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Residents urge council to require second exit, infrastructure study for Bella Lago-area subdivision
Summary
Residents from the Bella Lago homeowners association told the Liberty Lake City Council they want stronger fire-safety and wildlife protections for a proposed subdivision above their neighborhood and asked staff to verify road capacity and evacuation options before permitting more lots.
Residents of the Bella Lago subdivision pressed the Liberty Lake City Council on May 20 to slow permitting and require more infrastructure and safety analysis for a proposed development above their neighborhood.
The residents said the proposal would add about 21 lots to an existing roughly 16-lot area and that Spokane County’s 2018 road-construction standard requires a second exit for developments above 30 lots. That county standard was raised repeatedly by speakers as the primary safety benchmark they want applied before new lots move forward.
The concern was voiced during the council’s citizen-comment period by several homeowners from Bella Lago. “What we have is a development that has about 16 lots on it now, and they're requesting another 21,” said Dave Barker, identifying himself as a representative of the Bella Lago homeowners association. Barker told the council the combined total would trigger the county standard calling for a second egress.
Nut graf: Residents said their objections are practical — limited road width with steep, winding approaches, frequent recreational traffic heading to nearby parks and camping areas, and daily elk migration through the site — and asked the city and county to confirm whether the parcel’s proposed buildout complies with the second-exit requirement and whether the existing road network can safely support additional housing.
Homeowner Lisa Willickson described wildlife and access concerns, saying elk and other animals use the hillside corridor nightly and that the narrow, angular road feeds a county park that can draw heavy weekend traffic. “There will be no safe access back and forth,” Willickson said, asking the council to prioritize infrastructure before approving large new developments.
Other residents described long-term stewardship of the neighborhood road and property: Mike McDonald said homeowners had installed a gate and cleaned dumped waste after the original developer left the project; he asked the city to ensure any new developer discusses road and HOA access with existing residents. James Mortimer said a steep, winding road with blind corners would be unsafe for children riding bikes if traffic levels rise.
Residents said they have filed comments with the city’s SEPA review process and expect a public hearing; several asked staff to review the developer’s communications with the Bella Lago HOA and the sewer and water district regarding access and potential lot reconfigurations.
Ending: Councilmembers did not take formal action during the meeting; residents said they will present the same safety and wildlife concerns at the forthcoming public hearing and continue coordinating with city staff and the county on road-standards applicability.
