Donors seek land-use changes

Two developers seeking changes to Spokane County’s land-use plan contributed several thousand dollars last fall to the campaigns of two successful Republican county commissioners.

Today, commissioners are scheduled to hold public hearings on four land-use changes, including three amendments sought by the campaign donors. The county Planning Commission recommended against the amendments.

Critics say the donations, while legal, look inappropriate when county commissioners are in charge of such decisions. But the commissioners’ attorney said nothing prevents elected officials from considering land-use amendments brought by their campaign donors.

Frank Honorof, of the Veradale area, is seeking a land-use change that would allow him to create as many as seven additional home sites on 112 acres of farm land in the Valleyford area southeast of Spokane.

Honorof contributed $1,000 to the campaign of Commissioner Todd Mielke last year. Valenov LLC, which is listed as the applicant on the land-use change, made two $1,000 contributions to the campaign of Commissioner Mark Richard. One of the contributions to Richard was made about the same time Valenov applied for the land-use amendment.

Joe Jacobs, who is seeking two land-use changes, contributed $1,000 to Mielke last November. He and his wife made two $500 contributions to Richard last August and last November.

Richard, who was government affairs director for the Spokane Home Builders Association before being elected commissioner in November, said he would consider land-use amendments on their merits and compliance with land-use law.

“I’ve got a lot of folks who own land who have contributed to my campaign,” Richard said.

Jacobs said he supported Mielke and Richard because they favor economic growth, and not to influence a land-use application. Honorof could not be reached for comment Monday.

The commissioners have scheduled hearings on four land-use amendments today at their 2 p.m. meeting in the commissioners hearing room in the lower level of the county Public Works Building.

Richard said he believes there is a lack of lots available for home sites, but that he intends to examine the evidence in the proposal from Valenov before deciding how to vote. “I’m just trying to do what’s best for the community,” he said.

Mielke said he had more than 600 contributors last year. He said he intends to be “fair and open-minded” in hearing the amendment requests, and will treat his political supporters like any other citizens.

The county Planning Commission recommended against the four land-use changes.

Deputy Prosecuting Attorney Jim Emacio said commissioners may deliberate on land-use changes brought by campaign contributors. Land-use amendments are a legislative matter, Emacio said, and as such, are not governed by the appearance of fairness doctrine in state law, which governs conduct of officials in other types of land-use decisions.

Developers often make contributions to local candidates. However, applicants for land-use amendments are not often involved in campaign contributions.

Dennis Dellwo, a member of the Eastern Washington Growth Management Hearings Board, said he remembers only one land-use appeal in which a campaign contribution was raised as possible evidence. He said contributions cannot be considered in ruling on land-use changes. Decisions are based on state law as implemented by counties and cities in their land-use plans.

Bonnie Mager, coordinator for the Neighborhood Alliance of Spokane, said the contributions by developers seeking land-use amendments “looks bad. It always calls into question what’s going on,” she said.

Zach Holloway, who lives near the Valenov property, said, “The appearance is certainly not good,” even though the contributions are legal.

The Valenov proposal would change the land-use designation on 112 acres along Stevens Creek Road from large-tract agricultural to rural traditional agriculture. The large-tract designation sets a limit of one home per 40 acres versus one home on every 10 acres in the “rural traditional” designation.

Ten-acre parcels are selling for upward of $100,000 on the south facing slopes of Browne Mountain and Big Rock, Holloway said, so the land-use change could be worth hundreds of thousands of dollars to the developer.

The area has become popular for home sites, and many of the new homes are spacious, with three-car garages and expansive views to the south.

Access to the Valenov property is across a pair of gravel roads.

Holloway, who opposes the change, said the agricultural land owned by Valenov is productive and should be preserved for farming. He is concerned about increased traffic on narrow county roads.

But he makes no bones about why he is opposing the change. “I’ve been up front with everybody. I don’t want all those homes in my front yard.”

Jacobs is seeking to change property near the 5500 block of North Argonne Road from a rural residential designation allowing homes on five-acre parcels to a “rural traditional” designation that limits houses to 10-acre parcels.

He also is seeking another amendment to increase opportunities for opening landfills that accept inert debris such as concrete, asphalt and brick as well as rock and dirt.