| Tuesday, February 9, 2010 |
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A proposed development south of Liberty Lake might add 4,500 residents and a golf course to the growing city.
Marshall Chesrown's Black Rock Development is asking Spokane County to rezone about 1,400 acres south of Liberty Lake into an urban growth area.
The area is currently designated rural land, and if the rezoning is approved, Black Rock would build about 1,600 housing units, said Doug Smith, community planning and development director for Liberty Lake. Developers said they would then ask the city to annex the land, Smith said.
The request comes after last week's announcement of a 3,000-house development at the northern edge of the city. Combined, the two new developments could eventually attract more than 11,000 people to the city. Liberty Lake's current population is 6,550.
Black Rock has been discussing the plan with the city for some time, Smith said, and the developer's request is only the first of many steps that must take place before any change in zoning is approved.
Black Rock officials couldn't be reached for comment Tuesday.
"This is a study area; there's nothing in stone about this line," Smith said. "It's just a matter of looking at geography and seeing what makes sense for the future in terms of potential urban buildout."
The request was presented to the Liberty Lake Planning Commission during a meeting last week, and Beth Cocchiarella, who lives outside of the city limits, said she wants to know if the development will be able to sustain itself.
"You've got someone who wants to develop against people who have their 10-acre dream," Cocchiarella said. More than 80 percent of the land inside the proposed boundaries is owned by Black Rock, but several 10-acre plats with single homes are scattered around the area. "If you're the person with your 10 acres on a well and a septic system, we want to know what happens."
Cocchiarella also expressed concern about where the development would find enough water to supply 1,600 homes and water a golf course, and she wondered how burdened Liberty Lake Road would become with the new development's traffic.
Residents like Cocchiarella will have many opportunities to find out more about the proposal and voice their opinions, Smith said.
Any change would have to go through five governmental bodies before it is approved, Smith said. The process must go through the city's Planning Commission and City Council, as well as a county steering committee, planning commission and final approval from the Spokane County commissioners.
If the rezoning is approved, Black Rock would likely work with Liberty Lake before an annexation to make sure the development meets the city's requirements, Smith said.
Spokane County planner Steve Davenport will discuss the process by which land is made into an urban growth area during a meeting at 7 p.m. Thursday in the Liberty Lake Sewer and Water District building.