Liberty Lake staff present housing element draft; say city has capacity for projected growth to 22,000

City planning staff on May 20 asked the Liberty Lake City Council to publish a working draft of the housing and community services element of the comprehensive plan and begin outreach with partner agencies and the public.

The draft — developed with the planning commission and consultants — projects the city’s population reaching about 22,000 during the planning period and a total housing need of roughly 5,300 units between 2020 and 2046, of which about 1,000 units have already been built since 2020, staff said.

Nut graf: Staff told the council a land-capacity analysis shows existing entitled parcels and pipeline development provide enough room to meet projected housing needs without expanding the urban growth area, but state law requires several code changes — including updated allowances for accessory dwelling units (ADUs), co-living, and other housing forms — that the city must adopt by the deadlines set in Commerce guidance.

Community-development staffer Lisa Key summarized required and recommended code changes and policy updates. “One of the things I have to say is that when we look at this projected housing need, 60% of that is based upon projected growth. 40% of that is addressing cost-burdened households,” Key said. She highlighted required legislative changes such as allowances for duplexes in certain low-density zones, expanded ADU options, and code revisions Commerce’s guidance requires the city to adopt by stated deadlines.

The draft includes a racially disparate impacts assessment required by recent state guidance; Key said Liberty Lake has a lower share of BIPOC households than Spokane County and that the city’s greatest affordability concerns are rental- and mobile-home stock in the River District. “Displacement risk is generally low,” she said, while urging council to prioritize measures that reduce barriers to affordability and speed pipeline housing to market.

Staff requested permission to share the draft with utility and service partners — Avista, sewer and water purveyors, and emergency services — and to begin community outreach at events including the farmers market and a planned virtual open house. Lisa Key said staff would submit the draft to the Washington Department of Commerce for review and expected some model-rule updates to require additional technical work.

Councilmembers asked clarifying questions about ADUs (size, parking, and whether homeowner-association covenants can preclude ADUs) and cottage-cluster housing; staff said existing rules allow some forms of attached townhouses and cottage styles but recommended clearer standards and explicit code language to reduce uncertainty.

Ending: Council gave no formal objections to staff moving the draft forward for partner review and public engagement. Staff said they will schedule targeted outreach and return to council with proposed code amendments and implementation strategies later in the year.