Spokane Valley planning commission recommends keeping current tower-height limits, denies code amendment

The Spokane Valley Planning Commission voted 4-1 on Oct. 23 to recommend denying a city-initiated code text amendment (CTA2025-0002) that would have made permanent an interim increase to allowable wireless communication tower heights for regional emergency providers.

The commission’s action preserves the existing height limits in residential zones and keeps the temporary emergency ordinance in place only until the City Council acts or it expires. Commissioner Weatherman moved to retain the current regulations and deny the code text amendment; Commissioner Kelly seconded the motion. The motion passed on a voice vote with four in favor and one opposed; individual roll-call votes were not recorded in the public discussion.

The amendment under consideration would have codified a temporary exception that allows towers used by regional providers for first-responder communications to reach up to 100 feet for the support tower plus up to 20 additional feet for antenna arrays (120 feet total) in certain zones. Staff described the interim ordinance (Ordinance No. 25-13), adopted July 29 as an…