Plan Commission hears Build Spokane update and pushes for clearer development-review process

Tim, staff lead on the Build Spokane code modernization, told the Plan Commission the project is in the drafting phase and that module 2—zoning districts and the consolidated use table—is underway; he said adoption is unlikely before February and staff are coordinating code changes with a shift to a new permitting platform.

"Development review is the city system for moving a project from vision to reality," Tim said, stressing that the goal is to design processes that produce predictable outcomes rather than merely speed. He described the project as three linked efforts: the comprehensive-plan update, the code modernization, and improvements to the permitting system (moving from the present software to 'Lama').

Tim also announced coordinated process mapping with the Washington State Auditor's Office, describing an initial workshop targeted for late October and follow-up mapping work in January to document current workflows and redesign handoffs. He framed the exercise as an opportunity for continuous process improvement: "Systems produce outcomes," he said, urging clearer front-end steps such as predevelopment meetings so permit submissions arrive with fewer surprises.

Commissioners pressed staff on sequencing—whether the comprehensive plan and permitting system updates should precede or follow code adoption—and on whether the work would be publicly available. Tim and other staff agreed the comprehensive plan should guide code changes and said the process-mapping outputs and draft materials would be shared publicly and used to inform administration of the code. Staff also noted Clarion Associates is assisting the code update and that a separate auditor-led team will provide lean/process-mapping support.

The presentation closed with staff asking for commissioner feedback on priorities and process design; commissioners broadly supported a focus on clearer, visualized processes and asked staff to return with charters, timelines and measurable deliverables for implementation.