Plan Spokane 2046: commission reviews blended preferred alternative, DEIS comment period extended to March 5

Staff presented a draft preferred alternative for Plan Spokane 2046 — a blend of the transit‑oriented Alternative 2 and the central‑city‑focused Alternative 3 — and asked the Plan Commission to review maps and provide direction toward a preferred alternative to bring forward to City Council.

The presentation updated the commission on environmental review: the draft environmental impact statement (DEIS) was released in December 2025 and, after an agency request, staff extended the comment period by the maximum 15 days to close on March 5, 2026. Speaker 5 (planner/presenter) emphasized that the preferred alternative is intended to respond to community and agency feedback and to meet state requirements on housing capacity.

Why it matters: the alternatives differ primarily in where the city concentrates growth and housing capacity. Staff told the commission that Alt 1 (stay the course) meets population targets but does not provide enough capacity in the 0–80% area median income band to satisfy state housing targets — a shortfall staff said Alt 2/3 aim to address by adding zoning capacity in transit corridors and central neighborhoods.

Commissioners and community assembly representatives pushed on several specific points. One participant (Speaker 8, community assembly representative) warned about localized demolition and displacement risk in older single‑family neighborhoods, saying there is “a real concern” that large owners could buy and redevelop historic craftsman cottages as multifamily projects. Staff acknowledged displacement is a concern and said displacement policy and implementation measures will come later in the code and implementation phase.

On technical assumptions, consultants and staff were asked to clarify the employment figures shown in the alternatives table — the growth alternatives used different job forecasts, which several commissioners said made cross‑alternative comparisons difficult. Speaker 13 (EIS consultant identified in the packet) explained that Alternative 1 used Spokane Regional Transportation Council projections while Alt 2 used a different forecast; staff said SRTC projections will likely be the basis for jobs in the preferred alternative.

Commissioners also questioned the land capacity analysis assumptions (staff cited a historical 30–33% residential yield in mixed‑use commercial zones) and whether zoning changes alone will drive production of lower‑income housing without incentives. Staff replied zoning increases capacity but does not guarantee production and that incentives and regional market conditions also shape what gets built.

What’s next: staff said they will revise maps to be legible at parcel level, overlay frequent transit routes for clarity, and return with refined materials. Staff asked the commission to aim for a preferred‑alternative recommendation in April if additional refinements are complete. The DEIS public comment period remains open through March 5, 2026.