What's a
Plan Commission?
You've
probably heard the adage “those who fail to plan, plan to fail.” In the case of
the City of Spokane, you have ten citizens who believe planning matters and is
one of the keys to our city's successful future. They leave their jobs as store
owners, realtors, massage therapists, college professors, and busy parents to
donate at least two days a month to making our city a better place to live. For
decades, Spokane, like most major municipalities and counties, has used a
volunteer Plan Commission. It is made up of residents who research, deliberate,
and make recommendations to elected officials on land use codes and
implementation of the Comprehensive Plan. In Spokane, we have ten Plan
Commission members, appointed by the Mayor, who serve staggered five-year terms.
The members are not paid and meet at least twice a month with City staff and the
public to hear new ideas about how to make positive change in our community. The
Commission holds public hearings on every-thing from smaller neighborhood issues
(like the roundabout planned for Wellesley and A streets), to larger sweeping
issues (like the multi-million dollar water, sewer, and street plans). The
Commission's recommendations are then sent to the City Council for consideration
to change the idea or proposal into a new law or a funded project.
Councilman Al French attends as a liaison between the City Council and the
Commission. Kaye Straight serves as a liaison to the Community Assembly.
These positions help improve communication between the groups which often work
together on citywide planning issues. Commissioners spend much of their
time implementing the Comprehensive Plan, which is a massive document borne out
of a five-year community process called
Spokane Horizons.
Adopted in 2001 by the City Council, the hefty notebook is affectionately
referred to as “The Comp. Plan.” Thousands of citizens participated in its
creation as a vision for how the city will grow in the next 20 years and it is
the Commissioners' job to see that it is put to work by all areas of City
government. The Plan Commission is earnestly working to develop the new
regulations that will implement
this vision and hopes
to report the progress in future issues. The Commission meets the 2nd
and 4th Wednesdays of each month, usually in the daytime at City
Hall. Some public hearings are held in the evenings so more citizens may attend.
Meetings are open for anyone to observe. Each meeting includes time set aside
for public questions and feedback, which is welcomed as part of the City's
commitment to an early and continuous public process directed by the state's
Growth Management Act.
by
Candace Mumm
Past President, Spokane Plan Commission
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