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Spokane County public hearing held on sale of 'Buttercup Dump' parcels; decision deferred to March 17
Summary
County public works staff presented a proposal to declare 12 parcels (the Buttercup Dump) in Spokane Valley surplus and list them for sale, citing a 2022 appraisal of $695,000 and Ecology-required remedial reporting; the board took no final action and continued the item to March 17, 2026 for decision.
County public works staff on March 3 presented a proposal to declare 12 parcels in Spokane Valley — collectively referred to in staff comments as the Buttercup Dump — surplus and offer them for sale, but the board deferred final action to a March 17 decision session.
Deborah, a county public works official who presented the item, said the property is roughly 8.44 acres with a 2.42-acre former dump site that has a "no further action" designation from the Department of Ecology. The parcels are zoned R-3 (residential, up to eight lots per acre), and staff noted steep slopes on portions of the property make development challenging but could produce desirable view lots.
An appraisal by Schwitzer Company dated Aug. 10, 2022 valued the parcels at $695,000; staff recommended listing the parcels on the county auction platform GovDeals with a starting bid equal to that appraisal, while noting the market has softened since the appraisal date. "We will post this on our website as well as GovDeals," Deborah said, and she added that Ecology requires posting the independent remedial action report and that a new owner would be expected to continue annual inspections of the soil cap and comply with redevelopment restrictions. If the restrictive covenant provisions are not met, Ecology may require corrective action and rescind the no-further-action determination.
Staff told the board that a prior interested buyer (Tampion Enterprises / Mr. Champion) approached the county but failed to secure financing because of the site's former use as a dump. The board opened the public hearing; no members of the public spoke in person or online. The board closed the hearing and continued the item for decision only to March 17, 2026 at 2:00 p.m. under county code 1.56.070.
Why it matters: The parcels are county general fund property (not road fund), and proceeds would go to the general fund. Because the site includes a former dump with Ecology oversight, any sale carries continuing inspection and covenant compliance responsibilities for the buyer and ongoing notification requirements to Ecology.
What’s next: Staff will post the remedial action documents and prepare the parcels for auction; the board will revisit and decide whether to authorize the sale at its March 17 decision session.
