Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
County staff say Spokane County lacks zoned capacity for projected housing growth; planners outline options
Summary
County staff presented draft land capacity and housing-allocation analyses showing a large shortfall in housing capacity under current zoning and identified zoning changes, incentives and infrastructure planning as possible responses.
Spokane County planning staff told the county Planning Commission that draft land capacity analyses show the county and its urban growth areas do not have enough zoned capacity under current rules to accommodate state population and housing allocations.
The presentation, led by Graham (staff member) and followed by Tate (county planner) and Director Scott Chesney, compared the Office of Financial Management medium projection allocations with local land-capacity results and with allocations from the state Housing for All planning tool (HAPS) maintained by the Washington State Department of Commerce. "We have capacity for 11,062 units, whereas we are allocated 17,142 units," Graham said when walking commissioners through the draft county figures.
Why it matters: the comparison showed a sizable shortfall in dwelling-unit and population capacity when current zoning and development patterns are held constant. The gap — officials said — will shape the county's alternatives for the comprehensive-plan Environmental Impact Statement and will drive discussion about whether to increase allowable housing types, add mixed-use zoning, or pursue other measures such as incentives…
Already have an account? Log in
Subscribe to keep reading
Unlock the rest of this article — and every article on Citizen Portal.
- Unlimited articles
- AI-powered breakdowns of topics, speakers, decisions, and budgets
- Instant alerts when your location has a new meeting
- Follow topics and more locations
- 1,000 AI Insights / month, plus AI Chat
