It is officially summer, and if you’re anything like our City of Spokane planners, you’re starting to curate your to-be-read pile for mornings watching the sunrise, afternoons in the hammock, or evenings beside the campfire. Why not take this time to learn more about city planning, placement, and Spokane’s community as we look towards the future of our city? Many of these reads, and more, are available at the Spokane Public Library or online. | | |
Climate Risk and Vulnerability Assessment Now Available
After months of listening to community experiences and understanding national, state, and local data, the City of Spokane Climate Risk and Vulnerability Assessment is now available to the public. This technical report integrates diverse perspectives and lived experiences from a wide range of stakeholders and community members with expansive spatial data to identify climate risks and vulnerability right here in Spokane.
Read the Climate Risk and Vulnerability Assessment and learn about next steps for local Climate Planning on the City’s website.
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Clean Air Starts with Clear Voices: Speak Up for Spokane in Ecology Survey
Have a few minutes? Take the Washington Department of Ecology’s Air Quality Survey and tell us what you think about the air where you live. If you notice smoky days or air quality concerns, we want to hear about it. Your feedback helps guide future decisions to keep our air clean and healthy. It’s quick, easy, and actually makes a difference.
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City Analyzing Capacity for Affordable Housing in Spokane
The PlanSpokane 2046 Periodic Update to the Comprehensive Plan is incorporating new legislative requirements from Washington State. This includes measuring the City of Spokane’s ability to accommodate housing across a range of affordabilities. To do this, the data provided by the Land Capacity Analysis is compared to publicly available data on affordability, and then tabulated to see how many units in each affordability bracket the City can accommodate. Cities don’t build housing, but they do make the regulations and zoning decisions that allow it to occur and control what types of housing might be built. To this end, the City is on the cusp of publishing a new report, Accommodating Affordable Housing in the City of Spokane, in mid-July. Check back at PlanSpokane.org to see information on the report when it is available.
You can send any questions about this study to planspokane@spokanecity.org.
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Plan Commission Subcommittee Review of Comprehensive Plan
As we work to establish a clear vision for Spokane’s future through PlanSpokane 2046, we’re also beginning to make targeted updates to the City of Spokane’s existing Comprehensive Plan. These early efforts include streamlining language, removing outdated or redundant content, and clarifying policies to better reflect current needs. To help guide these refinements, the Spokane Plan Commission has formed a Chapter Review Subcommittee focused on reviewing minor changes, excluding the Land Use, Transportation, and Capital Facilities chapters, which are more dependent on ongoing analysis. Over the next three months, this subcommittee will meet six times to review updates across three thematic groups: Community, Environment, and How We Grow. Once their work is complete, the updated chapters will be brought to the full Plan Commission for further consideration and discussion.
The last two Subcommittee meetings are scheduled for Thursday, July 3 at 9 a.m. and Thursday, July 17 at 10:30 a.m.
The Subcommittee workshops are open to the public to attend, virtually or in person. However, no public comment will be accepted during the meetings.
For more information about the subcommittee, see their website.
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Frances Scott Elementary School Students & City Planners Reimagine School Yard
City Planners met with Frances Scott Elementary School 5th graders to use Minecraft to reimagine the schoolyard and area around the school. This visioning activity – a partnership with Spokane Schools, 5th Avenue Forward, and the New Urban Mobility Alliance – was a fun way to engage students in thinking about the built environment and community needs using Minecraft. Read more about this workshop in The Spokesman-Review.
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Brownfields Program Team Out in the Community
City staff administering Spokane’s Northeast Brownfields Project met up with other local brownfield professionals to learn about the brownfield mitigation efforts that helped set the stage in transforming the old Coeur d’Alene Atlas Mill site into a multi-use development and waterfront park. Other successful Brownfield Projects include Riverfront Park and Kendall Yards.
The City of Spokane’s Brownfields Program works to minimize the risks associated with redeveloping possibly contaminated sites. The program seeks out funding to conduct site assessments, conduct cleanup activities, along with providing technical assistance and information on statewide programs and policies.
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Addressing and Access Regulation Amendment Proposed
The City of Spokane Plan Commission will be holding hearings soon on two proposals to do some cleanup on certain sections of the municipal code. The first involves updates to the standards and requirements for assigning addresses to new parcels. With the City's emphasis on infill development, it is important to establish a process for assigning new addresses that is flexible enough for infill development while ensuring that emergency services can quickly and easily find addresses.
The second proposal will update definitions and provide clarifications on the designation of streets, alleys, and driveways. Staff have identified some wording changes that will improve everyone's understanding of how these types of travel ways are different and how they work together to help people get where they need to go.
Both of these changes were reviewed by Plan Commission at their workshop yesterday. A hearing at Plan Commission is anticipated in July, after which the City Council may consider the amendments.
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Join Our Team
The City of Spokane Planning Department is hiring a Principal Planner! This position performs supervisory, professional, and managerial work in overseeing a division focused on city planning, development implementation, zoning, economic development, or community development. Applications are due Monday, July 7, at 4 p.m. Click here for more information and to apply.
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What Happened?
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June 11 Public Workshop: The Spokane Plan Commission continued to discuss PlanSpokane 2046 Chapter Review and Growth Alternatives. [watch 6.11.25 recording]
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June 25 Public Workshop: The Spokane Plan Commission heard a recap of Phase 1 of Climate Planning efforts, continued to discuss the PlanSpokane 2046 Periodic Update, and heard presentations on proposed code amendments to addressing and site access. [recording available soon on City Vimeo]
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What's Next?
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Wednesday, July 9 Public Workshop: The Spokane Plan Commission is tentatively scheduled to hear presentations on the PlanSpokane 2046 racially disparate impacts and housing by income band work, as well as an update on the Excelsior Wellness Development Agreement.
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Wednesday, July 23 Public Workshop: The Spokane Plan Commission will continue to discuss PlanSpokane 2046 Chapter Review work, and will hear presentations on the Cannon Hill Park Addition Historic District proposal and off-premise sign amendments.
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Development Services Center is Open to Serve You!
Monday, Tuesday, Thursday, Friday | 8 a.m.-5 p.m.; Wednesday | 11 a.m.-5 p.m.
- In person - 808 W. Spokane Falls Blvd - 3rd Floor of City Hall (Office closed Wednesday mornings from 8-11 a.m. through the near future to allow staff to focus on permit load and reduce wait times. Calls will be forwarded to voice mail during this time.)
- Online - Skip a trip to City Hall with online permitting, an email to permitteam@spokanecity.org or Electronic Document Review
- Phone - A representative can assist you at 509.625.6300
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Provide written comment in email to PlanSpokane@spokanecity.org
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Interested in requesting an outreach event? Email us!
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