Spokane Valley planning staff outlines public participation plan, schedules policy work this summer

The Spokane Valley Planning Commission on May 22 heard a presentation from planning manager Steve Roberge on a draft public participation plan tied to the city's comprehensive-plan periodic update and agreed to cancel the commission's first June meeting while staff compiles grant deliverables and materials for broader outreach.

Roberge told commissioners the work follows the state Growth Management Act (RCW 36.70A) and the city's periodic-update checklist and is structured so public participation will be "early and continuous" through the review and drafting phases. He identified transportation, housing, and a new climate change and resiliency chapter as the heaviest-lift elements for the update.

The presentation laid out three broad phases: an audit and analysis phase running through June 2025; a drafting and policy-development phase that will include extensive commission conversations in July through November; and code updates to follow the policy work. Roberge said the city is operating on a June 30, 2026 target deadline tied to state grant and contract schedules but has an additional six months available to extend the deadline into December 2026 if necessary (exact…