Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Comprehensive Planning topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
City outlines Plan Spokane periodic update: visioning complete, draft EIS expected this fall
Summary
City planning staff reported the visioning phase for the Plan Spokane periodic update is complete, said about 300 people participated in engagement to date, and said the city expects a draft environmental impact statement and alternatives this fall as part of a process leading to a 2026 adoption deadline extended by the state.
City planning staff briefed the committee on the periodic update to the comprehensive plan and related environmental review, describing engagement to date, required new elements and an anticipated schedule.
Why it matters: The comprehensive plan governs land‑use, housing, transportation and climate elements for the next two decades; the periodic update will set policies and land allocations that influence where the city locates housing, commercial activity and infrastructure.
Planning Director Terrell Black said the city is preparing a 20‑year comprehensive plan update under the state Growth Management Act and that the legislature extended the deadline for periodic updates to 12/31/2026. Staff reported the visioning stage has engaged roughly 300 people across online and in‑person events and that themes emerging from the public include nature and urban forestry, walkability and neighborhood commercial access. The plan will incorporate newly required climate elements and a racially disparate impacts analysis; staff said an environmental impact statement (EIS) will be prepared and that scoping and visioning input will inform draft alternatives.
Black said staff are aiming for a draft EIS in late September or early October with a preferred alternative target by January 2026 and final actions and adoption through 2026. He also described additional technical work under way including a housing forecast by income band and policy audits that inform the comp plan chapters. Staff said the plan commission has set up a subcommittee to review chapters and that several boards and commissions will be engaged during the chapter review process.
Staff noted required elements include demonstrating how the community can meet population and housing targets, updated climate provisions, and analysis of jobs and neighborhood commercial opportunities. The engagement strategy will include additional workshops and chapter‑level reviews; staff said they will post drafts and provide worksheets to guide public comment on specific policy language.
Ending: Black asked councilmembers to advise which chapters they would like early briefings on and offered to provide chapter drafts and outreach schedules as the project advances.
