Spokane County planners have begun the process of updating the county’s comprehensive plan. It’s the document that guides development in the county. This is something the state of Washington says counties and municipalities must do every 10 years.
"Oftentimes, if there's nothing else going on, you can sort of say, well, let's change the date and change the commissioner's names and call it good. But here's a chance for the county to really start with a blank sheet of paper, almost, and say, what do we need to do differently for the next 20-plus years of growth?" said Spokane County Planning Director Scott Chesney.
"Our job is to draw out those distinctions and help Medical Lake grow back into a resort community, help Liberty Lake grow in the way it's doing. Airway Heights has been booming, and yet it's landlocked in so many ways it's constrained by the Air Force Base in terms of how it can grow. Our job is to help all of them try to find their niche and grow in a way that gives them the best advantage to stabilize and grow their own economies."
