Rising Suncrest Growing Community North Of Spokane Is Full Of Happy Homeowners, But Is A City Planner’s Nightmare

Suncrest has it all: Spacious homes rimming Lake Spokane, big lots, mountain views and unlimited recreation to enchant the city-weary.

Houses are snapped up as fast as developers can build.

But there are trade-offs to the country life. For most people, getting to work involves a 45-minute commute. There’s no local bank, dry cleaner or library. Renewing a driver’s license requires a two-hour round trip.

In the winter there’s an added gamble: will Big Sandy Hill, the slippery main road in and out of Suncrest, be passable?

“If you looked up ‘bedroom community’ in the dictionary, it would give ‘Suncrest’ as the definition,” said Jeb Bowell, owner of Suncrest Supermarket and Deli, the community’s lone grocery store.

“There is no industry here. Almost everyone goes to town every day for their shopping and work. They sleep out here,” said Bowell.

The growing number of commuters has heavily impacted Spokane roads, adding to the Francis Avenue congestion. Spokane Planning Director Charlie Dotson said there is no easy way to fix Suncrest.

“Unfortunately, it should just be erased,” said Dotson. “But that isn’t going to happen. It simply has to stop growing.”

Suncrest is at the center of a two-county tug-of-war.

Residents of the unincorporated community work, shop and dine in Spokane, but vote and pay taxes in Stevens County. They’re listed in the Spokane phone book, but call Stevens County sheriff’s deputies in emergencies.

With more than 5,000 residents, Suncrest is Stevens County’s biggest community. It’s bigger than Colville, the county seat.

In the last 10 years, more than 1,000 houses have been built. Another 350 lots are either platted or nearing final approval.

Jenni Anderson, Stevens County plat administrator, estimates more than 1,000 houses will blossom in the next 10 years.

“People think that because I’m a business owner here, I want to see growth, but that’s not necessarily true,” said Bowell, who’s lived in Suncrest 11 years. “I live on the lake, but I don’t even use my boat because it’s too crowded.”

Dwayne Radtke grew up in the Suncrest area. He owns the community’s first professional office building. He watches the boom with fascination.

“As a general contractor, I love this area,” said Radtke, smiling. “It’s going to be crowded, crowded crowded.”

He’s already planning to open a retail lumberyard to sell decking, fencing and landscape materials to new homeowners.

But the happy home buyers that excite Radtke frustrate Dotson.

“It’s uncontrollable, significant, and it is diminishing our own ability to grow in Spokane,” said Dotson. “They are consuming our transportation capacity. In effect, they are taking bread out of our mouths.

“Their lifestyle in Suncrest is subsidized by the residents of Spokane.

“I wonder how many people would choose to live in Suncrest if they had to pay the full cost?” asked Dotson.

One solution would be incorporating Suncrest, said Dotson.

Residents, envisioning more and higher taxes, don’t want to hear about it.

Another solution might include encouraging a better balance of jobs, services and businesses, easing the daily flow of one-occupant cars into Spokane.

Hal Hart was Stevens County planning director from 1989 to 1995, peak Suncrest boom years.

He said planners knew that with the predicted growth, Spokane roads would be overwhelmed.

Impact fees and other ideas were considered, but none adopted.

“I think it was assumed that people would drive to Spokane for services. I expect that as Suncrest grows, more business and services will locate there to serve that population,” said Hart.

Schools bursting at the seams are another symptom of Suncrest’s unfettered growth.

In February, voters will be asked to approve a $6.5 million bond issue to build a middle school. The high school and middle school are now in one building. That building was intended to hold 400 students, but there are now more than 737 enrolled.

In the last six years, Suncrest schools have gained 418 students, climbing from 1,066 in 1990 to 1,484 today.

A public library is also being considered for Suncrest. The group Friends of the (Stevens) County Library has asked the state library board for a $65,000 start-up grant to provide services county-wide.

“By 1998 we’d like to see library services in Suncrest,” said Lorinda Anderson, a member of the county group.

Suncrest also boasts three churches in the community, two restaurants and a delicatessen.

The Suncrest Outpost is the commercial hub of the community. A strip of stores with an old-west falsefront and boardwalk, it offers residents basic retail services including gifts, videos, flowers and books.

Jeb Bowell came to the community in 1985 to open Suncrest Supermarket.

“The retail business here looks good from the outside, but when you get into it, you see that your customers are in Spokane every day. That’s where they shop. They are only home on the weekend.

“I would like to see some kind of industry come to Suncrest, something high-tech, maybe,” said Bowell. “I just don’t think it’s likely.

“We don’t have the road system. We are a long ways off I-90, we’re a good 40 minutes from Spokane. We’re at the end of the road, once the trucks get out here, they just turn around and go back.

Bowell, who is also a Stevens County Planning Commission member, said the overburdened highway is Suncrest’s biggest problem.

“It can’t bear much more traffic. The department of transportation has spent a lot of money and time looking for alternate routes, but they’ll never do it, it’s too expensive,” he said.

“Until that is resolved, no industry will come out here,” he said.

, DataTimes ILLUSTRATION: Color Photo