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Property owners at Fish Lake tell Spokane County commissioners they were denied ADA access and easement rights
Summary
During the open public forum several Fish Lake property owners urged the commissioners to grant an easement and restore access to private shoreline property, saying disabled veterans and nearby owners lack ADA access via the park’s boat launch and alleging inconsistent enforcement and a denied easement request.
Speakers at the Feb. 18 Spokane County open public forum raised an access dispute at Fish Lake, asking the Board of County Commissioners to reconsider an easement denial and to address what they described as unequal treatment of disabled property owners.
Michael Steven Morrow, who identified himself as a “100% disabled combat veteran,” told commissioners he and other shoreline property owners had been denied easement access to private property on the Fish Lake shoreline and accused Spokane County Parks and Recreation, Spokane County Building and Planning, and the Board of Commissioners of colluding to “refuse disabled combat veterans equal access under the law to Fish Lake.” Morrow identified the parcel number as 23051.9005 and said the Fish Lake Regional Park boat launch is not ADA accessible. “Commissioner French falsely stated that these disabled persons had ample access … via the Fish Lake Regional Park boat launch, knowing full well the boat launch is not ADA accessible,” Morrow said.
William D. Hanson Jr., a neighboring property owner who said he holds a legal easement on the north side of the disputed county access road, said public testimony at a prior meeting appeared to be an orchestrated smear campaign and described steps he has taken to access his property after another neighbor constructed an unlawful gate. Hanson told commissioners Morrow has an “environmentally responsible” plan and asked the board to grant Morrow’s easement request so he “can enjoy his property like everybody else does on Fish Lake.”
Morrow told the board he provided photos, a certified wetland study, JARPA and SEPA materials he said cost over $4,000 and argued county staff and the board had mischaracterized potential wildlife and road impacts. He also said the other easement owner has the same easement he requested and that no damage to wildlife or roads resulted from his proposed access.
The comments were made during the meeting’s open public forum and were not tied to a specific agenda action on the record. Commissioners did not take immediate action during the forum; no vote or formal direction appears in the transcript. County staff or commissioners may follow up with the commenters, but the record contains the speakers’ allegations and materials they said they submitted.
