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Cheney holds joint workshop to kick off 2026 comprehensive plan update
Summary
City council and the planning commission met in a joint workshop to review survey results, hear consultant findings on statutory requirements and policy gaps, and begin table-based public exercises to shape the 2026 comprehensive plan.
Ryan Hughes, the consultant leading Cheney's 2026 comprehensive plan update, told a joint meeting of the City Council and Planning Commission that the process will produce a 20-year vision and will not require any votes tonight.
"We will not be asking you to make any decisions tonight," Hughes said, explaining the workshop purpose and the statutory framework drawn from the Revised Code of Washington. Hughes described a policy audit that identified items that are already in alignment with state law and several that will need revision to comply or better align with new requirements.
Hughes said the update cycle is regional: "All Spokane County jurisdictions ... are in this 2026 update cycle," and urban growth area designations remain a county-driven process. He said the plan must now address a new required element for this cycle: climate change and climate resiliency.
Kylie Jones, a senior planner with Ardura introduced ten "big ideas" compiled from engagement, including prioritizing affordable housing, protecting open space, establishing transit-oriented development zones, and bolstering walkability. Attendees then completed small-group table exercises to refine those ideas and to rank policy gaps.
The consultant said the project team will return to council in March or April with two more narrowly defined future land-use scenarios and seek a preferred alternative. Hughes said project materials and slides will be posted on the project website (project name given as "plan2026").
