Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Land Use Transportation topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Residents tell council a county-approved development and proposed road would worsen traffic and drainage near Veracrest
Summary
Multiple residents said county approvals and an extension for a Timberlane Inc. development risk public safety, drainage and traffic on Veracrest and 20th Avenue; they asked the city to intervene but said the county controls the approvals.
Residents at the Sept. 16 Spokane Valley council meeting urged city action over a long-standing county development and a proposed road connection they say would add dangerous traffic and worsen drainage on local streets.
Sue DeLucci, founder of ValleyFest and former planning commissioner, told the council she and a long-time colleague had spent two weeks researching an older Timberlane Incorporated proposal and were “in a state of shock” after learning the county retained control over approvals that affect Spokane Valley. “We are exactly where we were in 02/2003, before incorporation, under the control of the county,” DeLucci said, and urged city leaders to make constituents aware of the situation.
Linda Klush, who identified her address on South Conklin Road, said Timberlane has requested its twelfth extension for a development that would connect a new road out at the top of a steep neighborhood hill to Veracrest and 20th Avenue. Klush said the project would add roughly 400 cars to the intersection at the bottom of the hill and described narrow sight lines, steep grades and existing speeding that make the area unsafe for walking children and local traffic.
“Good access management begins at the planning level,” Klush said. She told the council the county had told residents to coordinate with the city, while the city had told them to coordinate with the county. Klush said file materials were missing from the Boundary Review Board archive and that a county engineer had told residents the decision was final.
Council members listened but did not promise unilateral action; the mayor noted that government entities must cooperate. In later council comments, Councilmember Merkel acknowledged residents’ concerns and said the city has limited power to change county approvals, but stressed the city can and should make efforts to address safety concerns where it has authority.
Residents requested clearer coordination between Spokane Valley and Spokane County on developments that affect city streets and asked that the council communicate transparently with affected neighborhoods.
