Spokane City Council dismisses neighbor appeal over Victory Heights preliminary plat, citing SEPA jurisdiction limits

The Spokane City Council on July 1, 2025, granted motions to dismiss an appeal of the Victory Heights preliminary plat, concluding the appellants’ arguments are within the scope of a State Environmental Policy Act (SEPA) mitigated determination of nonsignificance and therefore beyond the council’s jurisdiction.

The ruling follows oral argument from attorneys for the applicant, Victory Heights Investments, and the city, and extended testimony from appellants Stefan Harvey and Steve Barrett, who live on and near Thorpe Road and argued the plat approval rested on incomplete traffic and infrastructure information.

The council’s action came after the parties filed preliminary motions and asked the council to decide whether the appeal could proceed. Timothy Fisher, assistant city attorney, told the council the motions seek dismissal on procedural grounds because the matters the appellants raise are “mainly about SEPA decisions” and “so intertwined with SEPA issues” that the council lacks jurisdiction to consider them anew. Duanna Koloshkova, attorney for applicant Victory Heights Investments, argued that the record and the hearing examiner’s mitigated determination and stipulated mitigation with the Washington State Department of…