Spokane Valley Planning Commission Meeting - August 27, 2026

The Spokane Valley Planning Commission held a regular meeting on Thursday, August 27, 2026, at 6:00 p.m. at City Hall. The primary agenda item was a study session on periodic updates to the city's development code to comply with recent state legislation. Ethan Spoo of DOWL presented the legislative changes. Commissioners discussed concerns about parking requirements, lot sizes, and the definition of affordable housing. No votes were taken on code changes.

Consent Calendar

• Approval of Agenda: Unanimous (7-0).
• Approval of Minutes, July 23, 2026: Approved 6-4-1 (one abstention; a commissioner noted they had not yet reviewed the video).
• Approval of Minutes, August 13, 2026: Approved 6-4-1 (after correction of the date from August 23 to August 13).

Public Comments & Testimony

No public comments were offered; no audience members attended in person or online.

Discussion Items

Administrative Report

City staff previewed the upcoming meeting schedule:

• September 10, 2026: Discuss the draft comprehensive plan.
• September 24, 2026: Review draft development regulations (code changes).
• October 8, 2026: Combined discussion of comp plan and code.
• October 22, 2026: Public hearing for commission recommendation on code.

Study Session: State Code Requirements (Presentation by Ethan Spoo, DOWL)

Ethan Spoo presented an overview of legislative updates to the Growth Management Act, citing the national housing crisis. He noted that 33% of Washington households spend more than 30% of income on housing, and locally 50% of renters and 20% of owners in Spokane Valley are cost-burdened. The presentation covered:

• Accessory Dwelling Units (ADUs): State requires allowing two ADUs per single-family lot, no less than 1,000 sq. ft., no owner-occupancy requirement, limited impact fees (50%), and same design standards as primary unit.
• Middle Housing: State requires allowing at least six of nine specified types (duplex through sixplex, townhouses, stacked flats, courtyard apartments, cottage housing). Base allowance: 4 units per lot; up to 6 if within ½ mile of transit or if 2 affordable units provided (affordability guaranteed for 50 years). ADUs can count as middle housing.
• Co-Living Housing: Must be allowed where at least 6 multifamily units are permitted. Sleeping units counted as ¼ dwelling unit for density; ½ unit for sewer fees.
• Affordable Housing: Must be treated the same as market-rate housing in the zone; cannot be discriminated against.
• STEP Housing (Shelter, Transitional, Emergency, Permanent Supportive): Required to be allowed where residential or hotels are permitted. 2026 legislation mandates same design and permitting standards; city can require 500-ft. notification and operational policies.
• New Housing in Existing Buildings: Up to 50% additional density in multifamily zones when converting non-residential buildings; no prohibition on ground-floor housing.
• Unit Lot Subdivisions: Allows dividing a lot internally into smaller lots that don't meet minimum lot size, as long as parent lot meets standards. Each unit lot can be separately owned.
• Administrative Lot Splits: City must provide an administrative process for splitting a lot in two, with mitigation for displaced occupants.
• Parking Restrictions: State sets maximum parking requirements:
  • Single-family: 1 space per unit.
  • Multifamily: 0.5 spaces per unit.
  • Small units (<1,200 sq. ft.), affordable housing, senior housing: 0 spaces.
  • ADUs: 1 space for lots ≤6,000 sq. ft., 2 spaces for larger.
  • Zero parking if within ½ mile of transit.
  • Co-living: 1 space per 4 sleeping rooms.
  • Commercial spaces >3,000 sq. ft.: 1 per 500 sq. ft.; <3,000 sq. ft.: 0 spaces; child care centers: 0 spaces.
• Permit Timelines: Administrative permits (65 days), with public notice (100 days), with public hearing (170 days). Fees refunded partially if deadlines missed.
• Child Care: Family daycares (≤12 children) must be allowed in all residential zones; child daycares allowed in all zones except industrial and open space.
• Future Schedule: September 24 workshop for draft code; October 22 public hearing.

Commissioner Discussion & Positions

• Parking (Multiple Commissioners): Several commissioners expressed strong opposition to the reduced parking maximums. Commissioner Winkler noted current regulations at 1.5 spaces per multifamily unit already cause overflow parking, and the new limits (0.5 for multifamily, zero for many) are unrealistic for Spokane Valley, where car dependence is high. She argued this "does not work for Spokane Valley" and raises safety and emergency access issues. Commissioner Dingus echoed concerns, citing real-world examples of parking shortages in unit lot subdivisions. Commissioner Weatherman questioned where visitors and workers would park in senior housing with zero spaces.
• Affordable Housing Terminology: Commissioner Dingus criticized the term "affordable housing," stating it stigmatizes low-income housing and should be more descriptive. He suggested "subsidized" or specifying income brackets. Staff noted the state uses area median income definitions.
• Lot Sizes and Density: Commissioner Winkler asked about minimum lot sizes for middle housing. Staff clarified they depend on zoning district (R1: ~40,000 sq. ft. to R4: ~4,500 sq. ft.). The state allows pre-existing smaller lots to be used for middle housing, but future divisions must meet zoning minima.
• Unit Lot Subdivisions: Commissioner Winkler inquired about separate ownership and emergency access requirements; staff confirmed separate ownership is allowed and emergency access standards apply.
• Co-Living: Commissioner Winkler shared a personal anecdote about her daughter's uncomfortable co-living experience, questioning the model's viability. Commissioner Dingus noted historical co-living existed in the 1980s but was largely eliminated; it was "affordable" but uncomfortable.
• Permit Timelines: Commissioner Dingus asked about contractor performance tracking; staff said there is no such system, but the city meets its timelines almost always.
• Request for Early Materials: Commissioners McKinley and Winkler requested the draft comp plan chapters be sent by September 4 (before Labor Day) to allow review. Staff agreed to provide a link to existing materials.

Key Outcomes

• No formal decisions or votes were taken on code changes; the study session was informational.
• Next steps were confirmed: September 24 workshop on draft code, October 22 public hearing.
• Staff will provide commissioners with links to existing comp plan chapters and will aim to distribute the updated draft comp plan before the September 10 meeting.
• The parking study was noted as a potential tool to request state certification for alternative standards, but no jurisdiction has been successful yet.

Adjournment

The meeting adjourned after a reading by Chairman Robertson of a passage from Carl Sandburg about the republic being a dream.