Plan commission advances Excelsior wellness development agreement to hearing after staff workshop

The Spokane Plan Commission voted July 9 to advance a draft development agreement for the Excelsior wellness project to a public hearing after a detailed staff workshop and questions from commissioners and members of the applicant team. The workshop covered draft terms the city and applicant are still negotiating, including a schematic site plan, circulation and access on Indian Trail, water and wastewater needs, cultural-resource surveys for undisturbed areas and a list of prohibited uses.

The agreement responds to a condition in ordinance C-36613 that accompanied the commission and council approval of a comprehensive plan amendment. Kevin Fred, city planning staff, told commissioners this development agreement is a “contract that we're negotiating” and emphasized that the commission was not relitigating the comprehensive plan amendment previously approved by city council: “We're not relitigating the comprehensive plan amendment. It's approved. This is a condition of that amendment.”

Commissioners focused on several technical areas that staff said would be addressed in the development agreement or later during permit review. Staff said the agreement will require a schematic site plan showing likely locations for multifamily, single-family and any community-business uses; a…