Spokane County unveils draft EIS study areas and alternatives; transportation modeling due end of March

Spokane County planning staff walked commissioners through draft study areas for the comprehensive plan’s environmental impact statement (EIS) and described three basic alternatives: no action, density increases, and accommodating additional residential growth.

Staff said they assessed parcels using proximity to transportation and utilities, nearby schools and shopping, and a qualitative tiebreaker to prioritize parcels. The mapping identified candidate growth areas in the North Metro (including Trent and Argonne Road corridors), West Plains, Moran Prairie and parcels across from Liberty Lake.

"When you see green and red dots... the study areas were started with a parcel evaluation that we shared with you in December," Scott Chesy said. He described alt‑1 as infill/neighborhood development candidates and alt‑2 as larger polygon areas that represent more extensive expansion horizons.

Commissioners raised zoning and infrastructure questions—clarifying that purple/lilac areas on the map represent light and heavy industrial lands that were not being recommended for UGA conversion—and asked staff about sequencing. Chesy said transportation modeling results were expected by the end of March and would guide the next round of rankings and more detailed study.

Staff also proposed a parallel review of urban reserve lands that have shown little pressure for development since they were designated (some as far back as 1990/2001) and discussed the idea of using market signals within defined limits to prioritize lands for earlier service extension, noting legal and political constraints under the Growth Management Act.

Next steps: staff will incorporate transportation modeling findings (end of March), refine study‑area rankings, continue stakeholder outreach, and return with subsequent briefings and code revisions ahead of fall public hearings.