Shoreline Master Program Update

Community Participation

Main SMP Page

Background

Phase I

Community Participation

   Summary of Public Participation

Open House November 9, 2006

Open House December 11, 2007

Open House May 14, 2008

Open House September 4, 2008

SMP Roundtable Discussions

Shorelines Policy Committee

Archived Shoreline Policy Committee Agenda, Minutes, & Presentations

Plan Commission Workshops & Public Hearings

Shorelines Technical Advisory Committee (STAC)

City Cable Five Programming

Mailed Notice (for May 19, 2006)

Mailed Notice (for September 4, 2008)

SMP Update Citizen Participation Plan Schedule

River Tours

Community Participation

The Planning Services Department is determined to keep the Shoreline Update a public owned process. To further this aim, the Planning Services team has adopted an adaptive management process in order to preserve and enhance the exchange of information. In keeping with this strategy several different forms of involvement are available to the public.  In addition, a summary of the public participation opportunities has been made available for review. 

A series of open houses held on November 9, 2006, December 11, 2007, and a final open house to be held on May 13, 2008. These open houses allow citizens to voice their concerns, ask questions, and look over a variety of information about the Shoreline Update. New information has been (and will be) presented at each open house. The comments collected at open houses are incorporated into a running list that is utilized at stakeholder roundtable discussions, the policy committee, and throughout the Shoreline Update.

A set number of Stakeholder Roundtable Discussions are scheduled throughout the Update process. These discussions are structured around bringing representatives of diverse groups together for focused discussions on shoreline issues in the City of Spokane. This work builds on and informs the open houses and provides a platform for the work of the policy committee.

This group will be reviewing, changing, and adding policy for the Update. Their work will be available for review and comment at the Open Houses and will be posted on this website. The last Policy Committee meeting was held June 20, 2007 and the next meeting is scheduled for sometime in the Fall 2007.

A series of Public hearings will be held on the SMP Update and public testimony will be taken. The Plan Commission will have the final say on proposed goals and policies they recommend to the City Council. They will also work with staff to develop regulations that address these goals. These hearings will be scheduled when draft documents are ready review and comment.

In a process similar to the Plan Commission Hearings, the City Council will weigh the Plan Commissions recommendations and will take public testimony. The Council will then deliberate on the proposed SMP Update elements and will either approve, deny, or send the matter back to the Plan Commission for further consideration. City Council hearings will only be scheduled after the draft documents have been approved by the Plan Commission. In addition to normal notice procedures, all SMP related City Council Hearings will be posted on this website. Currently Phase I is moving to City Council as a resolution.

Other Outreach Efforts

City Cable Five Programming

Information is available through Spokane Building Blocks, an educational series sponsored by the Spokane Plan Department discussing a broad variety of planning related issues. The last SMP focused Building Blocks was filmed July 11, 2006, copies are available from City Cable Five.  Click the link for a version of the presentation in PDF Shoreline Master Program Update presentation. (1,888 KB)

APA Brown Bag Lunches

Occasionally an informative presentation will be held through the American Planning Association Brown bag lunch forum. These are open to the public, the last SMP Brown Bag was held August 30, 2006.

Mailed Notice

In order to alert property owners within the shoreline area, a mailed notice that the City of Spokane was Updating it's Shoreline Master Program was sent May 19, 2006 to every property owner within 350 feet of the shorelines along the Spokane River and Latah Creek. A copy of this notice is located here.