Comp plan tabled by commission

Cheney’s Planning Commission has taken the unusual move of tabling approval of the city’s comprehensive plan — the document governing planning decisions over the next 20 years. In doing so, the commission raised the possibility the city could be out of compliance with state law, which requires entities updating their plans to have those approved and submitted to the Department of Commerce by July 1.

Cheney senior planner Brett Lucas also told the commission he needed to check with Commerce to see if there were ramifications for non-compliance, such as the loss of eligibility to receive state grants.

The commission made its decision at the May 8 meeting based upon concerns raised by several commissioners and members of the public about land use and transportation issues in the city — chapters which were discussed at previous meetings, approved and forwarded on to other planning agencies for their review and approval. One of the chapters under discussion at the May meeting, Housing, also came into play in the decision — specifically the type of housing now predominant in the city.

According to statistics in Lucas’ presentation, the growth in single-family and multifamily housing were roughly equal until 2002 when multifamily began to outpace homes. That changed abruptly in 2007 when the construction of apartments took off, rising more rapidly than single-family which has grown more gradually.

In 2016, Cheney had over 3,000 multifamily units compared to roughly 1,700 single-family, giving multifamily a 64 percent share of the available living space in the city. Commissioner Rick Mount noted other areas of the county seem to be building more single-family homes than Cheney.

“Are we an anomaly out here or is this countywide?” Mount asked. “As we’ve heard, this trend is alarming to the residents of Cheney.”

Residents filled the City Hall council chambers at two commission public hearings in March surrounding a rezone request for the Parkside Commons apartment complex. The developers of the proposed complex located along North Eighth Street across from the city pool and Hagelin Park are requesting to change the site’s current zoning from multifamily to multifamily-high density, allowing for 39 more apartment units than the zoned 76.

Several residents at those hearings and subsequent City Council hearings on the request were among the dozen or so at the May 8 commission meeting. Up to then, the commission’s meetings on the plan had been rarely attended by the public since the process began in January 2016.

Mount also said homes in the Harvest Bluff subdivision north of Betz Road were being bought before they were built, indicating a need for more single-family units. Mount asked why the city couldn’t get contractors and developers to build more single-family, with Commissioner Kristine Williams asking if there was a way to “incentivize or encourage” single family developments.

After a discussion about the history of single-family construction, which Public Works Director Todd Ableman said flourished in the 1990s with 30-40 homes built per year on average, Ableman said they don’t know what brings developers to build housing in Cheney.

When they approach the city with an application, it’s the city’s job to help them with the process, he added.

“They own the property and have the right to invest (in it),” Ableman said.

In response to an audience member’s question about whether the city must approve every application, Lucas explained the application process, adding “It’s their constitutional right” to develop their property as long as it conforms to zoning and regulations.

In tabling the comprehensive plan, the commission asked staff to provide more information on zoning, housing and transportation issues currently in the city. To meet the state’s deadline, the city would need the commission to approve it at its June 12 meeting, and send it to the council for its approval prior to the July 1 deadline.

The council meets on June 13 and June 27.

In a May 16 interview May 16, Lucas said he talked with officials at the Department of Commerce about missing the July 1 deadline.

“We’re working on solutions to meet the state department’s deadline to be compliant by July 1,” he added.

John McCallum can be reached at jmac@cheneyfreepress.com.