Spokane County staff outlines EIS alternatives, screening criteria and roughly 2,800 acres for study
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Summary
Planning staff described three EIS alternatives for accommodating 35,000 projected growth and said an initial map screening identified about 2,800 acres as potentially eligible for study, with wastewater capacity taken off the first-round filter and additional qualitative criteria to narrow the list.
Scott (planning staff) told the planning workshop that Spokane County is using an Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) process with three alternatives: a no-action/infill scenario; regulatory changes to accommodate growth within existing Urban Growth Areas (UGAs); and an alternative that adds new zoning characteristics and limited UGA expansion if justified. He said the approach uses 'bookend' alternatives so that selections between those bookends would fall within the EIS envelope and avoid schedule delays.
Staff described screening criteria that produced an initial pool of roughly 2,800 acres of potentially eligible land for further study. Scott said staff used practical filters — proximity to major roads, a starting parcel size benchmark of 10 acres (as a manageable initial unit of study), transit access, and 'catalytic' potential where a parcel could unlock adjacent development or transportation connections.
On utilities, Scott said sewer capacity at Liberty Lake and the county plant is substantial (Liberty Lake’s plant was described as built for about 8,000,000 gallons per day and currently using about 2,000,000 gpd; the county plant was built for ~8,000,000 gpd and is operating near 7.5 million gpd) so staff took sewer capacity off the first-round filter and will evaluate proximity to interceptors during the EIS. He said staff’s land-capacity analysis indicates 300–400 acres of new land would likely accommodate the 20‑year growth need if zoning and infill approaches are used.
Staff also reviewed special cases: older 'vested' plats that a hearings examiner found entitled would automatically enter the UGA; several cities (Airway Heights, Medical Lake, Cheney, Deer Park) have submitted requests that staff is evaluating to see whether they are city-allocated growth or county-allocated; and some airport-adjacent parcels would not be appropriate for residential use because of runway constraints and noise.
Procedural notes: the commission adopted minutes by voice vote and later moved to adjourn; Scott said the county board will receive the meeting summary and staff will hand materials to the EIS consultants for detailed transportation modeling. Staff said code/regulatory work is being prepared in parallel so regulations will be available to implement plan goals if the plan advances.
What’s next: maps and refined recommended study areas will be shared with the public and with the Board of County Commissioners, with a larger sub-area planning exercise for the Greater West Plains planned for 2027.
