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Council approves first readings to vacate two alleys for Chick‑fil‑A site and mixed‑income housing
Summary
Council approved first readings, subject to conditions, for two street vacations: a Chick‑fil‑A proposal to vacate part of an alley for a drive‑through and a 45‑unit mixed‑income housing project that requires vacating Grace Avenue; both approvals include conditions to protect utilities and stormwater.
The Spokane City Council approved first-reading actions to vacate two public right‑of‑way segments to accommodate private development: a parcel for a proposed Chick‑fil‑A restaurant and a larger vacation requested by Excelsior Wellness to build a 45‑unit mixed‑income housing project.
Eldon Brown, city planning/street staff, summarized the Chick‑fil‑A request (H‑1): the applicant is seeking vacation of the west 150 feet of an alley between Mission and Sinto from Ruby to Pearl to accommodate a double‑lane drive‑through with access off Mission and Sinto. Brown said an aging sanitary sewer — a clay tile line installed circa 1909 — runs in the alley; the city will require either replacement or a cured‑in‑place relining of the west 50 feet of the sewer before final vacation.
Brown said utilities including Lumen/CenturyLink, Zayo, Vista and the city would need easements retained over the vacated area; the applicant would pay $44,240 for the vacated land. The city also said it would not encourage new driveway access onto Ruby because of the state's bus rapid transit project along that corridor.
On the Grace Avenue vacation (H‑2), Brown said Excelsior Wellness needs the right‑of‑way to build a 45‑unit mixed‑income development; without the vacation the site could accommodate only about 24 units. He said two water mains run in Grace Avenue (a transmission main and a ductile‑iron main) and would need protected easements, and that Vista has electrical facilities that must be relocated or placed under easement. The proponent would pay $125,328.89 for the land being vacated. Brown said the city is requiring a pedestrian/bicycle connection to a nearby park as a condition; the final location of that easement will be negotiated as the final site plan is completed.
Public comments were mixed. Justin Haller, a resident of District 1, said he opposed the Chick‑fil‑A vacation only because of concerns about traffic impacts at that location and the planned closure of one traffic lane for the state's bus rapid transit project. Another District 1 resident voiced support for the Chick‑fil‑A proposal and said traffic impacts usually subside after a new restaurant opens.
Council members moved to close the hearings and then approved both vacations on first reading, subject to the conditions outlined by staff: retaining or relocating utilities with easements, completing required sewer repairs or relining for the Chick‑fil‑A site, maintaining access or relocation agreements for a billboard at Ruby Street, and securing pedestrian/bicycle access and stormwater controls for the Grace Avenue site. The council recorded a voice vote in favor of approval on first reading.
Why it matters: The two vacations clear regulatory hurdles for private development projects — a national quick‑service restaurant with drive‑through lanes and a mid‑scale mixed‑income housing project. Both votes were conditional: the city requires utility protections, stormwater isolation, and final site‑plan review before final ordinances and full vacation can be completed.
Next steps: Both items will return for final reading after the applicants meet the stated conditions, resolve utility easements and complete any required relocations or repairs.
