been used administratively and is reflected in unit‑lot language).

Commissioner debate centered on whether the code should specify numeric thresholds (for example, setting a limit of parcels served by a shared driveway) and whether the engineer's decisions should carry an administrative appeals path. Commissioner Francis unsuccessfully proposed an amendment to limit shared-driveway service to \"up to 4 parcels.\" Several commissioners and staff raised concerns that a single numeric threshold could be arbitrary and could conflict with existing unit‑lot subdivision rules that reference up to nine units; staff urged a broader review as part of the comprehensive-plan/code rewrite.

The commission ultimately approved the staff-recommended ordinance text with one procedural addition: a motion to add findings of fact that document the commission's concern about definitions and the need for additional clarification of what constitutes a driveway versus a private street. The commission voted 5-1 on the motion to recommend City Council adopt the street/alley/driveway changes; one commissioner voted no.

Staff and commissioners noted this is part of a larger body of work on infill and street design that will surface again during comprehensive-plan updates and further code amendments. The commission directed staff to include language in the findings documenting concerns about driveway definitions and the differences between driveways and private streets so City Council will have those concerns on the record.

The recommendation advances to City Council for final consideration; staff said additional code cleanup may follow in later phases of the comp‑plan/code update.","mediaType","Video","parentTitle","July 23rd, 2025 Plan Commission Hearing","oneSentenceSummary","The commission voted 5-1 to recommend changes clarifying private streets, alleys and driveways, designating the city engineer as authority for approvals and discouraging dead-end alleys; commissioners and public speakers urged clearer limits on shared driveways and an appeals path.","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},6158210,"Plan Commission backs addressing-code revisions to ease infill addressing, adds safeguards",4126,134000,4260000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=5460660-6bb35d5e5f5837608b797dff758488f9&start=134&end=4260","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/5460660-6bb35d5e5f5837608b797dff758488f9/thumbnail_134000.jpg","/articles/6158210/Spokane/Spokane-County/Washington/Plan-Commission-backs-addressing-code-revisions-to-ease-infill-addressing-adds-safeguards","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6158210-53130c123f49dca81910ceb9ebcfef5e/orig.mp4?Expires=1773650821&Signature=Z696YYqk~ZUU8rBsmYA4F3Fs-UfXRO7EOWHYW~339Y5dwvM3OCWnuFagpnS-pFMPIUfySz4EYKkF4O-Pyc4PkLrg0y4hCGp5DOu6rg4sXyAZnKgxs7vtHSLZJql-ELTOWyyrzcj2IM1IAJoRXwfIPGh0tQETTniqf4vk0Z1D3ymizWGAKkpdZQEirKf74FFbnhaljUml7HdHh41y5YLwHxEcC6si0M48G4ThnkgqfFUV-1bV0ENx7Wc4wied7Ja4Hj1OVrz68Sp7Sz6Y1xmu0WBGtYx2HcAHZsJ43opbLoTJBIyhDAJ2vquvj~h05WAc4gxowHY9STRsM9-W3LHMog__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","The Spokane Plan Commission on July 23 voted unanimously to recommend that the City Council adopt revisions to the city's addressing code intended to reduce barriers to infill development and to improve clarity for emergency responders.

Commissioners and staff said the proposed amendments clarify that definitions in the addressing chapter apply only to addressing, create alternatives for assigning addresses where numeric slots are insufficient, and give the addressing administrator authority to name traveled ways where access is constrained. The commission adopted language allowing a letter suffix to be appended to an address (for example, \"118A\") and explicitly making readdressing of nearby parcels permissible only \"if no other feasible option is available.\" The changes also preserve a strong preference not to change existing addresses except as a last resort.

The code changes were presented by Director Spencer Gardner, who told the commission staff had worked with the city addressing administrator and regional partners including Spokane Fire, Spokane Police and the regional emergency communications center to make the revisions consistent with regional addressing standards. Gardner said the primary purpose of the addressing code is to facilitate prompt emergency response, to regulate display of numbers, and to provide a systematic way to identify property.

Public testimony both supported and questioned parts of the proposal. Several residents from the Ash Place neighborhood, including Dennis Flynn and Don McIntyre, said the underlying development issues in their area exposed problems in administration and urged caution about giving unfettered discretion to administrators. Developers and infill builders such as Jim Frank and Randy Palazzo described situations where applicants were delayed because staff required neighboring property owners to change their addresses, and argued that appended letters are a practical long-term fix to avoid asking neighbors to renumber.

Commission discussion focused on two tensions: (1) maintaining consistency with regional standards used by emergency communications, which generally avoid letter suffixes and favor unit and multiunit conventions; and (2) preventing a policy that would allow administrators to reorder existing addresses without strong constraints. Commissioners amended staff language to add an explicit option for a letter suffix and to make readdressing a last resort. Commissioners also debated whether \"minor deviations\" referenced in the code should be further defined; staff said the code does not currently include a specific definition and that practice relies in part on the plain-English interpretation of \"minor.\" The commission declined to require City Council approval of routine deviations from literal compliance, noting that other regional jurisdictions delegate that authority administratively.

On the motion to recommend the addressing changes to City Council, roll call produced unanimous approval of commissioners present.

The commission packet and staff presentation cite the Spokane Municipal Code and the city's comprehensive plan as the policy context for the revision; staff also referenced coordination with the regional emergency communications standards. The record before the commission includes public comment and a city-commissioned wetland study that residents cited during testimony related to separate development approvals in the Ash Place area.

The commission's recommendation will go to Spokane City Council for final action; staff said the changes are intended to remove a barrier that has delayed plats and other infill applications while keeping emergency-responder legibility central to addressing decisions.","The Spokane Plan Commission voted unanimously to recommend code changes that let the addressing administrator append letter suffixes and use multiple‑unit addressing to avoid forcing neighbors to change numbers, while making readdressing a last resort.","actionData","errors"]

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Plan Commission recommends private street, alley and driveway clarifications; commissioners debate driveway limits

Plan Commission backs addressing-code revisions to ease infill addressing, adds safeguards