Spokane County holds workshop on comprehensive plan update, emphasizes placemaking and climate resilience

Spokane County Planning staff and outside consultants held a public workshop in Otis Orchards where they walked residents through the county's comprehensive-plan update process, described a new required climate element and tested local preferences for neighborhood design.

County planning staff framed the meeting around shaping future urban growth areas (UGAs) and improving "how you build a sense of community," asking participants to weigh in on design choices and priorities through live polling and map exercises.

The workshop matters because Spokane County must update its comprehensive plan under the state Growth Management Act; the plan sets land-use policy, future UGA boundaries and implementing zoning that will guide development for the next planning cycle. County staff said the work will feed into a steering committee of elected officials and ultimately to the county board for adoption.

"How do you make a neighborhood instead of a subdivision?" asked the county…