(Actual) bathrooms and showers planned for Trent Shelter

CIVICS | Plus: Extending the duplex pilot, addressing racist relics and a smattering of library events

*Live Local INW* *is sponsoring our content this month. Read our sponsorship policy* *here*.

Urban Experience Committee

Five more months for fourplexes: Spokane has been leading the way on legalizing denser housing — like duplexes and fourplexes — in areas of the city that previously only allowed single-family homes. Last July, in response to the housing crisis and restrictive single-family zoning throughout most residential areas of the city, the Spokane city council passed the Building Opportunity and Choices for All (BOCA) interim zoning ordinance, which legalized denser housing city-wide on a temporary basis.

The intent was to make that change permanent, but a permanent law is more consequential than a temporary one, and the city wants to give the planning department a bit more time to make sure they get it right. Council doesn’t want to lose the progress it has made, though, so, this committee is discussing plans to extend BOCA by five months.

This bill is sponsored by council members Wilkerson and Cathcart and has represented a rare bipartisan common ground when it comes to city housing policy.

Affordable housing in West Central: The city council is considering approving a $500,000 grant to Habitat for Humanity to aid in purchasing and renovating homes in West Central that will become permanent affordable housing. The funding comes from the West Quadrant Tax Increment Finance District, a funding source intended to “help incentivize economic development and redevelopment of blighted neighborhoods.”

This project was approved 4-1 by the Neighborhood Project Advisory Committee and has the support of neighborhood organization REACH West Central.

Pedal parking: Plans to update bike parking standards have been pedaling through different committees over the last few months and appear ready to go to a council vote, including a rule to reduce car parking requirements in substitution for better bike parking.

Under the new law, bike parking could replace 25% of a building's parking requirement, up from 10% under previous city code. For every four short-term bike parking spots, one car parking place would be replaced and every long-term bike parking spot (meaning covered and secure) would replace a parking spot. These laws also allow for existing parking to be converted into bike parking spots.

Addressing offensive symbols on public property: City council is considering formalizing a process for the removal of potentially offensive symbols on public property. This process follows the decades-long push that ended in the renaming of George Wright Drive as Whitsalks Way. It could also apply to efforts to see the John Robert Monaghan statue at Monroe and Riverside removed.

This process, designed by the Spokane Human Rights Commission, would create a standard protocol for citizens to petition for the removal of names or objects on public property that people object to. Once a petition is received, a working group would be formed to consider whether the object or name is discriminatory as defined by city code. If the working group finds that the object is discriminatory it would then refer the request to the Spokane Office of Civil Rights, Equity, and Inclusion (OCREI) — an office that was created by City Council in 2017, but which currently has no staff or director.

After a review by the hypothetically functional OCREI, the Human Rights Commission would then review materials and make a recommendation to the city council regarding the request.

Agenda here
Monday, May 8 at 1:15 p.m.
Council Briefing Center in the Lower Level of City Hall.
808 W Spokane Falls Blvd, Spokane, WA 99201
The meeting is also live streamed here.

***LIVE LOCAL INW is the best place in our region to discover independent local businesses.*** *Click* *here* *to find businesses near you. Add your business to the directory for free* *here*.

Spokane City Council

Bathrooms and showers at TRAC: The city is looking to spend $1.45 million to add showers and restrooms to the Trent Shelter — a building owned by businessman Larry Stone and leased to the city. These public investments would pay for themselves within about a year and a half because the price of operating portable toilets and showers is very high. This would also improve conditions for people staying at the facility. It also deepens the city's investment in the site, which has proven difficult to fund and has raised a myriad of concerns about conditions within the shelter and impacts on the surrounding neighborhood.

To catch up, see our past coverage of these issues:

Attorney fees to fight pollution limits: The city administration is proposing a $100,000 contract with Craig Trueblood, a Seattle lawyer to fight the pollution limits set by the State Department of Ecology for discharges into the Spokane River. The city is one of many local polluters fighting the new, more stringent pollution levels set by the state last year. For more background check-out this article from Colin Tiernan.

Dump (powered) trucks: The city is considering a $230,000 contract with Maas Energy Works to supply the city’s fleet of dump trucks with renewable natural gas. This gas will be eligible for alternative fuel tax credits, because it comes from dairy waste not fossil fuels.

Just SNAP and your overdue utility bill may go away: The city is voting to approve a partnership with Spokane Neighborhood Action Partners (SNAP) to administer pandemic utility bill relief programs. SNAP would be vetting applications for bill relief on behalf of the city, which has $1.6 million in available funds for people who qualify for delinquent bill relief. For a single-person household you could be eligible for these funds if you are a Spokane resident and have an income at or below roughly $45,000. You can find more info on this and other housing relief programs on the SNAP website.

Agenda here
Monday, May 8 at 6 p.m.
Council Chambers in the Lower Level of City Hall.
808 W Spokane Falls Blvd, Spokane, WA 99201
The meeting is also live streamed here

Spokane Board of County Commissioners

Funding for homeless services: The county is doling out more than $2 million in grant funding to homeless providers in the region. This is a fraction of what the city spends on homeless services — it’s less than one-third of what it costs to operate TRAC — but it’s something. Grant recipients include Catholic Charities St. Margaret’s Shelter, SNAP, the YWCA, Volunteers of America’s Alexandria’s House, Transitions, the Cheney Outreach Center and Family Promise.

