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