Planning commission recommends rezoning to allow Prairie Medical campus tower

The Post Falls Planning and Zoning Commission voted unanimously Jan. 13 to recommend that City Council approve a zoning change (ZC25-2) to reclassify roughly 30.88 acres at the southeast corner of Highway 41 and Prairie Avenue from Community Commercial Services (CCS) to Community Commercial Mixed (CCM).

Justin Souder, planning staff, told commissioners the change is being requested primarily to accommodate increased building height for a planned medical campus, noting that CCS limits height to 45 feet while CCM allows up to 105 feet. Souder said the proposal is consistent with the city’s Future Land Use Map and comprehensive plan focus area for Highway 41 and that water would be provided by Ross Point Water District while wastewater service would be handled by the city.

Ben McGrann, the applicant’s representative for OAC Project Management Services, described a phased, vertically oriented campus to preserve open space and walking areas. McGrann said the first phase would include a 14-bed emergency department and an outpatient imaging suite, with an emergency department targeted for completion in 2027 and the medical office building in 2028. He said the full campus would be constructed in phases over roughly a decade to 15 years, with later work including a hospital tower massing along Highway 41.

Engineering staff addressed infrastructure questions. Chris Schneider, staff engineer, said the city’s sewer studies show capacity for the proposed uses and that 12th Avenue lift-station improvements are expected to be completed over the project’s multi-decade buildout horizon. Schneider said the project would not rely on the unfinished Fennecus line.

Commissioners weighed compatibility and policy tests in the comprehensive plan, with several noting the site’s location in a high-traffic corridor where more intensive commercial and civic uses are envisioned. One commissioner observed the hospital could technically be sited under current zoning but said the rezoning request is focused on height and an efficient medical-campus design. Staff and applicant noted a development agreement to accompany the rezoning that would prohibit residential development on the site as part of the zoning conditions.

A motion to recommend approval of ZC25-2, finding the CCM designation meets the approval criteria under Post Falls Municipal Code, passed on a roll-call vote; the recommendation will be forwarded to City Council for final action.

What’s next: The commission’s recommendation and the draft development agreement will be included in the packet when the item goes to City Council for final review and decision.