Southridge PUB: If "developer" Lancze Douglass has his way, this land will be clear cut, all natural vegetation removed and "developed" to accommodate 156 single family houses and 99 apartment units. This property contains  wetlands and is situated on a major flood plain.  The 52 acre property is located east of Havana between 29th and 35 Avenue.

Note: As of 08/01/07 The picturesque scenes above no longer exist due to Douglass Destruction.

A Re-Cap
Hearing Examiner Rulings
Click HERE for PDF

Summary of Board of County Commissioners Rulings. (Mielke, Richard & Harris sat on board at that time)
Click HERE for PDF

Although this development at the edge of the City limits at Havana and 29^th Avenue was approved by Michael Dempsey, the County’s Hearing Examiner, the conditions for further study and “mitigating measures” that Mr. Dempsey imposed--to ensure the development’s adverse impacts would be minimized--are objectionable to Mr. Douglass.  He has appealed the conditions attached to the approval, insisting through his attorneys that traffic, storm water runoff, water quality, wetland issues will not be a problem with his current proposal to put 161 residential lots and 99 apartment units on 52 acres.  The Hearing Examiner asked for more studies of the hydrology, geology, wetlands, effect on the Critical Aquifer Recharge Area and on traffic impacts and safety issues. 

Living up to his reputation, Douglass feels that none of the restrictions apply to him.

Douglas appealed these conditions imposed by the hearing examiner to the County Commissioners at the time, Phil Harris, Mark Richard and Todd Mielke.  The county commissioners overruled the hearing examiners' decision.  They supported the appeal by Douglas. 

In February, CeRED was informed that its Petition for Review by the State Supreme Court was denied.  The petition asked the court to reverse the decision of the previous Board of County Commissioners to delete several “Conditions” for plat approval that the Spokane County Hearing Examiner had added when he made his decision in January of 2005.  While our chances of winning this legal battle, from the Spokane County Superior Court and the Court of Appeals to the State Court, were slim (because of the limitations of the legal process), we can see that the contested Conditions were more than justified.  The developer’s wetland delineation stakes have been immersed in water each spring, the complex geology and hydrology of the site have been dramatically altered, adversely affecting neighboring properties as well as the site itself, while numerous building codes have been violated. Illegal actions continue to take place on the property.  In the meantime, the developer has been granted final approval (a “by consent” decision from the three commissioners) for 50 lots, approximately one-third of the proposed single family tracts.  Several of these lots are on the boggy soil downhill from the large wetland that continues to drain.  This wetland’s north bank was severely breached when 29^th Avenue was lowered and widened by the developer last summer.

Thanks to all for your generous donations and continued support. 

PLEASE SEND DONATIONS TO:
CeRED
PO BOX 31041
SPOKANE, WA  99223-3017

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