Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Countywide Planning Policies Housing topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Spokane County steering committee adopts recommended countywide planning policies on housing
Summary
The Spokane County steering committee voted to adopt recommended countywide planning policies (CPP) updating affordable-housing guidance; the steering committee will forward the package to the Board of County Commissioners for final consideration.
The Spokane County Steering Committee voted to adopt recommended countywide planning policies (CPP) related to affordable housing and agreed to forward the package to the Board of County Commissioners for consideration.
Tate Andre, county planning staff, presented the CPP update and said the current draft incorporates changes made after public and technical review and that PTAC recommended approval. "PTAC recommends that the steering committee approve and recommend these for adoption to the board of county commissioners with consideration of the latest amendments," Andre said.
The steering committee discussed the draft briefly, opened a public hearing, received two public comments of support and then considered the motion. No substantive amendments were made at the meeting. After a motion and second, the committee recorded an affirmative vote; members voiced multiple "aye" responses and the chair declared the motion carried.
Why it matters: the CPPs provide countywide policy guidance intended to make local comprehensive-plan elements more consistent with recent state housing legislation and Growth Management Act requirements. The adopted language retains "may" for strategies and uses "should" where the policy is intended as a recommendation, a change the staff said was intended to preserve discretionary flexibility for jurisdictions.
What was said and next steps: Andre and staff told the committee the draft version 5 was posted January 14 and summarized the staff and PTAC deliberations, noting the steering committee had previously deferred final wording to accommodate legal definitions. Public comment at the hearing included expressions of appreciation for the reconsideration and the subcommittee's work. The steering committee voted to adopt the recommended CPPs and will forward the adopted recommendation to the Board of County Commissioners for its consideration and any final action.
No effective date or adoption ordinance was specified during the steering committee meeting; the steering committee action was a recommendation to the county commission.
Ending: The steering committee moved on to additional agenda items. The committee plans to continue related hearings and review work on other CPP elements, including climate and resiliency, at future meetings.
