Spokane Valley Planning Commission Meeting - February 26, 2026

A regular meeting of the Spokane Valley Planning Commission was held on Thursday, February 26, 2026, at 6:00 p.m. at City Hall. The commission reviewed proposed changes to three chapters of the Comprehensive Plan (Economic Development, Land Use, and Natural Resources) as part of the state-mandated update, discussed scheduling, and accepted the resignation of Commissioner Meyer.

Consent Calendar

• Motion to excuse Commissioner Meyer from the meeting (passed unanimously, 6-0), later Commissioner Meyer arrived at 6:02 p.m. and was present.
• Approval of the agenda (passed unanimously, 6-0).
• Approval of the February 12, 2026, meeting minutes (passed unanimously, 6-0).
• Commissioner noted a future request to include vote tallies in minutes.

Public Comments & Testimony

• No public comments were offered.

Discussion Items

• Administrative Report: Staff outlined the Comprehensive Plan update schedule. A state grant from the Washington Department of Commerce requires draft documents by the end of June 2026. The process involves two review touches by the Planning Commission per batch of chapters, then one council review, followed by environmental review and final adoption anticipated in late November/December 2026. Three batches of chapters are planned; the first batch (Economic Development, Land Use, Natural Resources) was the subject of the evening's study session.
• Economic Development Chapter: Staff presented changes based on prior commission feedback:
  • Exhibits 6 and 7 will be revised to provide more detail on the "all other" category.
  • Sections on real estate market considerations and commercial deliveries are being rewritten for clarity (pages 14-15).
  • Commissioner Weatherman asked about increasing the manufacturing sector (which declined from 2016 to 2025) and whether other geographic areas could host manufacturing to reduce traffic congestion. Staff noted that industrial zoning is concentrated along the I-90 corridor and that locating industrial uses near existing residential areas is difficult.
  • Commissioner Winkler and others suggested strengthening policy language (e.g., moving from "maintain" to "grow" or "encourage") and adding goals or policies related to AI, technology, and skilled workforce development. Staff acknowledged that strategies will be developed later in the process and that goals and policies may be revisited.
  • Commissioner McKinley asked about demographic data on retaining young people. Staff indicated such data may be in the upcoming housing element.
• Land Use Chapter: Staff revised language characterizing growth, changing descriptors to more factual statements about moderate growth (based on a housing allocation of 16,661 units). Commissioner Weatherman expressed concern that the predicted growth rate may be lower than actual recent trends, but staff noted the plan accommodates moderate growth and includes a 5-year check-in. Changes on pages 2, 6, and 12 were reviewed. One policy (P4 about supporting neighborhood cultivation of produce) was left unchanged.
• Natural Resources Chapter: No changes were proposed from the previous meeting. Commissioner Winkler noted limited public input was incorporated; staff confirmed the chapter is largely carried over from the 2016 plan and received few comments.
• Process and Scheduling: The next batch of chapters (likely Housing, etc.) will be presented on March 26, 2026, with a follow-up discussion on April 2, 2026. The March 12 and April 9 meetings will be canceled. Staff will strive to provide meeting materials earlier. A running list of cross-chapter issues will be maintained for final review.
• Land Use Scenarios: Commissioner Meyer, who had listened to the prior meeting, asked about progress on upzone/rezone decisions. Staff explained that a preferred land use scenario has not yet been selected; it will be discussed further, and public hearings will be held before a recommendation is made. The scenario is not locked in until final adoption.

Key Outcomes

• The commission endorsed the proposed changes to the Economic Development and Land Use chapters and directed staff to forward them (with ongoing revisions for Economic Development exhibits and section rewrites) to the City Council for their review at the March 10, 2026, meeting.
• No changes were recommended for the Natural Resources chapter.
• The commission agreed to the revised schedule: cancel March 12 and April 9 meetings; hold a presentation on the next batch of chapters on March 26, with a discussion on April 2.
• The commission noted that council will receive final, clean versions of the chapters, and commissioners will receive the same materials electronically.
• Commissioner Meyer announced her resignation, effective immediately due to work-related travel conflicts. The commission expressed appreciation for her service, and the chair accepted the resignation.
• The meeting was adjourned unanimously at 7:0? (vote 7-0).