Reworking developmental disabilities service contracts: The county is updating a slew of contracts with local job training and employment organizations that work to help people with developmental disabilities get job training and access to other community supports. Based on agenda language, the change seems to be in response to a state law change, but it’s unclear to us what exactly that law change is.

Zoning changes: The county is considering more than a dozen proposed zoning changes that in general request more development than currently allowable under county code. You can find out if any of these changes are in your neck of the woods by checking out page 437 of the agenda packet.

Agenda here
Tuesday, May 9 at 2 p.m.
Public Works Building
1116 W Broadway, Spokane, WA
Commissioner’s Conference Room, First Floor

Spokane Plan Commission

Fees (and more) on Airbnbs: City planning staff will present a second set of proposed code changes for short-term rentals (STRs) — the euphemism for permanent housing that has been repurposed as hotel space via services like Airbnb. There’s a lot here (see pages 25-27 of the agenda for a full rundown), but some of the most impactful proposed changes include:

Allow short term rentals in all zoning districts that currently allow residential
Only allow short-term rentals in residential units (conceivably restricting common areas in apartment buildings and commercial spaces like storefronts)
Restrict the number of STRs in multifamily buildings to a maximum of 20% of total units in residential zones and 30% in non-residential zones
Restrict the number of STR units in single-family and duplexes to 1
Annual inspections required for renewal of permits
A $2 per night license fee collected to offset the effect short-term rentals have on housing supply.
Clarifying that short-term rentals have to pay the same lodging taxes as hotels, etc.

If these changes pass, existing permit holders would be grandfathered in, so they wouldn’t lose their ability to continue renting.

Building up the bus line: The city is working on plans to increase and set development standards around the new City Line as it winds through the South Logan neighborhood near the Spokane river and Gonzaga Campus. The documents talk about compact and mixed-use development, which we take to mean more units like apartments with storefronts below — we'd appreciate it if they'd just come out and say exactly what the new development could actually look like.

Agenda here
Wednesday, May 10 at 2 p.m.
Public Works Building
1026 W Broadway, Spokane, WA
Commissioner’s Hearing Room, Lower Level

Budget Town Halls

Mayor Nadine Woodward is hosting a series of town halls discussing the city’s budget and soliciting feedback for next year’s budget. This week she’ll be at Hillyard and Shadle Libraries. Because the mayor doesn’t have the same kind of public interaction as the council council, these events are a great chance to get some face time with the leader of our city government.

Hillyard Library, 4111 N. Cook St., Spokane
Tuesday, May 9, 5-7 p.m.
Shadle Park Library, 2111 W Wellesley Ave, Spokane
Thursday, May 11 at 3:30 p.m.

North-South Freeway Feedback

WSDOT is holding a community workshop about design plans for the North-South Freeway. The biggest decision left revolves around different off ramp designs and integrations between the freeway extension and Altamont St. WSDOT has a website dedicated to explaining the potential plans.

Wednesday, May 10, 5:30-7 p.m.
The Hive (meeting rooms A and B)
2904 East Sprague Avenue, Spokane, WA

Tax credit workshop at Shadle library

You may be eligible for tax relief under a new state law. To learn more about the Washington state Working Families Tax Credit checkout this website. If you want help applying for the credit there will be people on-hand at the Shadle Park Library this week. Be sure to bring your ID and tax forms.

More event info
Thursday, May 11, 1-4 p.m.
Shadle Park Library
2111 West Wellesley Avenue, Spokane
Shadle Park Classroom

Poverty simulator at Central Library

A collaboration between Spokane Neighborhood Action Partners and the Central Library will bring the “A.L.I.C.E. Simulation” to the library for two hours on Thursday afternoon. According to a press release for the event:

“A.L.I.C.E stands for “Asset-Limited, Income-Constrained, Employed” and could include much of the Spokane population who are working in paid roles, but do not have the non-cash assets or income that allow them to save money, move up the financial ladder, and help improve their household situation.”

“Taking part in this simulation involves navigating challenges and considering how families make hard choices, like paying for rent or paying for prescription medication, or how to keep a job when they cannot afford childcare,” said SNAP Director of Mission Support, Amber Johnson. “These are realities that many SNAP clients face. Like the event co-host, Spokane Public Library, SNAP welcomes all who are looking for ways to improve their situation, realizing that our community will truly be able to thrive when we can all reach our true potential.”
Watch this short video for more info.

RSVP Here
Thursday, May 11, arrive at 2:15, simulation from 2:30 to 4:30
Central Library
906 W. Main Ave, Spokane

Mead School District Board of Directors

Agenda here
Monday, May 8 at 6 p.m.
Union Event Center
12509 N. Market St. Bldg. D, Mead, WA 99021
Watch via Zoom here.

Central Valley School District Board of Directors

Agenda here
Monday, May 8 at 6:30 p.m.
Learning and Teaching Center (district office)
Board Room at 2218 N Molter Rd, Liberty Lake
Watch via Zoom here.

Spokane Park Board

Agenda here
Thursday, May 11 at 3:30 p.m.
Council Chambers in the Lower Level of City Hall.
808 W Spokane Falls Blvd, Spokane, WA 99201
The meeting is also available virtually by calling in on the number provided in the agenda.