North Greenacres Neighborhood

Testimony to City Council - Our Common Purpose April 24, 2006

Liberty for All -Representation of all Interests

North Greenacres Neighborhood Comp Plan comments April 24, 2006

Please revisit these important issues –

The Declaration of Independence was a bold document that was to always begin from the point of respect of each individual and to limit government. In that spirit – you cannot merely declare people non-conforming and restrict the normal use of their property they had enjoyed until that moment. There must be provision that also allows their future use without having to be grandfathered. This has not been addressed in the comprehensive plan.

Successful companies see team members not underlings. They dream big but realize they have a margin of error and are open to criticism since they are all on the same team. This spirit of ingenuity and transparency, humility and the camaraderie of being on the same team, creates a positive growth environment and measurable results. There may be mistakes but they are shared. People willingly give to what they love. If the city wants to garner the energy of the citizens, care about what we care about. The Neighborhood wonders why we are ignored in planning. We have demonstrated that we care deeply about our community and the development of a city that leaves a legacy for our children.

While the city has been very concerned about staying in the black fiscally, the resources of the people of Spokane Valley has burned a hole in the pockets, figuratively speaking, of this first City Council. The rash venture of building out the community without prior planning has negatively impacted the future of North Greenacres. Where was the rush?
Here was the largest area of easy to build-out land because of the level topography. Pre-empting the public sewer process created changes in topography by artificially raising land heights to a ridiculous 10 – 12 ft slopes. Buyers lost over 5 ft of useable property and there wasn’t development regulations on hand to bring common sense to create truly desirable properties. Road Designs have not been studied – A collector isn’t just a collector. GMA requires building within the urban growth boundary but that build out actually requires study and planning and unique smart growth policies that create community – not just stick houses. This was a pristine area that could have been a planned community but as a group you considered unfettered building and it’s short felt benefits better than the long range benefits of having infrastructure and features that make a uniquely situated neighborhood attractive. In this void of understanding, we have invested our heart, time, and study to addressing the unmitigated assault on our neighborhood.

We, the people, urge the city to remember where your city limits start. To create parkland and pride for those of us who reside within these boundaries. Liberty Lake is just down the street. There is no reason that we should have lower standards. Would you like a minimum standard doctor….minimum standard lawyer, a minimum standard engineer… or A MINIMUM STANDARD CITY COUNCIL? I think not. Please ensure our development regulations are not a mushy collection of minimum standards. We have heard so much about these empty standards that there is scarcely anything to protect the average citizen without the resources to address things in a civil suit. That is why there is government.

We urge you to raise the park level of service, protect non-conforming uses so keeping your livestock isn’t like forcing someone to eat ice cream every day in order to keep the privilege. People would like to have the freedom to utilize their properties as they bought them, and being able to start and stop the same use as the seasons of our lives dictate.

The City Center isn’t the center of your city. It is your neighborhoods. Without the people, you have buildings, a wooden bureaucracy without meaning.
We support the study of the Sprague Appleway Corridor and are pleased in the direction of ensuring the best minds are working on this problem. Yet, you cannot forget the people in lieu of business. The overriding devotion to development and lowering their costs – has placed an exorbitant burden on the people. Why this is not equally abhorrent is astonishing to the people you were elected to serve. Where are the impact fees that most cities utilize?

We laud the time and sincere study and work that many of you have displayed.
It is our sincere desire to encourage and work alongside you, putting our hands together toward a common purpose. Unfortunately, it appears very condescending. You are not elected to rule us but represent us. Ignoble remarks from council have regularly ensued, directly to citizens and indirectly, while in discussions, knowing we are listening. This casts a shadow over the entire council. Many of you, interact with grace and consideration. While we all have lapses due to fatigue or frustration, there is a high calling that political entities have forgotten in the commonplace boorish rudeness that is tolerated in the elected. I am dismayed to hear of similar breaches of courtesy among the county commissioners. The entire reputation of our city is besmirched by arrogance and a spirit of non-cooperation. We must all try to come from a place of assuming there is something that may be missing in the other’s understanding, or within ourselves and attempt to help, not belittle. It would be noteworthy to see such a goal within our comprehensive plan.

There should be an Ethical Statement of Action and Purpose in how we interact that recognizes our human qualities and frailties and attempts to bridge and knit the community differences.

Land Use
LUP-1.5 Encourage the development of parks and the dedication of open space in and adjacent to residential areas. Open space dedication shall be proportionate to the size of the development.

Additional Policy: Any development greater than a short plan shall dedicate 10% of their land, to be chosen at the discretion of the parks department.
Additional Policy : Ensure that land use regulations have sufficient flexibility to allow developers and the City to propose measures to:
a. Adapt development to unique and difficult site conditions;
b. Preserve open space and natural resources; and,
c. Avoid negative impacts on surrounding and neighboring properties.
Goal: Recognize areas of Spokane Valley still have agricultural and livestock keeping and provide regulations to protect these uses.
Additional Policy: Allow legalization of land uses that include animal keeping and farming uses on lots that became non-conforming uses due to zoning changes.
Or Create a Livestock/Farming Land Use Overlay for areas that were previously SR-1 prior to the county zoning changes. (
This would eliminate the need for Grandfathered rights and would give these landowners the ability to continue or discontinue their land use without having to constantly keep some animal grazing to guarantee animal rights.

LUP-1.8 Allow zone changes within the Low Density Residential category only when specific criteria are met. Criteria may include:
• Substantial changes within zone change area.
• Clear mapping errors.
• Adequate facilities and services (e.g. sewer, water capacity).
• Consistency with densities in the vicinity of the zone change.
• Add to this: Density Changes shall be consistent with adjacent land uses or can be made compatible through ability to buffer, screen and blend dissimilar land uses.
• Plan/map residential density changes to a higher density shall be located within walking distance to bus lines or transit center, and when feasible close to employment opportunities, parks and shopping.

• Create neighborhood plans by assisting neighborhood organizations in identifying issues, policies and implementation measures specific to their areas."
• A Neighborhood/Sub-area may request the Planning Commission and City Council to initiate Neighborhood Plan Map and text amendments at any time, without fee, upon finding that the proposed changes are in the public’s interest and consistent with the Comprehensive Plan.

Rules and Laws: Shall indicates that something must happen or somebody is obliged to do something because of a rule or law. It is a must.
Will – expresses desire or wish.

Adopt 2.15 acres per thousand as level of Service for Parks. City Park Director believes it could be funded at that level.
Neighborhood/Sub-Area Plans can be adopted by resolution in the same way that the Park Masterplan is adopted by resolution. Then this plan is referenced whenever a private or public project is proposed and reviewed for opportunities for implementation or mitigation according to their goals and policies.

Thank you for your continual efforts in attending to the myriad details of what entails the workings of our city.


Mary Pollard
Chair
North Greenacres Neighborhood
17216 E. Baldwin Ave.
Greenacres, WA 99016